Love and Horror, Baby

by VesperChan

Halloween at a disco hall with half a dozen Uchiha? Yeah, Sakura didn't think it was a good idea either, but that didn't stop them from dragging her into their games. Costumes, hide and seek, hidden rooms and an unhealthy level of obsession await.

Summary:/Sakura is invited over to the Uchiha's disco hall for a Halloween celebration with her friends. No one expected the night to end up the way it did, especially not Sakura. Hide and seek in the dark with high stakes and monsters lying in wait, a thrill from half a dozen lips ignite the night. But she should have known better when she found out that so many Uchiha would be attending...Uchiha who are after her heart and soul. Let the chase begin!

I warn you. There be crack ahead.

.

Love and Horror, Baby

[Part 1: White Lands Of Empathica]

The end.

The songwriter's dead.
The blade fell upon him
Taking him to the white lands
of empathica,
of innocence
Empathica
Innocence

.

"You are such a freaking idiot, you know that," Sakura sighed rubbing the side of her head where there was already a good sized lump forming. She stopped herself from moaning in pain anymore than she already had because she had her pride as a women to take care of. She already got picked on enough for being a wimpy female, she didn't need her complaining coming back to bite her in the butt the next day.

"Do you want to go back, Sakura?" Haku asked, looking over her shoulder to where Sasuke was lagging behind on purpose, too prideful to apologize in front of the other guys once more, and too ashamed to walk next to Sakura.

She rolled her eyes and tisked, as if the idea was absurd. "Please, this is nothing. I'm just annoyed more than anything. Not that I hate you or anything Sasuke, I'm just seriously ticked, that's all," she said, turing around to look at her friend who still resembled a scolded child. "So stop pouting, will ya?"

"Let him pout, Sakura," Neji cooly stated, sparing a narrowed glare over his shoulder in the Uchiha's direction. His arm came up to rest across Sakura shoulders in a protective manner. "His stupidity has resulted in an injury on your part and that is something he should be ashamed of."

That seemed to snap Uchiha out of his sulking, since he sped up to come between Sakura and Neji, pushing the white eyed boy none too lightly towards the shrubbery on the side of the street. "Watch your mouth, Hyuga. It's disgusting to watch you so openly flirt with Sakura."

Neji stumbled a bit, but regained his footing rather quickly. Brushing a loose stand of hair out of his line of vision, he sneered at Sasuke. "For a welp never taught his manners I wouldn't expect you to understand chivalry, but to be so abasing and vile in your accusations is deplorable, Uchiha. Hold your tongue the next time you intend to let false accusations fly."

Before she could hear any more of it, Sakura grabbed Haku's arm and dragged him across a neighbor's lawn into her own yard, where a hundred different colored leaves seemed to lie; scattered by a passing wind every now and then. She knew well enough that once those two started going at it against one another that it was only a matter of time before they stopped, and not of who intervened. A pack of multicolored unicorns could run past them and they would still be trading insults; most having something to do with her.

Puling back the screen she stopped into her home, holding it open with her foot for Haku. Once he was inside she let it slam shut, not bothering to lock it since she knew Sasuke and Neji would follow her sooner or later. Kicking of her gray eskimo boots she followed Hake up the stairs into her room in her neon green socks and purple skinny jeans, her hands still deeply thrust into her hoodie's pockets for warmth.

"How long do you think they will be this time?" he asked from a chair by her bookshelf.

Sakura jumped over some old comic books onto her bed before falling down into her collection of various pillows. She grabbed a Hello Kitty one and hugged it to her chest. "I don't know. and I don't really care so long as neither of the swing their ipod into my head again."

Haku covered his snort with a hand when he remembered when Sasuke tried to prove how tightly his earbuds would stay in his ipod as he swung the music player around his head. Of course he never counted on the ipod coming out of his hand and flying into Sakura's face.

"Shut up Haku," she groaned, covering her face with her Hello Kitty pillow.

"I-I'm sorry Sakura," he laughed, he cheeks red. "You were just really cute after you got hit. You didn't move or anything and it was really very comical."

"Oh, well I'm glad at least you got something out of it. Are you still mad at me from poker night or about how you lost our bet?" Sakura asked, rolling over so that she was on top of her pillow staring across the room at her friend.

Haku shook his head, flipping through a paperback he had picked up off the shelf. "No, not really. I don't like sewing, but if it's for your costume I don't mind it so much. I would have helped you even if you hadn't cheated in poker."

"I didn't cheat!"

"Of course you didn't..." he replied, refusing to meet her eyes as he smiled to himself in a knowing manner.

Sakura flipped off her bed and marched over to where he was sitting to snatch the book out of his hands and hit him across the head with it. He raised his hands to protect himself when she hit him again, but actually grabbed her the third time and forced her over onto the floor when she tried for a third time. Sakura huffed, struggling against his hold but was powerless unless she played dirty-something she wouldn't do so long as it was Haku. The femmenin boy smiled down at her, his face a few inches from hers. "Don't forget who you can't wrestle against now, Sa-ku-ra," he teased in an impish manner.

Something like the twisting of metal caused the pair to look up from heir position on the floor to see both Neji and Sasuke standing in the doorway with shadowed expressions. Neither of the two boys looked happy with what they saw.

"Oi, when did you two get back?" Sakura asked, acting oblivious even though she knew what was bugging them.

Haku smirked, catching on to Sakura's teasing tone. Leaning in further her buried in face in her hair, leaving only a narrowed eye exposed as he watched the two boy's reactions. "Neh, Sakura..." he whispered in a tone most seductive. "I don't think they are done fighting. Maybe we should leave them alone a bit longer. What do you think?"

Sakura smiled a giggled a bit when his nose dipped down to brush her neck and tickle her. He bit onto a piece of her hair and closed his eyes in what Sakura guessed was fake euphoria. What she really didn't know was that Haku wasn't this good of an actor.

Sasuke was the first to move, tackling Haku and tumbling over the older boy as he wrested to keep him away from Sakura. Neji, always the more elegant of the two, calmly took a stance between Sakura and her attacker. Never letting his narrowed orbs of white leave Haku's form, he knelt down to help Sakura up.

"Are you alright Sakura?" he asked in a tentative tone.

Sakura just flicked the Hyuga on the forehead and reached over to shove Sasuke off of Haku. "You two are too explosive for any sane girl to handle. Sometimes I forget why I am still friends with you all. Are you done fighting yet or do I have to bring out the duck tape?"

"Ch, please, we're guys of course we're going to be loud and rough. Stop being such a baby Sakura," Sasuke huffed, crossing his arms.

Sakura could feel her smile strain as another attack on her strength was launched. What was it with guys and this whole macho pride thing they got going for them? "Sometimes I think you are worse than my old boyfriend Sasuke. If you know what's good for you, you'll shut up right now."

Mentioning Sakura's old boyfriend seemed to brighten Sasuke's mood a bit, since he cracked a smile and dropped his arms. "Got it. I know better than to be a self centered prick like Naruto was so you don't have to worr-" He was cut off by a pillow to the face.

"YOU SAID HIS NAME!" Sakura screamed pouncing on Sasuke with the intention of tickling him to death. "TABOO SLAYER!"

Haku laughed behind his hand while Neji just shook his head in defeat. Neji had known Sakura only a little bit while she was dating Naruto, so he didn't really understand things as clearly as Sasuke did, who happened to be friends with both parties during those years. Then there was Haku who had been Sakura's friend since she was in diapers and knew everything about her. When Neji had asked about Naruto after Sakura snapped one day, Haku just told him it would be in everyone's best interest if that brat's name was never mentioned again.

On his own, Neji knew that Naruto was currently dating his cousin, who was head of his uncle's company. Naruto was one of those guys that though he was the coolest thing since string cheese and didn't like talking about anything that had nothing to do with him. Aside from his Jupiter sized ego, he was also really self righteous and hypocritical when it came to other people. Why was his cousin going out with him again? Oh yeah, he's super rich and spoiled with good looks.

Neji got up from where he was sitting and hugged Sakura from behind, pulling her away from a crying Uchiha who had just been tickled severely. "Stop molesting Sasuke, he's spoiled enough as it is."

Sasuke was looking like he was ready to say something back to that when good old Haku jumped in to save the day, or at least what was left of the afternoon. "Have you two forgotten why we came over here in the first place? Halloween is tomorrow night and we still have work on our costumes to do."

"I still have the fabric where we left it, I haven't really touched it since last night," Sakura admitted, a bit sheepishly since she knew she could have been working on it.

"I'll get snacks," Neji offered, heading for the door after letting Sakura go. "Did you get marshmallows like I asked, Sakura?"

The green eyed girl nodded, following him out into the hall with both boys behind her. "Yeah, dad picked some up but they are the colored ones. That okay?" She stopped at the door to her Mom's study, Following the Hyuga with her eyes as he started down the stairs. He waved her off without a verbal reply and she guessed that was good enough.

Haku was already at one of the two old, gray and white sewing machines when Sakura turned around. He had black fabric in his hands and was turning it around, looking for the part that would need red with it. Sasuke sort of just lounged on the tattered couch of yellow and pink that had a ton of those old lady pillows with cute sayings sewn onto 'em. Yesterday he had helped by cutting out shapes for Sakura's dress, but now he didn't seem to be needed.

"How is you costume, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, sitting behind the second sewing machine. She saw the dark themed Cheshire Cat suite.

"It's a bit loose in the waist for the pants. Can you take in on that?"

"Sure let me see how much I need to take in on-Holy shit Sasuke not in here!" she yelped, falling over with her hands in front of her face as Sasuke had started to pull down his jeans. The Uchiha looked smug with her reaction, while Haku only appeared annoyed.

"It'll only take a minuet Sakura, and besides...we have been friends since we were kids so you've seen me without me pants before."

"That was when you were like five, you ass!"

Sakura snickered when he saw how Sakura wouldn't turn around and look at him as he stepped into his pants for the costume. "Pff, when we're married you're going to have to get used to a lot more than this, you know...a lot more."

"When hell freezes over... Are you dressed yet?" she asked looking over at Haku who gave her the 'go ahead' nod.

Grabbing a few pins from the desk, she saw that indeed Saske hadn't been lying when he had told her the pants were loose. Course they could have used some store bought jeans or whatever, but Sakura had customized the pants a good deal to allow a tail and the patches and punk apparel. She though about sticking him in the side with her pin to teach him a lesson, but decided against it in the end.

"You're done, take em off ONCE I TURN AROUND, and I'll sew 'em up."

Sasuke just chuckled at her flushed expression after he attempted to do as she instructed before she had a chance to protect her mostly innocent eyes. Before she could get away though, Sasuke leaned over and kissed her quickly on the shell of her ear. "Thank you, darling."

A few minuets later, Neji came up with freshly melted smores and hot coco. The three (two really) workers put down their costumes and sat down on the floor for some food. Neji tried to help, really he did, but he wasn't very good at this girly stuff so he set to clean up the ribbons and thread and whatever it was Sakura and Haku were done with while Sasuke lazed about. The Uchiha was content to watch his dear-almost-but-not-quite-loving-wife-to-be with a leering smile worthing of the most pervy pervert. He looked like his uncle when he smiled like that. No wonder he had perverted dreams whenever he fell asleep watching Sakura do anything.

The four of them were going as character from Alice in Wonderland-none of them being Alice. Neji was the Mad Hatter while Sasuke was the Cheshire Cat. Gaara had also promised to show up later as the Knave of Hearts, but couldn't make it to the last few get together because he went to a privet school that had him testing and studying late every other day.

Sakura and Haku were going as a pair, Sakura being the Queen of Hearts while Haku was the king. Sakura's costume was the most elaborate by far, which was why she had started working on it in mid September. It was mostly done now, with only a few ribbons and lace to finally sew in place.

Halfway into their projects Sasuke fell asleep on the couch and began mumbling something that sounded like pillow talk. Neji twitched at every other word and started to cringe once the Uchiha became graphic in his descriptions of what he wanted Sakura to do to him. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and stood up with an oversized pillow in hadn, and hit Sasuke as hard as he could.

Saske of course woke up and began to fight back, threatening to uninvit Neji to his party. Sakura and Haku just kept sewing, unaware or unaffected by something so normal it would be odd if it didn't happen after so long of peace.

For Halloween the four friends were going to an old disco/nightclub that the Uchiha family owned. The party was actually privet to anyone who wasn't a friend of the Uchiha's, so it wasn't going to be a big, crowded part like Sakura had first suspected when Sasuke asked her out. Sasuke's older brother Itachi and their uncle Madara were also going to be bringing some of their friends over, so there should be a fair amount of people attending.

Sasuke seemed excited when ever he talked about it, since there were a lot of things his family was going to be doing that he had kept secret. More than one of these secrets would end up making this Halloween extra memorable for Sakura.

.

[Part 2: Home]

The dreamer and the wine
Poet without a rhyme
A widow writer torn apart by chains of Hell

One last perfect verse
It's still the same old song
Oh Christ, how I hate what I have become

Take me home

Get away, run away, fly away
Lead me astray to dreamer's hideaway
I cannot cry 'cause the shoulder cries more
I cannot die, I, a whore for this cold world
Forgive me,
I have but two faces
One for the world,
One for God,
save me
I cannot cry 'cause the shoulder cries more
I cannot die, I, a whore for this cold world

My home was there and then, those meadows of heaven
Adventure-filled days
One with every smiling face

Please, no more words
Thoughts from a severed head
No more praise,
Tell me once my heart goes right

Take me home

.

Sakura sat at her vanity, lightly tracing the design around her eyes with a red pencil before going back with liquid make up to darken it. Her face had already been powered white, so she was being extra careful as she stuck on the fake lashes that had black and red feathers at the end. Haku was behind her, helping her out with her hair. Most of it would be pinned up around her crown, leaving a few longer strands in front to curl around her face.

Sakura dropped her brush when his hand brushed against her neck in a sensitive area. "Chh, that tickels!"

"Ah, Sorry Sakura." Though Haku didn't feel apologetic.

"You okay Haku, you sound sleepy almost and you keep drifting off. Do you want to stay home tonight?"

"Of course not! I'm going with you tonight even if my head implodes."

Sakura frowned, sensing some unease in her friend. He didn't deny that he was feeling unwell so that led her to believe there was something going on that he wasn't telling her. Still, it was probably only something minor since Haku was usually a very truthful person. (more so than her at least.) "Hmm, well if you say so. I just wouldn't want to force you to go to something if you were not feeling well."

Haku didn't get a chance to reply since there was a loud knocking on the door and the pair knew form the quarreling on the other side that it was Sasuke and Neji. From the tones they were using with one another Sakura knew it was only a matter of time before another argument broke out among the two of them. It was really frustrating how often those two fought with one another. It seemed like everyday there was something they were throwing punches over.

Sakura slipped on her sleeves and covered her whitened shoulders. Haku helped her attack the large collar that was held in place by a strip of velcro before she let the boys in. Haku was more of a childhood girlfriend that she didn't mind showing so much skin in front of, but for Neji and Sasuke-especially Sasuke-it was different. That guy was a mega pervert! Almost as bad as Naruto, yet at the sametime nowhere near as sickly perverted as that blond bastard.

"Come in guys!"

"Oi, oi, Sakura it's almost time to leave, are you ready yet?" Sasuke asked, shooting in first. Neji came staggering in after, looking like he had just been shoved.

"I'm pretty much done, just give me a second and I'll follow you down," Sakura sighed, moving to her Jewelry dish to seek out an old family ring that had this huge honking crest on it in red and black.

"Don't mind Sasuke, Sakura. Take your time, we are in no rush," Neji interrupted.

Sasuke turned to glare. "Shut up, she looks pretty enough as she is, she doesn't need any help."

"Regardless, you are being an unforgiving bother to Sakura."

"Shit dude, did you not get the memo? We're going to the Neon Disco Hall with my family. Do you know how many horny bastards there are going to be there?"

"A lot?" Haku offered. Neji just rolled his eyes at the simple reply. He knew well enough that the last name Uchiha practically spelled pervert backwards-not literally of course.

"Considering that it's invitation only, Sakura is going to be one of the only females there-aside from the..." here Sasuke paused to look over his shoulder at Sakura who had moved out of hearing, however, he did not finish his sentence seeing as there was no need to.

"You did not say anything about that, Sasuke. You know Sakura is going to have a fit over something of such and want to leave," Neji said in a grave tone.

"Hey, I don't know for certin something like that. I just know some relatives will try. I haven't told them I'm bringing Sakura yet. If they knew they wouldn't bother. Still, it shouldn't be too much of a bother since a few female cousins will be there. They don't like it either and try their best to keep 'em out. Thing is, I have like what... two female cousins who are already married and that's not a lot of manpower."

"Maybe we should go somewhere else then," Haku offered.

"If we can get in early enough we can get to the top floor. That's the best as well as the safest place to be from my relatives. No one else ever goes up there."

Neji cleared his throat after glancing behind him to make sure he wouldn't be heard before continuing. "I have been meaning to ask you this, but who exactly of your relatives do we need to be weary of, Sasuke?"

"All the single ones who Sakura has ever met."

"And that is...?" Haku asked.

Sasuke frowned, doing that math in his head. "I...don't know. But there is more than one for sure, cause I know Itachi is fond of her. He keeps bugging me to bring her over and tell me where I'm meeting her. It's been hell keeping that monkey off my back."

"Ah, so that is why you never invite Sakura over to your house. Such a pity, since I only have a female cousin to worry about," Neji laughed while rubbing the underside of his chin in a thoughtful manner. This was something he could use against Sasuke.

"Yeah, a cousin who just happens to be dating the blond boob-Sakura's ex!" Sasuke countered, delighting in the crestfallen expression of his friend.

"What are you guys talking about?" Sakura asked coming back into hearing range fully prepared.

The guys were graced with a full view of her dress and body in costume just then. Her dress looked like it had all once reached the floor, but two bows of black over either hip held the front part of her dress up like a curtain to expose her lacy black stockings. The rest of her dress was ruffled in the back and fell to her heels. The bodice part was mostly black with red ribbing running up and down and cross cross in the middle. The collar came down extra low to show off enough skin to make her boys blush while the sleeves fell off the shoulder and tightly clung to her arms before flaring out at the wrist.

"Were you talking about something important?" she asked again, noticing their wandering eyes.

Neji, Haku and Sasuke shared a quick look that translated into 'temporary truce' in guy language. "Nothing," Haku supplied in a nonchalant manner. "Just Space cowboy and the music that will be played there. Sasuke's family couldn't book the original I'm afraid but there will at least be some of his music there"

"Really, I love Space Cowboy," Sakura exclaimed, passing the boys and coming to stand in the doorway. "Let's get going now before my dad gets back. I don't what him seeing me dressed like this."

And so the four friends exited her room and followed their leading female to the front door where she stepped aside to allow Neji to pass. He was the one driving them all so it was a natural thing to do. The whole ride in and of it's self only took eighteen minuets at the pace Neji was going. If they wanted to get there sooner, they could have let Sasuke drive them but then they all wanted to get there in one pice so it ended up being Neji who had to haul them all around most of the time.

After parking, Sasuke was the one that led them down into the club before steering them around the crows towards the back that led to the above ground room where no one really liked to go anymore. The upstairs was so large with so much rejected junk it had become more of a storage room more than anything, but there were still some places that were just ideal to hold a party in. The room Sasuke had set up had a small elevated dance floor that lit up from underneath, a game system, a bar and several mismatched couches in zebra and hot pink fabric.

Coming into the cleared out room they would be using, Sakura squealed and hugged Sasuke. "Holy cow you even brought in a disco ball. I freaking love you Sasuke, this is amazing."

Sasuke's ears went first, then his face as his body swelled with heat from her touch. His face was as read as a tomato it seemed. Sakura was hugging him a bit too tight in that costume of hers and he could feel things he normally couldn't when she was wearing a sports bra.

'Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit," he thought to himself, his vision blurring on him. 'What is she a D cup?'

Neji pulled on Sasuke's ear, dragging him away from Sakura with the excuse that he couldn't turn on the play station. Free from her hug, Sakura skipped over to the music player in the corner of the room and started sorting though some of the old CDs. Most clubs would just bring their music libraries with them on the mac or something, but the player seemed to be old. Sakura popped in a CD by Shiny Toy Guns and turned it on but nothing seemed to be coming out of the speakers.

"There must be a plug loose or something," she mused a loud before slipping behind the table and junk to see if she could find the problem. A bright orange cord a few inches from the outlet seemed to be the problem. Sakura picked up the cord and plugged it in, blasting Le Disko though the speakers throughout the room just in time to muffle her scream.

Something heavy had falling on top of her and pinned her down, but it wasn't anything immobile she instantly noticed, since it got up and moved over her to grab her hands and rest part of its self against her chest. Whatever it was it was heavy and smelled of men's cologne.

"Mmmm Sakura chan you're so soft tonight," the voice cooed, his hair tickling her chin and lips as he nestled his face into her neck.

Sakura's eyes narrowed she brought her knee up real hard to get him in the balls. She heard as well as felt his breath leave his body as he slipped off her in a limp huddle, allowing her to get up and run for her friends. "Pervert Shisui!"she screamed.

"Sakura!" Sasuke screamed, running to her side only to be pulled back at the neck by his brother.

Madara was also there, sitting on the top of the couch with one foot on Neji's neck while the other rested on his chest. He saw Sakura and grinned wildly showing off his pearly white teeth. Tobi was there as well, but he wasn't holding Haku back like he was suppose to so he just waved wildly like a kid while Haku was free to run to Sakura's side.

"Sakura are you alright. What happened?"

"Shisui freaking attacked me behind the music machine!" She whined, glaring at Madara and Tobi from under her long lashes. Haku's arm had been draped across her shoulders in a half hug as she attempted to shield her from their eyes as much as possible. "And something tells me there is more of those freaks lurking around somewhere."

Sasuke struggled trying to free himself of his brother's iron grip. It wasn't going so well. "What are you doing up here? You said you were going to stay downstairs cause you didn't want to mess with the little kids."

"Sakura doesn't look like a little kid," Madara leered wistfully. Sakura moaned and turned into Haku's chest, trying to shield herself. He was creeping her our big time.

"Sasuke," Itachi began, eyes still unblinking and stuck on Sakura's form. "You said you weren't inviting Sakura, and yet I see you are all dressed up together." Itachi was still staring at Sakura the whole time but his grip on Sasuke tightened and the total temperature of the room dropped a bout eight degrees. "You lied to me?"

"Hey I asked him that too!" Shisui whined, coming out from the shadows rubbing the side of his face where the floor had hit him. (The floor rose up on free will and hit him in the face just because it was jealous of his dashing good looks. He did not fall!) "Neh, Sakura chan you don't have to be so jumpy, you really hurt back there."

"Let us go!" Sasuke screamed, pulling harder. "I didn't want to tell you because I knew this was what would happen you jerks! Sakura didn't want to see any of you. If she knew you were going to show up she would have never come."

"Hey, it's not our fault Mai and Keko wouldn't let us hire pole dancers for downstairs!" Madara whined, sounding more like a child who was denied a toy.

Sakura stiffened. "What was that?"

The Three boys who knew her best stiffened, all thinking the same thing. 'Crap.'

Stiffly she turned her face away from Haku's chest, eyes narrowed dangerously. "Pole dancers, in this building? Sasuke...you said nothing like that would happen."

"B-but it didn't! nothing like that happened, right guys? This place is perfectly fine." Sasuke looked frightened and had stilled in Itachi's hold. He looked to his side for back up but Neji only groaned sounding like he was in pain. "Please don't be angry with me, I never wanted any such thing, it was all Madara and Shisui's fault...probably."

"Hey" the two accused males cried.

"It's true," Itachi murmured.

"Either way...nothing is here now and we wanted to come up and play with Sakura since there couldn't possibly be anything more fun than that. Who's up for seven minutes in heaven?" Shisui offered, perking up.

"Go downstairs, we're waiting for Gaara and you're not invited," Sakura said. She then looked to Itachi who blushed just from the eye contact. "Put Sasuke down, Itachi."

Without blinking, the older Uchiha released his brother with a snap of his wrist, dropping him on his rump rather painfully. Sakura then turned her narrowed eyes to Madara who whimpered like a puppy and lifted his heels to allow Neji room to scamper free.

From across the room Tobi started to tear up, resembling a sort of wounded, baby Bambi without his mother. "But Sakura, Tobi wanted to play with Sakura and he can't do that if he is downstairs. Please don't send Tobi away!"

Sakura caught the glint in Madara's eyes and felt her stomach drop, knowing that meant he had an idea.

"That's perfect," he cooed, grin widening. "We'll play a game!"

"No we will not," Neji cough, stopping at Sakura's side with a glare.

"Hmph, you were the ones who wanted us to leave, but you obviously don't have the manpower for it so the only way it looks like you'll be able to get what you want is to beat us in a game. Winner decides the fates of the losers. What do you say?"

Images of Madara and Shisui molesting a perfectly helpless Sakura sickened both Sasuke and Neji as well as Haku. They would have never in a million years risked their precious woman's fate and virtue for anything under the sun, but it just so happened that they weren't the ones calling the shots.

"Alright, what kind of game?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura, you can't be serious! You don't know what will happen if one of those creeps wins!" Sasuke hollered.

"And knowing Uchiha they will probably cheat." Sasuke would have glared at Neji for that comment if it wasn't such a serious situation.

"Then are you going to escort them downstairs? Besides, if they try anything-winners or not-I'll knee them back to Alaska."

"I don't know Sakura, I still don't trust them," Haku said.

Madara stepped in and pushed the girlish looking boy back rather roughly, showing off that famous Uchiha strength. "Too late, she already agreed, we're playing!"

"Playing what exactly?" Sakura asked.

The smile stretched wider and really started to scare even Itachi. "Why, hide and seek in the dark, my dear. With a little bit of tag thrown in there just for fun."

.

[Part 3: The Pacific]

Sparkle my scenery
With Turquoise waterfall
With beauty underneath
The ever free

Tuck me in beneath the blue
Beneath the Pain,
Beneath the rain
Goodnight kiss for a child in time
Swaying blade my lullaby

On the shore we sat and hoped
Under the same pale moon
Whose guiding light chose you,
Chose you all

"I'm afraid, I'm so afraid.
being raped, again and again, and again
I know I will die alone but loved.

You live long enough to hear the sounds of guns,
Long enough to find yourself screaming every night,
Live long enough to see your friends betray you.

For years I've been strapped unto this altar.
Now I only have three minutes and counting.
I just wish the tide would catch me first and give me
a death I always longed for."

.

"I chose the wrong night to wear heels," sakura sighed to herself, stopping to lean up against a wall. It wasn't even ten minutes into the game and already her ankles were screaming in pain from the platforms.

The old disco the Uchiha family owned was actually much larger than Sakura initially thought it was going to be. The upper level where she, Sasuke, Neji and Haku were planning on spending their night was only one small section of the whole place. Most everything was on the main floor or one of the two basements.

At present Sakura was scurrying down a hallway of VIP rooms were couples used to pay for and...use as they saw fit she supposed. There was no real need to go any further with the imagination. She had looking into a few of them and noted that most had a lot of junk and were not used often. One stood out to her as easy to hide in and easier to escape from since there was a back door she could use if the front one was locked.

After coming around to an overturned couch she planned on hiding behind, something like an electrical cord tripped her up and sent her crashing to the floor. She would have hurt herself enough to bruise if she had actually ended up hitting the floor, thankfully a pair of arms was there to prevent that.

"What-who?"

"Sakura are you alright?" the soft spoken Uchiha asked, helping the girl up.

For a moment, Sakura thought it had been Madara to pick her up and almost died, but it wasn't Madara. "Izuna thank God it was you. I thought you were your brother there for a minute. I can't let him find me here."

The young man with a face much similar to his older brother's helped Sakura up and brushed her off He was tall and lithe in body with long silky strands of spiked hair coming down to his elbows. It wasn't as long as his brother's or as wold, but it made him handsome enough to gather a fan following in high school and the internet.

"Madara? You are hiding from him? What happened?" he asked.

Sakura sat down on the edge of the couch and sighed, her eyes closed in concentration. "Oh, nothing serious, we were just playing hide and seek tag and I don't want to lose."

Izuna watched Sakura's movements with dying eyes that seemed to widen and glow as they followed her movements. He never minded going blind before, but with such a divine sight brought before him how could he not pine the loss? He could watch her for the rest of his life and then some it seemed. She was a horrible demon to him, bring him do much anguish over something worthless until now. And yet, against all common sense and will he couldn't help but fall into love with her.

"Did he bet something?"

"Of course, this is Madara we are talking about!"

"Ah yes. My brother does much enjoy a gamble. What it he risking?" he laughed.

"Me." The laughing stopped.

Izuna blinked, trying to process the young woman's words successfully, but could not come to an adequate answer. Her words could mean any number of things and half of those guesses were not ones Izuna liked to entertain in his mind for fear of nose bleeding in front of his pale desire. His brother was a very open pervert, after all.

"S-S-Sakura...? Um, when you said me...you didn't really actually mean you in the physical body form, did you?"

"Mmm? I don't know. He just said the losers had to do whatever the winners wanted. Standard bet. I don't think any of them would try anything too drastic or mean even if they did win, though. If they did I would threaten to leave and never see any of them ever again and they know I would be serious. Hey, Izuna, you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost. Sit down a second."

Sakura took the arm of the older Uchiha and guided him to the arm of the couch where he could sit even if it was overturned. She continued to hold onto his arm and rubbed small circles between his shoulder blades the way he remembered his mother doing whenever he was stressed as a kid.

Sakura was just like his mother in that aspect. She was a caring and considerate woman who wasn't afraid to look out for others when the possibility of getting hurt or abused was evident. She stood up for others even though that made her a target for bullying and cared for people who were her enemies-just because that was the human thing to do she claimed.

That was how she got to be Sasuke's friend in middle school. Sasuke was an ass to everyone including her and not yet physically beautifle enough to gather a fan following, yet Sakura cared for him when he was hurt, knowing all of that.

Izuna connected with Sakura during visits to the Uchiha house and like many of his other relatives, began to care for the only girl Sasuke had ever shown an interest in. It was hard not to feel drawn to Sakura when she acted like an angel. That's why Sasuke stopped inviting her over so suddenly. If ever they hung out, it would be at Sakura's place or the Hyuga's mansion. That was probably the one time Izuna was tempted to hate someone for something they did. Sasuke was not as loved any more.

"Sakura, may I kiss you?"

The circles upon his back stopped and he felt Sakura tense.

"Why would you ask something like that, Izuna?"

"I wouldn't want to kiss you if you wouldn't like it." He turned his face around to look her in the eye, no batter how dim his sight might be. "Please, just once?"

Sakura looked away, wring her hands uncomfortably. "Why would you want a kiss from someone like me. You-we're not dating or anything and I didn't think you would be the sort of person to be into that kind of stuff you know?"

"Is that a no then?"

Sakura felt bad for her words just then. it was like she had just kicked a wet puppy back out into the rain with studded combat boots. She didn't dislike Izuna at all. In fact she was quite found of the Uchiha and counted him among some of her friends-though not one of the closest. For as far as she could tell, as long as she had known him he had been kind and polite and totally respectful of her, so it wasn't like she was against the idea of kissing him.

"If I kissed you...would that be it?"

"I wouldn't force you to do anything more, of course not! I would never dream of it."

Sakura shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "Will you ever ask for anything like this again in the future?"

"Probably."

She sighed, smiling to herself. "Well, at least your honest."

"Please Sakura?"

"Why?"

"...Just because."

The called upon girl opened her eyes and sighed. "Alright, but just one kiss and it has to be under one condition." She paused to allow him to soak that in. His eyes were wider and brighter at this point, lit by hope in place of natural light. "Tell me...why me?"

Izuna felt his hands tremble and the butterflies from his stomach shot up into his throat, tickling his voice box. He knew in his heart why-or rather how he loved her so fully, but putting it in words was so difficult and revealing. All his armor was falling away, his defenses were going down.

"There are not many people to begin with, female or male, who are so fully and completely honest and selfless. It made me want to be selfish for you to make up for your own personal lacking. A good and wonderful person shouldn't have to give up so much of herself and be hurt so harshly."

He reached up and touched her face, fingers tracing the outline of her jaw and cheek. "I've seen you cry. I've seen you hurt. I've never felt so violently passionate then when you are attacked the way you were during the betrayal. I wanted to wrap you all into myself and protect you from anything that wasn't me. I wanted to make you mine, I wanted..."

Sakura shivered, feeling the steel coming into his voice more than she heard it. She whispered his name and that seemed to be what set him off.

"Izuna."

He pulled her down and captured her lips in his, arms wrapped tight around her sides, crushing her body against his, feeling everything. The time honored cliche of bodies fitting so perfectly into one another never seemed more appropriate than at that moment. She was in his arms pushed up against his body and completely totally his for only a moment, so he would make the moment last as long as possible.

He parted for a breath but did not break, separating her lips to breath into her before diving back with more passion and fire than Sakura was ever used to receiving from a kiss between friends. he was lighting her up and making her feel... something she wasn't used to feeling. He licked her lip and she moaned, unintentionally.

Stopping was what she probally should have wanted to do, but at the moment it was the last thing she wanted after hearing him murmur her name against her lips. There was fire in her belly now and it wasn't as unpleasant as she thought it would be.

So, with that in mind, she would have never stopped if what happened next did not actually happen.

From behind her Sakura heard to door burst open with a slam, hitting the wall behind it and then there was the rushing of body movement. Someone came between her and Izuna, probably punching the poor guy in the gut from what Sakura saw, before sweeping her up and running out with her.

"What the-!" She choked, falling back into reality, the fire dimming inside her was almost gone at this point replaced by fear. Fear of the man who had spirited her away like a devil in the night. He had her in his arms and she guessed that could be considered a kidnapping.

Did that mean they won?

"Shisui put me the hell down!"

He did as he was bade, but the put down was not one Sakura had been expecting. Shisui skidded to a stop and tumbled to his knees with her underneath him. Sakura felt his arm-the one wrapped around her back-cushion her fall enough to make it painless, but she was more worried about him pinning her to the floor than anything else. His hair was a curly mess around his face above her, demanding her attention.

He was breathing hard, and Sakura saw the creases under his eyes elongate with every wince and breath pushed out of his body. She knew he was an in shape sort of guy-all Uchiha men were buff and handsome by cosmic law-so she knew he wasn't out of breath. Shisui was panting from something else. Anger. He was trying to keep his temper in check.

"Shisui? What's wrong with you? You look like you're having a seizure!"

She reached up to touch his face but that came down on her, burying itself into the hair spilled out around her face on the floor. She could feel him shake into her, and hear the deep, deep breath he took of her scent while trying to calm down. He was acting crazy! He didn't have to get so worked up about a silly kiss.

Grunting, Sakura tried to push him off her, but squeaked upon contact of his lips on her neck.

"The hell, Sh-?"

"Don't." He pulled back and fanned her neck with warm breath. "He touched you here?"

"It wasn't a big deal Izuna only-"

"Don't say his name!" Shisui hissed, flinching as if physically stung. Whimpering he fell back onto her neck with quicker kisses lighter and faster. Sakura could feel his curls dipping against the side of her face as he moved and it tickled. She hat to bite her lip to keep from giggling even though she was feeling violated and angry. She was mad and wanted him off of her body so giggling would have been terribly inappropriate for the moment.

She tried pushing him off her again and groaned, to weak to budge the taller male. It was no use. He was nearly a foot taller than her, being the same hight as Madara, and of course he was lined with grade A muscle. There was no way she was getting him off her unless he pulled himself off. With that in mind, Sakura closed her eyes and turned away from his face, slacking beneath him. She would wait for him to finish. He wouldn't enjoy molesting an unmoving doll for much longer.

True to her prediction, Shisue pulled away, still breathing deep with horse gasps. He looked destroyed.

"Are you done yet?" Sakura asked, voice cold.

"Why?"

"I don't like you. That's a stupid question."

"But you don't like Izuna and yet you were mewling for him like a house cat. How the hell does that happen?"

"He didn't force me."

To Sakura it looked like Shisui had swallowed something sour. His face scrunched up and paled. The truth was hurting him harder than it would if he were anyone else. Sakura knew as one of the elder sons in the family and that meant he was spoiled to the core with a thin skin. Izuna was like that sometimes, but very rarely compared to the rest of his relatives. Shisui was...well, he was a whole new story. Easily hurt, not used to getting his requests squashed and blind to the prospect of no.

"Did that mean you've chosen Izuna then?" His words seemed colder as he leaned in closer to Sakura's face, noses brushing slightly. "I could make you feel whatever it was he brought out in you. I swear I will."

His expression broke and suddenly what was cold was now glowing and warm. He looked on her and softened, smiling like a child. She could do that to him. Snap him back so fast and turn him inside out. She was his control, and he her slave. It was amazing how she could do what she did to him. How did she manage to get inside him the way she did and twist his heartstrings into knots like it was nothing? He almost hated her for it, but they both knew that would never happen. He loved this slaver to much to despise it.

He leaned forward and kissed her nose, then brushed the side of her face with his knuckle. "You're beautifle you know that?"

Bi polar much? Sakura frowned, feeling pained that he was acting kindly towards her now. She would feel guilt now instead of nothing. Why couldn't he just have stayed a hormonal bastard ready to molest her into next week? Tobi was the one with personality problems, not Shisui!

"I hate it when you're sweet."

"I don't know how to hold onto my anger when you're in my arms," he laughed, feeling light headed.

"I'm sorry for this then."

"Sorry for what-ugh." The tall Uchiha groaned and rolled over onto his side, knocked out from the gut buster Sakura's fist had landed on him. He would be out for only a while, but for Sakura that would be more than enough to get back to her hiding.

After all... she had a game she needed to win!

Meanwhile Itachi Uchiha clapped his hands together, ridding them of any dust that might have collected on his palms during his little tangle with the two young men who were no where near good enough for his woman's eyes. Neji and Haku struggled against the bindings and gags but could not break free. Sasuke had managed to slip free at the last second, but it wouldn't be long before Itachi found him and tied him up with the others in a back closet that wouldn't be touched for weeks if no one knew who was trapped inside.

No one was going to get away when his precious angel was free and subject to lechery-by others beside himself.

.

[Part 4: Dark Passion Play]

2nd robber to the right of Christ
Cut in half - infanticide
The world will rejoice today
As the crows feast on the rotting poet

Everyone must bury their own
No pack to bury the heart of stone
Now he`s home in hell, serves him well
Slain by the bell, tolling for his farewell

The morning dawned upon his altar
Remains of the dark passion play
Performed by his friends without shame
Spitting on his grave as they came

Get away, run away, fly away
Lead me astray to dreamer's hideaway
I cannot cry 'cause the shoulder cries more
I cannot die, I, a whore for this cold world
Forgive me,
I have but two faces
One for the world,
One for God,
save me
I cannot cry 'cause the shoulder cries more
I cannot die, I, a whore for this cold world

"Today, in the year of our Lord, 2005
Tuomas was called from the cares of the world
He stopped crying at the end of each beautiful day.
The music he wrote had too long been without silence.
He was found naked and dead,
With a smile in his face, a pen and 1000 pages of erased text."

Save me.

.

The short winding halls were all but empty in a haunting like quality that made it all the more appropriate for this night's event. The young woman was finding the Disco Hall to be so much larger and more complex than she first pegged it as. Not that she was complaining, there were so many awesome places to hide.

They would probably find her eventually though, just because she was becoming so damn tired from all the running. She had skipped upstairs downstairs and into VIP room that led to backstage dancing cages and abandoned platforms, and was now utter lost. If only she had taken Sasuek with her...

Sakura sighed softly to herself, tired from running so much. Her lungs were hurting only a little less then her feet at this point. Parties with the Uchiha were something Sakura decided to be avoided at all costs in the future. Sure, nothing had happened to her yet, but still...

"Sakura?"

The pale faced woman froze, afraid for her life. Down the hallway stood a lone tenebrous figure shadowed and indistinguishable. It could have been near anyone-Itachi, Madara, Shisui, Sasuke, Izuna, Neji, Haku... He took a step forward and the light illuminated his face enough to see the scars.

"Tobi? What the hell are you doing on your own?" She hissed, feeling the fear fall out of her lungs. Tobi wouldn't do anything to her.

"Looking for Sakura chan of course! Tobi is playing hide and seek and he won!"

She smirked to herself and fell to the floor, back sliding down against the wall till she was seated with legs bent out around her. "I thought it was hide and seek tag. Doesn't that mean you have to tag me and take me or something?"

"Tobi has to tag Sakura chan?"

"I'd be happier if you didn't since I'm calling in a time out. I can't run anymore and I'm hurt."

She saw his eyes widen and with smooth movements he was crouched down in front of her, palms touching the the ground on either side of her thighs. He probably didn't mean to, but he was bowing her in. Tobi leaned forward, his scared face inches from her own, twisted with concern. If breath were visible she would have seen her mixing in with his.

He looked oddly attractive at this close range, with silky black hair falling fown his face in a v shaped style between his eyes and on either side of his face. A few strands slipped free and flew around his face, nearly touching Sakura. She wanted to reach up and run her hands through his hair and feel it between her fingers. His wide black eyes seem to be only pools in this dim lighting. But they were pools that reflected a childish sort of light that stirred something in her. He smelled like smoke-but not the kind you would get after burning off a cigarette. It was more like the last whiff of life a candle had to offer before extinction. It was alluring.

Gosh, darn it. She was feeling stupid now for looking at Tobi of all people in such a way.

"Sakura is hurt? Where is Sakura hurt?"

Sakura reached up and softly pushed on his shoulder, backing him up half an inch-he wouldn't budge any more than that. "I'm not really hurt, it's just my feet hurt from running around so much and I'm tired. I didn't plan on doing so much tonight."

"Sakura's feet?"

"Yes, Tobi," she sighed, a bit fed up with his slower pace tonight. Normally she didn't let it get to her, but she was tired.

Closing her eyes, Sakura leaned her head back against the wall and let the few loose stands that were flying around her face fall still. She wasn't expecting Tobi to do anything to her or say something important, so when he reached down to remove her shoe she was taken by surprise.

Tobi slipped her foot free and tossed the heel to the side, frowning darkly at the blood that had broken free in places where the skin was rubbed raw. His fingers were like spider legs tickling her arch and flickering around her heel. He gripped her ankle and pulled her foot up to his face and then kissed the blood, suggestively leaning into her with a flickering tongue. Sakura gasped at the touch and breathed sharply as her skirts fell further down her thigh, pooling around her hips.

"T-T-Tobi stop that, you're tickling me!"

"But Tobi is helping!"

"No you're not, that tickles! C-can't you just quit it, please," Sakura breathed, hoping he wouldn't notice her red face.

"But you're hurt, Sakura! Tobi needs to help take the pain away!"

"That's not hel-elping!" Oh she nearly moaned out then when he flicked his tongue out over her leg like that... Wait. Why was he licking her leg?

"Tobi!" She tried to get up but was pulled back down and slid under the most kid like of all the Uchiha males. She looked up with eyes full of wonder and fear but he just smiled like a kid would down at her. He didn't look perverted at all, but the way his hand was crawling up and down her leg, tackling with spidery fingers, she couldn't quite believe it.

"Wh-what are you doing to me, Tobi? You need to get off."

"Sakura will like this from Tobi cause he's a good boy and he wants to make Sakura feel good too!"

She jumped under his touch and nearly turned into a cat in the middle of sprig with that last stunt. She needed to put an end to this as soon as possible. Once she got free she was going to kill all the other guys for forcing Tobi to watch their porn movies with them. What else could have caused this?

She opened her mouth to tell him off with no room for bull but was cut off when his lips overlapped her own. Dominating and playful at the same time, he molded around her and enticed her into a dace styled struggle. His hands were knotted in her hair and tracing down her leg respectively. There was a crack between them for a moment to allow Tobi a soft moan that made him sound so much older than anything she had ever heard out of his mouth.

"Only for Sakura, only for Sakura will Tobi do this...uhhh," he breathed against her lips.

She was feeling lightheaded at this point.

What was WRONG with her. This was Tobi for the sake of all things good and Holy.

She remembered playing with him when Sasuke and her were sill younger friends, after the two of them had just met in school. Tobi was the only one Sasuke really didn't see as a threat for obvious reasons, so of course that gave the scarred youth access to Sakura that his uncle and cousins didn't have.

Sakura thought back to what they would do together and remembered how childlike Tobi was in the midst of everything. He still colored for Crayons for Pete's sake. Sadly, this made him the biggest target for other Uchiha and males in general to extort some dirty fun from.

"Sakura chan is sort of like Tobi's guardian angel."

"Don't call me with a chan, and I'm not an angel, Tobi."

"Tobi thinks so!"

"Tobi is too nice to see anything bad in people."

"That's not true. The people who cut Sakura's hand open were plenty bad! They made Tobi so mad Tobi wanted to kill them!"

"..."

"Sakura?"

"Don't talk like that Tobi. Don't ever want to kill someone for something stupid like a paper cut."

"That doesn't look like a paper cut.'

"...I want some hot chocolate. Will you help me make some?"

"Tobi loves hot chocolate!"

"Then you can help."

The memory was one Sakura treasured deeply in her heart and carried with her everywhere. But back then-years ago-Tobi had been thinner and lankier. A twig who couldn't really eat anything that needed preparation. He had always been poorly dressed too. Sakura had to help him with that for a while, much to the annoyance of more than just Sasuke. Either way, there was a good difference in physical stature from the Tobi she first met and the one that was pinning her down with buffed up arms and a chiseled chest that looked as if it was pinched off a greek god.

Tobi kissed the side of her face, his lips quivering by this point. Sakura knew she had to end this soon for the both of them, not just herself. This wasn't who Tobi really was. This was someone else in Tobi's body directing and influencing him to do these things.

Twisting, Sakura folded and then pulled her hand up to grab his face and shove him back. He was more surprised than anything and moved easily at first till he was a short distance. After that he wouldn't budge an inch more. She thought it was her strength that got her this far, but it wasn't. No, that was something else.

Tobi put his weight on his knees and grabbed Sakura's palms with both hands, tearing up. He looked like he was in pain as he rubbed both thumbs over the long scar that stretched across her palm from a butterfly knife she had tried to catch or at least stop so long ago.

The young Uchiha sobbed and pulled her scarred palm to the side of his face where there were scars from his accident, mostly hidden by hair and unnoticeable at this point. She could feel the hidden bumps and dips of marred flesh beneath her fingertips.

"Will you let me go now, Tobi?"

He still looked to be in pain with pinched eyes and a wrinkled nose. "Tobi is sorry. Tobi did something wrong."

"You didn't hurt me, so that's what is important."

"But I did what I wanted, not what you wanted. I was selfish." Along with his poor grammar, the tone of voice left to be replaced with one much deeper and older.

"Obito?"

"...You should go now. They're still playing the game and they'll check in on each other to make sure we don't have you. They'll come to me and find you, so you need to run, Sakura."

Wordless, she nodded and stood with her soles bare. He let her hand go and she pulled away, but not before he grabbed onto her wrist and forced their eyes to meet once more. He smiled almost hopefully and she grinned.

"See you around Obito."

Madara huffed, annoyed with his find. Itachi looked equally as pissed, but that wasn't saying much considering how well both males were when it came to masking emotions. Anyone passing by would never have known what was going through either of their minds, they were that good. There was a twitch and a tick in the jaw and with that the two turned their faces away, heading down opposite ends of a hallway, neither convinced the other knew anything about where Sakura could be hiding.

Both males mentally vowed to themselves to find her first before the other could. Then they would skillfully woo her into sweet love and rapture so utterly that she would leave the disco hall Mrs. Uchiha one way or the other.

But, totally unrelated to all this, somewhere down the road there was a tired looking red haired youth speeding down the roads back and forth, growing more and more frustrated with his inability to locate one bloody, stinking disco hall. "How hard is this supposed to freaking be?"

.

[Part 5: Mother And Father]

Be still, my son
You`re home
Oh when did you become so cold?
The blade will keep on descending
All you need is to feel my love

Search for beauty, find your shore
Try to save them all, bleed no more
You have such oceans within
In the end, I will always love you

.

"..."

There were muffled grunts.

"...What the hell happened to you guys?"

Neji and Haku just grunted some more, wiggling around in an effort to loosen the duck-tape that held them down. Sakura blushed in embarrassment and hurried to removed the silver substance as hastily as possible. Haku winced as it was ripped from his face while Neji fought the sissy reaction.

"Thanks Sakura, you're a life saver," gasped Haku.

"Yeah sure, but who tied you two up like this?"

"Who do you think?"

Neji just sighed and explained. "It was one of the older Uchiha males. I wuld assume it be Itachi based off only stature and build, but this seems like something Madara or Shisui would the same... thank you for saving us, Sakura."

The pink haired girl nodded with a smile. "Of course, no problem. Where do you think we should be heading after this?"

"I would assume staying in vicinity to this one spot would be unwise, so we should head upwards, perhaps to the top level where we first came into contact with the Uchiha."

"What about Sasuke."

"He'll be fine," Haku huffed. "He threw us under the bus and ran off, leaving us to fend for ourselves. I wouldn't care if anything bad happened to him at the moment... though I can't say I would have acted any differently."

"You want to try finding him?"

"No, safety comes first as Sasuke should know well enough by now. I am not willing to compromise your well being for his enjoyment. He is most likely fine on his own."

Haku nodded along with Neji. "What he said."

Sakura shrugged and then backed up to let the boys pass her in the hall. Neji took the lead while Haku stayed closer to Sakura as they searched out the stairwell that would lead them to the attic like room where they had first decided to hold their party.

None of them planned on making it into a huge adventure or anything like that, but life doesn't go as planned now does it? There was a scuffle on the stairs and hissed commands to turn and run. Haku pushed Sakura into a wall and drew a curtain around it, whispering a 'stay safe' before something dragged him away. It all happened real fast, and soon Sakura was on her own again, her boys taken captive by yet another Uchiha no doubt.

Maybe if she had stayed quiet and still there wouldn't have been anyone to find her, but the curtains were dusty and she had an itch in her nose she couldn't resist, so she sneezed. Not a moment later the black material was drawn back to reveal a red eyed man standing tall in the hall.

"Sakura..."

"...Shit."

He picked her up and she tried to free herself, but not too much because she didn't want to fall on her face. Itachi carried her bridal style, close to the chest down the hall to yet another room that oddly resembled all the others she had been running in an out of all night long. Carefully, he lowered her to a couch and detached himself from her side to close the door.

Sakura glared up at him, but didn't do much else. Itachi wasn't much of a threat to her personally-he was too knight like to try anything- but that didn't mean she could forgive him for his treatment of Haku and Neji. If there was one thing she had an issue with, it had to be his treatment of her male friends. She didn't even want to remember what she had to go through in high-school last year. Too many guys ended up transferring away...far, far away.

"That was mean of you."

"Excuse me?" he asked, sitting down next to her. He was looking at her dead on now and she doubted anything else would steal his attention away.

"What did you do to Sasuke and Neji?"

"I didn't do anything much."

"Much? What does that mean? Last time I found them they were tied up with duck tape and shoved in a closet."

"I didn't know we had closets."

"Itachi."

He only smiled at her warning tone, enjoying it too much. "They will be fine. They ran off scared once I reversed the floorboards. Did you know this Disco hall was originally a designed to be a haunted house? Sadly, scares don't sell as well as booze and sex, so the haunting was renovated in favor of disco lights. You might have noticed how the size exceeds what would be required for a dance hall."

"I had thought of that..." Sakura begrudgingly admitted. She was still mad at Itachi for scaring her friends, but he was the Uchiha she enjoyed talking with most after Sasuke, so it was hard to stay mad at him for long.

There are a lot of hollow walls where someone can wait to jump out at others on this floor. I'm glad you didn't run into anyone waiting for you since you would have never seen them hiding."

"By someone do you mean Madara?"

"Sadly."

"I already ran into Shisui, Tobi and Izuna, so aside form you and Madara I wasn't expecting much more. Do you know what happened to any of them?"

"They won't get you so long as you remain here with me. The door is hard to find unless you know what you are looking for. You are safe as long as you stay here with me." He reached forward and touched a stray stand of hair, withdrawing immediately after contact with a shy expression.

"What about the game? Don't you want to win that?"

He shrugged, still smiling, though not as much. "I'm not stupid enough to sacrifice a fishing poll for a fish. If I won this game and forced you into doing something you wanted for one night it still wouldn't be worth the rest of my life if you ended up hating me forever. I value your company too much for that."

"Excuse me while I get a dentist for that sweet tooth you have," Sakura sarcastically teased.

She was used to hearing such sweet words from the elder Uchiha but still it was nice. She had yet to get tired of them. Heaven knows Sasuke wouldn't be caught dead saying something so romantic. Sakura considered herself lucky if he turned out less perverted than Madara considering his perspective now. It was weird how so many of his male family members could be hormone crazy for girls, namely Sakura, while Itachi ended up being one of the most chivalrous guys she knew. Hell, how many other guys would open a door for not only her, but any other woman or female that needed it. There was a reason Itachi had a fan club of woman over fifty years of age. Yeah...

"Sakura, what were you and the boys planning on doing upstairs for Halloween? It looked like you were throwing a party."

The pink haired girl looked to her hands and fidgeted, feeling a bit embarrassed to be talking about their plans. It was all very childish now that she thought about it. How many kids sat around playing games like Clue and DDR without anything nasty and teenagerish. "We were just going to hang out and play games. Why do you want to know?"

"...You never come by anymore, so I really don't know what you would like doing for fun. You guys used to play card games with M nM's after study."

Sakura frowned. "How long has it been since I was at your place?"

"Too long. Sasuke won't let you come over anymore for very foolish reasons, but that doesn't mean you aren't welcome. You should come over sometime next week and...I'll have something fun for us to do. I don't know what yet, but I don't plan on disappointing."

"That sounds like fun. I'll have to do that sometime in the future even though Sasuke said he has forbidden it."

"You can just tell him you're not there to see him and find me. I'll welcome you any day."

"..." She just stared, looking like she wanted to ask him something."

"...Is there something you wanted to ask me Sakura?"

"Itachi, what is our relationship? We're friends aren't we?"

Itachi twitched at the word friends but forced a smile. "Of course, close friends."

"Mmm, really?"

"Why do you ask?" He leaned forward across the couch, bring his face closer to Sakura's. He was inches from her, so close that she could count each and every one of his individual lashes. They were so pretty against his pale white skin. He reminded her of a china doll...one she wanted to touch. He smiled at her expression and coxed his head in one direction just slightly. "Would you like to be something more than just friends, Sakura? I would let you."

"Itachi..." Sakura tried to whisper while backing away. She managed half an inch but not more before her body froze. It was so much easier to run away from the forced affections and the thrown on love but when she was being offered so openly something like this it was harder to say no than she though it would be. Why couldn't she pull away from him! The pit of her stomach was alive with the frenzy flutterings of a thousand and one silly, lovesick butterflies.

"I'll let you kiss me if you want, Sakura. I wouldn't allow this of anyone but this shell of mine belongs to you along with the soul inside; completely and utterly I'm afraid." He came even closer if that was possible and hovered a breath away from touch.

Was it him or was it her who closed that final space? Either way they connected and it was sweet rapture for Sakura who was in no hurry to detach. There was no possession and no force but only soft lamb like gestures that washed her clean with peace. She could have fallen asleep in his arms if he were holding her. She didn't want to pull away from him even though she should have desired nothing more than escape. Her mind was mixed up weird that way.

"Sakura!" she heard Sasuke calling out to her from outside.

Her eyes snapped open wide and she seemed to wake up. She pulled back and off the couch, on her bare feet and away from him. She looked so shocked and appalled by what had just happened, not because it was with Itachi, but just because she had done it in the first place. Itachi looked equally shocked but not appalled. If anything his expression held worry and concern if not a bit of sadness for being rejected. He stood up to, following her movements at a much slower pace. It was like working with a scared animal.

"Sakura please," he began only too late.

She bolted out a back door, leaving it swinging open behind her. Itachi jumped over the couch and ran to the door after her screaming her name, but by the tame he was in the hallway she was gone. He turned widely, panicking before cursing and kicking the doorframe. Had he blown it all between them?

"Itachi? What are you doing here and why are you screaming for Sakura...ga, shit what did you do!" Sasuke exclaimed coming upon the scene of his emotionally distressed brother who had previously tried to rope him into a closet.

Itachi couldn't care less at the moment. He closed his eyes and whispered her name, treasuring the memory more than anything.

Meanwhile, Sakura ran out and down the halls, not really caring where she was going. Down, down, down the winding corridors, there was the pulsing sensation of heavy club music from downstairs. Stumbling into a wall she faltered and turned towards the opposite direction, running away from the pulsing sounds. They reminded her too much of what her heart was feeling. It was hurting from all the thumping and banging she was putting it through.

Maybe it would have been better if she ran into Haku and Neji again. Maybe it would have been better if she ran into Sasuke even. Hell, at this point she would be willing to take nearly any Uchiha who wasn't Itachi so she could avoid the shame.

One of the walls opened up allowing a devilish Madara to pop out and scream at her.

Remember, those key words were 'nearly any Uchiha,' not 'any Uchiha.'

"Sakura my love!"

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiit..." she groaned, falling to her knees with exhaustion. Outrunning him at this point was impossible so all she could do was sit and cry and hope he didn't molest her too horribly. The crying was actually unplanned, but it worked wonders on the old guy.

The lecherous grin and the perverted gaze faded away to be replaced by worry and concern. Quickly he jumped down from his perch in the wall and hurried over to her, falling to his knees inches from her form. "Sakura, what's wrong. You're not that upset over meeting me now, are you, love?"

Too tired Sakura moaned in muffled pain and fell face first into his chest, still sniffling. Madara stiffened at first, not expecting any contact at all from the young woman but hastily snapped back to reality and embraced her. Who was he to deny a lucky draw?

"Neh, neh, does this mean you're finally falling for my devilishly good looks and overwhelming charm, love?"

"...Not in the slightest, now shut up."

He hummed, grinning to himself. "I will, but first I need to know what has my love in tears. I can't sit without knowing what is bothering you."

"It's nothing."

"Of course it isn't, but you should tell me anyway so I can find nothing and do nothing to him."

She didn't mean to, but she thought back to Itachi in that moment with his sinfully beautifle face and stupid long lashes and damn perfect skin and amazing lips and...yeah, she ended up crying harder into Madara's should, all the more torn.

She felt so stupid for it.

"Oh shit it is someone isn't it!" he exclaimed, balling the fist that wasn't holding his love to his chest. "Fuck, I'm gonna kill them!" His eyes narrowed and blood bled into the already crimson iris, making them glow with anger in the dim hallways. She could feel the anger rolling off him in waves of heat and it frightened her mostly out of her tears.

"No, Madara, no, don't do that," She protested, pulling back with a hand on either of his shoulders. As angry as she was, it was more so with herself than at Itachi personally. Maybe she was a bit upset with him, but she knew Madara would take that to the extreme and really kill him if he ever found out.

He looked down at her, eyes no longer as vividly red with rage and she could see him soften if only just a bit.

"It's nobody's fault, I'm just so tired and sore and my feet hurt but I have to keep running because of this stupid game and I really just wanted to have fun tonight but it's turned out so very wrong from what I envisioned."

He frowned, shifting her to on side so he could see the raw flesh and torn sores on her feet from being persuade all evening. He saw that and felt like the entire world was in his chest, dragging his heart into his stomach. He felt so responsible for her pain because it was him who wanted the game in the first place. He never in a million years wished for her harm or for her to be in any sort of pain what so ever. It was all his fault!

"Sakura I'm so sorry," He whispered, reaching out to touch the sores only to stop an inch away and retreat.

"It's not your fault, I shouldn't have been running."

"No you shouldn't have, but you were because we were chasing."

Sakura frowned, not liking the way the older Uchiha was viewing her wounds. He looked torn between murderous rage and suicidal emo pessimist. "Madara it's not that bad. You look terrible, stop it."

Making up his mind he shifted once more, this time pulling Sakura closer to his chest with one arm around her back and the other looped under her legs, lifting her up into his arms bridal style. She squeaked and reached out to wrap her hands around his neck, a bit intimidated by how high up she was. Madara was a tall guy, after all.

"Wha- where are you taking me, Madara?" He didn't reply. "Madara?"

He pulled her head closer to his chest and she squeaked, not liking how her sight was muffled by the loose fabric of his shirt. She heard a door swing open and there were voices at one point, but when Sakura looked up they were alone. The door was swinging shut, however, so it was probable that whoever was in the room was chased out after seeing the look Madara had on his face. It would send most anyone running.

"This is a...kitchen?" she breathed, looking around.

He set her down on a counter and left for the pantry only to come back with a small white first aid kit. He set it down and began to apply ointment to the red sores on her feet. He didn't say anything and she didn't object so it was a sort of peaceful quiet. He finished with the cream and set it aside to take off his shirt, toss it over his shoulder, and pull out prepackaged bandages.

"...Madara, why did you just take your shirt off?"

He flashed a devilish grin. "Doctors are so much sexier with their shirts off, love."

"You're not a doctor."

"But I am sexy."

"...Put your stupid shirt back on you pervert."

"Ahh, so you are intimidated are you?"

Sakura just rolled her eyes and looked away from where Madara stood, flashing different poses that showed off his expertly toned body. Anyone affiliated with the police as much as he was had to be fit, but he was the next level up along with Itachi and Shisui. It was hard to stay angry with him when he made her blush and stutter. Her control was slipping so she tried to hurry it along. "Just get the bandages and finish what you started, my patience with you is fugacious at best."

"As you wish, love," he cooed, leaning over to kiss her neck real quick before wrapping her wounds up.

"If I was a rude person I would tell you that you're a freak, Madara, but I'm not so I won't," Sakura sighed, still annoyed by the shirtless thing. Couldn't he cover up more?

"Freak is good...in bed."

"Ugh!" Sakura pulled away from his fold, bringing her knees up to her chest with careful practice so that her dress wouldn't slip and let anything immodest be seen. "And you wonder why I don't like hanging out with you so much."

He blinked, looking surprised for the first time. "You don't like hanging out with me? I thought you were just playing hard to get."

"Suuuuuuure..."

"No, really! I love you, angel. I adore you like noting else past or present. You're my beautiful, sweet, sweet song of rapture. You make these days livable for a sorry sap such as myself."

He took her face between too fingers, his thumb sliding under her chin to direct her grinned when he caught her eyes and backed up just a bit so she could see more of him. He loved the innocence she displayed for him and the way she could so easily be teased.

Of course that was only one aspect out of thousands that attracted him to her. She was sweet and caring and grounded so deeply in her ideals and beliefs it was self destructive at some points. He didn't like seeing her tear herself up over something she had not control over but felt responsible for all the same; just like a lamb. That just made him want to take care of her more.

"Do you think I'm lying to you, love?"

Her eyes were fighting his, trying to stay strong. "I think you believe what you are saying, but that doesn't mean much to me."

"You don't think love is important?"

"Not your version of love anyway."

"You don't like me forms of affection?"

"Were you under the delusion that I was? I could never understand you along with most of the rest of the male population. They way you go about doing things, flattering people like myself for example, just serve to hurt your cause. Is that really so hard to believe?"

He still had her face by his fingers and flicked his tips across the skin of her face, tickling her with pet like strokes. She shivered and that was enough to bring a smile to his face. His knuckles brushed across her ear and he leaned into whisper her name, sending another dozen chills down her spine. "Aren't you the one who should be doing the believing, love?"

She gulped and he leaned in. "Yes, I'm a man, and yes, you are a woman. You are the woman this man wants. What's so hard to believe there?"

"Let me go Madara."

"I don't want to."

"I'll hate you forever."

"I don't think you will." Her eyes narrowed and her hands came up to stop him, but the had to touch his chest and that was something he seemed to enjoy. She could feel his flesh and the rush of his heartbeat as well as the heat that rolled from his form in silent waves. He was gambling with her affections. "I don't think so at all. In fact, I think you enjoy it."

"Y-You're a monster, Madara."

"Mmm, a beautifle seductive monster all for you, yes indeed, love."

"Please let me go."

His face was hovering over hers, tongue flicking out to lick her cheek with makeup long lost. She shook from his breaths, fanning over her skin in short bursts in tune to the thump of her deadly heart. She knew he was so much more dangerous than Itachi would ever be, but like before, she was trapped. She couldn't run away. He was the most deadly of monsters.

He kissed her throat and she wished he would just slit it for the way he was making her feel. He kissed her jaw, her cheek and eyes, licking up her tears. She could hear him purring under hear hands and whimpered in fright. His arms were wrapping around her, pulling her closer to that thumping heat of his.

"My precious, lovely love..." he cooed into her hair before pulling it out so it could fall gracefully over his hand. "Mine all mine."

Monster.

"I'm not giving you away to anyone."

MONSTER!

Just then salvation came rushing through the door in the forms of several bother males who were quite good at prying lecherous old perverts off underaged girls. The Halloween monster was defeated and twenty two minutes later everyone was upstairs in the original game room wiped out with exhaustion.

Sakura lazed across a couch with her feet propped up and a cup of warm cider in her hands.

Across the room a few of the boys were playing video games while most of the older guys sprawled themselves across the floor. Madara had taken a heavy beating from all his relatives and was nearly passed out because of that, but everyone else was still too tired to make a move for Sakura anymore.

She liked it that way.

Neji limped over to her couch and seated himself on a pillow on the floor. His head fell against the side of her cushion and she suspected he was on the verge of falling asleep. Like a mother, she ran her fingers through his hair and pet him softly, causing him to smile.

"What a tremendous night," he managed.

"I know right? Halloween is crazy."

.

[Creek Mary's Blood]

Soon I will be here no more
You'll hear the tale Through my blood
Through my people And the eagle's cry
The bear within will never lay to rest

Wandering on Horizon Road Following the trail of tears

White man came
Saw the blessed land
We cared, you took
You fought, we lost
Not the war but an unfair fight
Sceneries painted beautiful in blood

Wandering on Horizon Road
Following the trail of tears
Once we were here
Where we have lived since the world began
Since time itself gave us this land

Our souls will join again the wild Our home in peace 'n war 'n death

Wandering on Horizon Road...
Following the trail of tears
Once we were here
Where we have been since the world began
Since time itself gave us this land

.

And then Gaara showed up to find them all passed out in various positions across the room.

"Oh come on guys, it's only midnight. I'm not that late."

.

---

It's done. I'm so happy I could cry. Please review this and then check out my homepage where you will find all the entries for my October Spirit onshot challenge. This was one of those stories I wrote as a sort of example cause I don't think its fair to ask people to do something I wouldn't do myself. (Just me personally speaking.) Thank all you who have already signed up and written stuff. You guys are so amazing.

Trivia tip:I wrote the first part of this over a year ago. And Gaara was the Knave of hearts.

While I am here I would like to offer up Airborne by StormDragon666. Read it, love it, review it, and motivate her to finally update it!

If this is good enough to add to your faves, take two seconds and Review!

-Vesper chan