A/n: thanks for reading my story. I hope you like it. :)

BOUND

By Emily Stones

Chapter I - The Tables Have Turned

Itachi couldn't believe he had been so stupid. Allowing the pink haired kunoichi to capture him so easily. He lay bound with thick ropes cutting into his wrists, binding him to the bedpost. He struggled but with each struggle, the ropes dug deeper and deeper until blood started to seep from his skin.

Itachi closed his eyes for a moment and tried to focus his breathing. Breathing was hard due to the dirty rag that had been stuffed in his gullet. The room was dark and there was a dank musty odour in the room. It was the kind of room he was more familiar to meeting the Akatsuki but why had Sakura brought him here. He couldn't understand it. He also couldn't understand how she had overpowered him and managed to carry his body all the way there. Nothing made sense. He had been lying like this for over two hours since had awoke. His head still throbbed with pain and a lump had welled up on the side of his temple. He had taken a real whack. He guessed Sakura wasn't so helpless after all. There was a sound of light footsteps from outside the door and Itachi turned his head. He waited patiently for the door to open and the young girl to show herself. But it never came and the footsteps faded off into the distance. Still alone. Itachi couldn't stand this feeling. He tried one more time to break free from the bed, pulling with all his strength - it didn't work. Just more muffled screams echoing around the dark, empty stone room. This was his worst nightmare.

His memory was foggy, images of what happened the day before still swirling around, nothing clear - just fragments of colours and light. The pink haired girl standing above him, his vision fading. Being dragged along the gravel path, his cloak tattered and torn. He could have sworn he heard her say something to him. Words that shot out like bullets. "The tables are turned! The tables are turned!"

That was when his body gave out on him, he blacked out and knew no more. Itachi remembered the mission he had been given. Kidnap Sakura. Kidnap the cute girl who was in love with his brother. It seemed the easiest mission he'd had so far. The other Akatsuki were away on other duties. His mission was simply to bring the petite pinkette, only 105 pounds, back unharmed. He'd had a plan already in his mind. Sneak up on the girl while she was relaxing in Konoha Village, use a sleeping potion to make her faint and then carry her back. But it hadn't exactly worked out that way.

Sakura had been on a scouting mission earlier that day and had ambushed Itachi, beating him at his own game. Itachi remembered Sakura's punches each one smashing the side of his head. They were not the punches of a lady but of a ninja. Itachi was so surprised. He had underestimated her and lost. Itachi remembered feeling his body dragged along the gravel path, his black cloak getting snagged on the stones and then sending long scratches up his back. Itachi had never felt defeated before.

But that's how he was - tied to the bed with no chance of escape. It was he who was the damsel in distress now. His breath quickened again as he tried to removed the cloth from his mouth using his lips and tongue. He managed to get it half out but the dust blew up and came back him making him cough and splutter out. Bad idea.

The door then opened. A heavy iron door made the loudest sound he'd ever heard. Out of the darkness stood Sakura holding a small candle which lit up only her face. She was smiling as she walked closer to the tall tied-up man on the bed. She circled him keeping eye contact. His gaze never left hers either. She did this several times and then knelt down beside him.

Sakura looked at him and stroked his cheek tenderly with the back of her hand. Itachi recoiled with fear. He couldn't move much except jerk his head back slamming it into the headboard.

"Don't be afraid," she said softly. "I won't hurt you. I'm sorry to keep you here like this. But it's for your own good. You have to learn about love and forgiveness. I can help you."

Itachi didn't trust her. There was something almost too calm and too soothing in her voice that it couldn't possibly be true. He was in danger and he knew it. He kept waiting for her to reach for her kunai and slit his throat. At one point she put her hand to her waist. He was sure that she was reaching for it. But she just stood up and began circling the bed again.

"I'll take your gag out as long as you promise not to scream, okay?"

Itachi nodded and Sakura took the dirty cloth from his mouth. Itachi hacked and wretched. He couldn't get rid of the foul taste in his mouth. "You bitch!" he shouted. "I can't believe you would do something like this. You call yourself a good person? Why don't you just kill me?"

"Please watch your language, Itachi. I'll never let you out if you speak to me like that."

"Screw you bitch. As soon as I get out, I'm going to kill you."

Sakura raced over the bed drawing her kunai in the blink of an eye and held it over his face.

"What makes you so sure you're going to get out?"

Itachi fell silent. He was so used to having his own way that being in this vulnerable position felt strange. His arms were drained of energy from struggling too much, his hands numb, his eyes tired and as Sakura stared back at him he felt her power for the first time, her intensity. He realised what he was dealing with. Not a psychopath but a formidable kunoichi - one he couldn't underestimate again.

Sakura ran her soft fingers down Itachi's arms where blood trickled down and stained the sheets a crimson red. "You've hurt yourself Itachi. You shouldn't struggle so hard."

"I'm not going to sit back and just be held prisoner like this. Don't you know me well?"

"I do, Itachi and you're right. I knew you would try and escape that's why I used a double fisherman's knot on the ropes here. Sasuke showed me how. I thought you might be impressed."

"I am a little, I guess. It's the kind of trick that I would pull."

Itachi seemed to relax, his rage diminishing relaced by a tranquility. An acceptance of defeat. The young girl, standing no more than 5 foot 4 towered over him, dominating him in a way no one had ever done before. Sakura held her hand over the wound on his wrist.

"I can treat this for you."
Itachi paused before saying "Thank you."

His words seemed genuine as did hers. "You know Naruto and Sasuke are right outside this door. If anything happens to me, they will come and kill you."

"I understand." he replied.

"Good."

Sakura moved over to the table and lit another candle so she could see better. Then she took out her kunai once again and cut the ropes. Itachi rubbed his wrists but the stinging pain wouldn't go away and neither would the bleeding. Sakura picked up a bandage from the table and brought it over to him. Itachi sat still, not saying a word. Looking at her like he now depended on her, like the Stockholm Syndrome had kicked in early. She carefully wrapped the bandage around his wrists and then took his hand to pull him up from the bed. He accepted her offer and sat up. Itachi brushed back his thick black hair as Sakura sat down on the bed next to him.

"I thought you were going to kill me?" said Sakura, chuckling.

"I'm not that stupid," Itachi replied.

He knew the time wasn't right. The girl had the upper hand now. He was still too weak.

"You're a big softy, Itachi."

Sakura smiled. Her smile sent a warm fuzzy feeling inside his chest. One he had never experienced. His heart glowed and beat violently as Sakura inched closer to him. He thought for a moment that she was leaning in to kiss, her eyes half closed, her lips pursed. Everything was moving in slow-motion. Then in a flash, her kunai was out again and this time pointed at his throat.

"But I'm not!" she snapped. "You'll have to do better than that to get a kiss out of me."

"I'm sorry I ever thought you were weak Sakura. You have earned my respect today." Itachi said, his voice now croaking.

"Sounds like you need a drink of water."

"Thanks, yeah I do."

That's when a plan circled in Itachi's mind. The evil in his mind still existed. He remembered he had the sleeping potion stashed in his cloak. The sleeping potion he was going to use on Sakura in the first place before all this got screwed up. This time the tables would be turned again, back to their original position and all would be right. Sakura got up and grabbed Itachi by the shoulders. She forced him down so he was lying on his front and then tied his hands behind his back.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Itachi cried.

"Sorry, I can't have you escaping while I simply go to get you a glass of water. I'll only be gone a few seconds. But I'd never forgive myself if you got out. I'm not stupid and I know you're not too."

"Strong and smart. This village is lucky to have you."

Sakura smiled again as she got up to leave the room. True to her word, she was back just thirty seconds later with two glasses of iced water. Itachi was so thirsty, he was ready to drink. Sakura helped him to sit up again and then held the glass to his lips.

"Please, Sakura," he said. "I'm not a baby. Untie me. You've proven how strong you are. I'm no threat now."

Sakura hesitated. She knew she couldn't let her guard down, not even for an instance. But something inside of her told her that he was telling the truth. It was her loving, caring side, the side that she showed so few.

Sakura undid Itachi's binds, slicing them clean through with her sharp kunai. Itachi thanked her again. "I see you're thirsty too?" Itachi said softly.

"Yes, it's been a long day for me too. This isn't exactly how I expected it to go. But that's life I guess."

"Yes, I guess that is life."

Sakura put her glass down and turned around. She stretched and yawned.

This was his chance, it was now or never. He got out the sleeping potion and poured a drop into her water. It was a clear, tasteless liquid and invisible to the eye. Itachi quickly put the bottle back in his pocket as Sakura turned back around to face him.

"I'm just about ready for a nap." Sakura said.

The remark almost made Itachi snigger. "I think we're both tired."

Itachi reached for his glass just Sakura lifted hers. "Anyway," he said. "Here's a toast to being your prisoner. I'm glad it was you anyway. It could have been a lot worse."

"What kind of stupid toast is that?" Sakura asked, covering her mouth as she laughed.

Itachi waited a moment. Then it came, Sakura held the glass to her lips and took a small sip. Itachi knew it would only take a few moments for her to drift off into a dreamless slumber. Itachi began to count backwards thinking by the time he hit zero, she would be out like a light.

Itachi took a drink himself, first a sip and then a gulp. He was so thirsty. He drank the whole glass in seconds. Itachi reached zero but still Sakura was sitting there wide-awake and with the same shy smile she had before.

"Thanks for the water." Itachi said.

"You're welcome."

Sakura then put her hand to her head and groaned. "I feel a little dizzy." she said, swaying from side to side. "I feel like I'm going to faint. What did you do to me?"

"Just an old trick I picked up. A little sleeping potion. What were you saying about the tables being turned?"

"What are you going to do with me?" Sakura said, her voice getting quieter and quieter.

"Hmm, let's see, I'll have to think about that one. But my main aim today was to kidnap you, so looks like I was successful. So sorry, Sakura."

"You monster! How could you?"

Sakura's eyes then rolled back and her body went limp on the bed. Itachi laughed at how easy it was and then stood up. It was then pain struck him like a bolt of lightning. He felt odd and groggy. His vision faded to grey and he could taste blood in his throat. Itachi fell to one knee when out of the corner of his eye he saw Sakura open her eyes and sit up.

"Oh Itachi," she said. "You're much stupider than I thought. I knew you would try to knock me out with sleep potion. That's why I put in sleep potion first. I didn't swallow any, but looks like you drank the whole glass. That'll be enough to knock you out for a good eight hours. Sweet dreams, Itachi."

Sakura's words sounded like they were under water, all distorted and unclear but he was desperately trying to stay awake. He clawed his way over trying to reach her. He grasped at her ankle trying to pull her down but he had no strength left. She easily kicked him off and headed for the door. The oldest trick in the book and Sakura had sucker-punched him with it. He couldn't believe it. His last memory that day was of Sakura turning back to him, flicking her long pink hair back, adjusting her hair band and saying:

"I told you the tables had turned!"

And then Itachi blacked out.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: thank you so much for reading all the way to the end. hope you liked it. there will be more chapters up soon. I wonder where the situation will go from here. Bye for now. xx