Title: An Introduction to Intoxication

Summary: "...You can't love me, can you?" His lips brush against hers, his voice husky and there's something like longing in his dark eyes. She pulls back a little, her hands pressing into his warm chest as she looks at him with those haunting green eyes. And she smiles this sad, broken smile. "...No, I don't think I can,"

Type: Multi-chapter, smut

Pairing (s) : SakuraxSasori, SasukexSakura, Others

Warning (s): Sexual themes, dark themes, abusive language and disturbing images.

Note: This is a sequel to Existence written for my most devoted and most beloved fan which will be mentioned later. However, this stands as an independent story and so the one-shot doesn't have to be read in order for this to be read and understood. I hope to God that you enjoy it.

I: Another Pair of Corrupted Lungs

...

"She couldn't get any farther away inside from her skin. She couldn't get away."
― Cynthia Voigt, When She Hollers

.

"Whatever is done for love is beyond good and evil..."

- Friedrich Nietzsche

...

Everything burns.

And Sasuke watches everything drift away into the curls of grey smoke and the endless sky seems sweeter, glittering lightly, almost laughing at the destruction raging below it. His eyes catch sight of a child, stumbling through the flames, calling out to his mother and his body moves at its own accord, his long legs carrying him across the dying village towards the little shadow. He feels his stomach turn nervously, as he recalls Sasori's smirk, Sakura's trusting look and everything seems to make so much sense that his head begins to hurt and he hates himself for letting everything to get to him. He lets his thoughts slip away and reaches the body, just as a log of burning wood sears through behind him. He reaches forward and the boy flinches, his eyes big and sad.

It strikes Sasuke...that it's almost as if, he's looking at a younger, terrified version of himself.

Shaking away the sudden anger that rises from that callous thought, he lifts the boy easily and looks around himself at the burning inferno. He doesn't even remember the way to Naruto's house. If only he could- what? Do what? Be the saviour? His fingers clench around the boy's thin frame and the little boy seems to understand that this man won't hurt him and he lays his head onto Sasuke's shoulder, giving away his trust as easily as one would spare a friend some change. Sasuke's obsidian eyes seem glassy and he makes for a sad Saviour. He's just a monster. He can't do this. He can't. But he does it, anyway. He leaps over a pile of burning wood, catching the vague, fleeting sight of a dying, screaming woman before he lands on a patch of untouched ground.

The image of the dying woman makes his body feel weak, his head lightheaded.

The boy trembles in his arms, holding him tightly as if Sasuke will protect him from the maniacs who have done this to the Village and somehow, somehow, the Uchiha finds himself wishing for the sacrificial love that Naruto possesses, or the desperate need to help that Sakura once had because he's none of those things. He's a sad, monstrous version of the caring boy he once used to be and this- this burning place is not the right time, the right location for him to come to a realization. He needs to get the boy out of here. That's all the matters. First the boy, then the others. Whoever else is out there, burning, pulling at their burning clothes, aching for respite, or perhaps quick death.

He turns but the flames are angrier, darker and he seems the faint outlines of grown men- the red symbol that has haunted his nights one too many times and he understands everything. His saliva, suddenly, seems to taste bitter and his nails dig into the heated, soft skin of the boy's sides. And the boy weeps into his robes, unable to do much else. There. There, against the darkness, he sees Sakura's hair first. The pink, pink hair that he so often wished he could run his fingers through. She's walking towards him and he feels a morbid sense of pity for her. That she's been betrayed by the Puppeteer.

The Akatsuki is eerily outlined by the flames before vanishing, one by one and it's almost as if the Village set itself on fire. His eyes shift back towards the walking figure of Sakura, which seems determined and undeterred, and he notices that there are more people behind her. A struggling group of stragglers, it seems, but people nonetheless, and there's the vague rush of Hope inside him. He feels infinitely troubled, and relieved. Things will be fine.

What he doesn't realize and see...is the smoke; curling around them, swallowing them up just as Sakura's face comes into his view. And then vanishes. This smoke is ugly, and black and so thick that he can't even see his feet as he looks down at where they should be. His body shakes for a moment, and he worries, he worries and digs his hands into the boy's body, holding him tightly, refusing to relent and give in but the smoke is travelling up into his nose, pressing against his eardrums and he can't hear anything but the sobbing of the child in his arms. It's a terrible, terrible sound.

Somehow, he can't seem to breathe. The air isn't there. But it was. He can't feel it, in front of him, but he can't move. His legs are made of lead and refuse to cooperate with his brain. His body is drifting, submitting and the smoke engulfs him. His knees buckle, his mouth open as he coughs, choking on his spittle, holding the boy- holding him tight enough to smother him himself, and he wants to make sure...

...make sure...mak...

Naruto wants to scream.

He does. But he has this heavy mask on his face, and two katanas in both hands and he's walking beside his only friend and he thinks that this is what death must feel like. Or dying, really. As the flames rise up around them, Sakura walks on blindly, stumbling over the Dead and calling out orders to the only people left. His body is reluctant, but his brain is alert and everything seems distant. As if it's not really happening and it's all a bad dream that he can't wake up from. But he will wake. Eventually. When morning comes.

But this is real. This is happening. To the place he's loved so much that his love for it is worn and tired. Sakura has one of the masks, and her eyes are bloodshot, as if she's been crying, but it could be the pills, or the lack of sleep. She has her demons to fight. He doesn't ask about them. The only thing she's said to him during the course of this...nightmare are the words that come back to him, echoing in his hollow mind, scaring him.

Sasuke's here. Back in...in Konoha. He's out there, somewhere and we have to find him.

As the tall silhouette of a man falls, crumpling, he wonders who did this. There's only one group who could pull this off and that's the Akatsuki. But how would they have gotten past the guards? And the walls? And the traps that lie waiting for enemies around the borders of the village? How could they have known that Tsunade would be out in Sound this very night? That the ANBU would have sent half of its troops to Sand to give them some special training knowledge? How could they know any of that? There's a simple answer to that one. Someone from Konoha must have told them.

Two men, unrecognizable because of the masks, put out a burning hut and there's the man who crumpled two moments and a lifetime ago. Sakura rushes forward, calling out to her medics in a low, urgent voice. There's another team that's putting out the deadly fires swiftly and Naruto stands back as the medics rush forth, calling out to more and he notices the child in the man's arms. He recognizes the dark, midnight hair and his stomach clenches, as he takes another rushed step back. Considering the air safe to breathe now, the flames less dangerous, everything strange, he pulls the mask off and looks around at his world dying around him.

He wills himself not to die with it, too.

He inhales the destruction, eyes on his former best friend and Ino walks up to him, holding her mask tightly, her cerulean eyes dark and indecipherable as she looks down at the man whose better version once broke her heart. She shifts when the stretcher is rushed past her, the medics running swiftly towards the make-shift tent that's been set up not so long ago. The child is gone and Sakura's crouched down next to the unconscious Uchiha, speaking urgently to Neji, who's pulling out handcuffs and shouting something to somebody. To Naruto, everything is surreal.

Until- until Ino puts her hand on his shoulder, almost (nearly) waking him from his reverie and speaks in a voice that isn't like hers.

"...There's a traitor in this village," She says something they both know, unable to look away from the dark flames burning into the night. "...and more than half of the people...a-are dead...I...it's just...how could someone do this?"

"The Akatsuki are good at killing, Ino," He says quietly and maybe it's because he sounds so calm, or because he looks sane and unaffected that Ino finally looks at him, hoping for strength. "..It's the traitor who's the real...criminal. Knowing what would happen if the Akatsuki were to acquire privileged information...this person...I.." He trails off, getting caught up in his new-found hatred for the rat who's told the bastards everything they wanted to know.

"I.." Ino stops again, a slow, dreadful tear slipping down her cheek. "...I couldn't find Sai, or Kakashi-sama. And Naruto," She stops again, her voice breaking into a low sob. She sucks in a ragged breath, pushing her hair out of her face. "...Hinata's missing too.."

He flinches at that. Just a little. But Ino knows. She can see. They both look away and down at the handcuffed Uchiha, coughing lightly as a light-haired medic speaks to him in short, curt words. Someone's shouting about more dead bodies and a team of survivors sprints off towards the location, brave enough to do the recognizing and cataloging of the Dead. Ino's hand shifts down his arms and curls around his limp one and she gives him a squeeze. But there is no comfort to be found.

Sai. Kakashi. Hinata.

And so many more. So many others. Names swirl around in his head, anger pulsing within him.

Ino rests her head against his shoulder, holding him tightly and they watch everything they once loved burn to ash.

"..I'm fucking impressed, you doll-faced bastard," Hidan calls out chirpily, taking down his sake in one go, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand with a lewd smirk on his face."..How was the sex with that bitch?"

Sasori's face displays nothing but Zetsu notes the slight clenching of Sasori's fingers and understands that the comment, though a compliment, is really just a jab and it pricks the Puppeteer but he can't show it. Zetsu also sees the slight colour-change in the Puppeteer's eyes, and Deidara takes a seat beside his partner, drinking down his sake with a satisfied, lazy smile. Kabuto is nowhere to be seen and Itachi lies, reclining on the couch, eyes shut, body taut. Zetsu sees it all. Konan will be with Leader, laughing about victory.

"...Keep your mouth fucking shut," Sasori finally says impassively, and Tobi appears from behind the shadows, his mask ominous in the faint light of dawn, a glass of sake in his own hand.

"..Hey...hey..boys," Deidara clucks, pouring himself another glass and laughing loudly, as if dismissing the foul words that the two have spat at each other. "..Today, we celebrate our victory and try not to fight...so, Sasori-danna," He nods at his partner, "..and Hidan," He gestures vaguely. "..are to not to communicate with each other if they have to communicate that way..."

"Fuck you, you little pussy-fag," Hidan snaps angrily at the blonde, pulling the bottle away from Deidara and pouring himself another cup. "...You're all fucking pussies- especially that redhead with his fucking indifference shit thing..."

Tobi chuckles darkly and Zetsu catches sight of dark, familiar eyes in the mask before Tobi turns and the moment of recognition passes into nothing.

Itachi finally shifts, rising from his state of rest and looking around at the group. He bows his head respectfully in the general direction of Sasori and speaks in his polite, perfectly-calm voice. "...Your card was played well, Sasori-san. Leader-sama will be greatly pleased by the success of our mission,"

Sasori nods politely back at Itachi, his eyes meeting the onyx ones with a slight reluctance because they remind him- remind him of Uchiha Sasuke who'd looked at...no, he wouldn't- He refuses to think of her. Kisame walks in, yawning slightly and stretching just as Sasori says respectfully, "..Thank you, Uchiha-san. I appreciate your praise and hope that my part in this mission will aid our Greater Goal,"

Itachi looks at the redhead for a long moment, communicating something telepathically, and he gets to his feet, strolling out of the small common room into the new morning. Sasori follows him out, sucking in a shaky breath because in all honesty, being around the older Uchiha makes him nervous and he's already so nervous about explaining everything to Leader-sama. The training grounds have been freshly mowed and there's the neat smell of Cherry Blossoms in the air and it reminds him of the very thing he's trying to forget and he discards his thoughts easily, despising himself for his weakness.

"How is my brother, Sasori-san?" The older Uchiha finally says and his voice is cool, sleek, his chiseled frame tall in the faint, nervous morning light.

"Smitten," He says honestly. "..Smitten with the her but well otherwise,"

"Smitten?" Itachi speaks curiously, his eyes crinkling and Sasori thinks that it's the closest that the older Uchiha has come to smiling. "..With Haruno Sakura?"

"Yes," Hearing her name makes him clench his fingers tightly into a fist, his stomach clenching tightly- making his head spin suddenly and terrifyingly. He looks out at the rise of the new day, thinking back to the flames and how this place is so free of that destruction.

"My brother was always a fool," Itachi laughs lightly- his laughter cruel and mocking. "...But it seems the years away, as he remembers his failures, he has become a greater fool..." The older Uchiha turns to Sasori, his eyes still and solemn, his mouth grimly set. "...I hope, Sasori-san, that you learn something from my brother's foolish behaviour. Remember that it never ends well for a man who has lost himself to a woman who is more loyal to her village than herself,"

The intimidating gaze of the Uchiha nearly- nearly makes Sasori flinch; the words seem to be a warning and for a second, a second, Sasori thinks that Itachi knows. That Itachi, somehow, as soulless and Godless as he is, has figured out that this redheaded sinner before him is torn between fear and love and that the only thing that's kept him sane is that girl- that girl with her gentle touch, her insistent gaze. But Itachi looks away and resumes his still position, smiling vaguely- eerily, at the blood-red sun at climbs the sky with the promise of life going on still.

"Do not consign me to doomed human emotions, Itachi-san," He says in a voice that doesn't sound like the things he's feeling. "...I may have gained mortality, but things as fickle as the love of a woman do not tempt me,"

Itachi seems to be satisfied.

The silence is painless- comfortable and Sasori's mind is back there, in that dark room, looking at Sakura's pale face as she catches sight of Sasuke. As her viridian eyes widen, sad and furious all at once- betrayal splayed across her face. He wonders...he wonders, how he will be able to look her in the eye ever again. Hopefully, that damned day will never come.

Itachi turns again, his eyes a little darker than before and tips his head to one side. "...So you say,"

"What is the purpose of your return to Konoha?" Naruto hisses malevolently, his blue eyes not so kind as Sasuke had remembered, his face not as friendly as Sasuke had once recalled; this man who stands before him is not his friend. Not anymore.

"Redemption," He answers in the most honest way, because it's what he's come for, hasn't he?

"How dare you say- how dare you speak of forgiveness?" Naruto's tone is darker, his eyes swirling dangerously with red but Sasuke has forgotten how to be afraid- he lost all the fear within him not so many years ago.

"I-"

"No," Naruto cuts in sharply, slamming Sasuke back into the wall harshly and Ino warns him in a soft voice."No, Sasuke," His former friend snaps, pressing the heel of his hand into Sasuke's flesh, the hatred in his eyes hurting him more than Naruto's beatings ever will. "..You don't get to this right now, when our village has turned to ash and more than half the people are dead! Dead! Do you understand that, you fucking bastard? Or should I give you names? Names of people you fucking walked out on when they were there for you! Kakashi- dead; he burned to death in his fucking bed. Hinata- dead; she was trying to save a four-year old...They're all fucking DEAD!"

That's when Sakura steps in, pulling Naruto back with her brute strength as he struggles, aching to imprint on his best friend's face some more bruises, some more cuts- some kind of vengeance for himself. Naruto's shouting incorrigible things but they sound terrible and Ino takes him by his shoulders and that's when he starts crying. And not in a gentle, soft way.

He lets out a loud, choked sob, his wailing inhuman and chilling all at once and Sasuke sees the tears in Sakura's eyes as he slumps against the wall.

He sucks in a shuddering breath, and as Naruto is taken out, Sasuke knows that he's broken something in his friend that can never be fixed.

The door shuts, cutting out the terrible sound of Naruto's grief and Sakura turns to look at him, right in the eye, unashamed and unaware of the riot of emotions that flood him as he looks back at her. More than anything, there's pity. There's actual, real pity in Sasuke's gaze and Sakura wants nothing more than to pull herself out of her sin and find a place to just sit and mourn her dead. Her prisoner- her captive and he has the nerve to pity her and she knows that he knows.

She's been played. So well. The thought hurts, its conception stemming all other emotions and introducing her to pure, unadulterated heartbreak. Hearts don't actually break- she places a hand on her chest, as if to steady herself, when really, she's just checking if her heart is there, intact and sure enough, it's there, thudding painfully, achingly, reluctantly. There's so much pain inside her head that she feels dizzy. Sasuke's face blurs and she blinks back the tears.

Kakashi- gone. Hinata-gone. Sai-gone. Tenten-gone. Lee-gone. All of them- gone. Swallowed by flames that she allowed in. Victims of her love- her stupidity, her insipid need to attach herself to the one man she should never have trusted. She stills for a moment, gathering strength.

"...I'll have you freed," is all she says to him, her voice wobbling and falling over itself and she's gone, only her musky, sad scent left lingering in the claustrophobic air around him.

He shuts his eyes, resting his head against the wall, knowing he has failed all over again.

She sits in the ash, below the Cherry Blossom tree, holding Sai's headband in her slender hands that not so long ago pleasured the one man she thought she could help, love and keep forever. Now, now she sees how foolish she's been. She wonders if they're laughing at her now- the Akatsuki, with their dark robes and indifferent attitudes- if they're chuckling at how well their fellow Member managed to drag out all of the Village's secrets from one of the best medic-nins in the country. She hates herself. She really does. She wants to fade away, or just hated by everybody and soon, that'll happen. It's what she deserves. All that her Village had given her- she threw it back in it's face for a man. For a body. For pleasure. She struggles with herself, defeating the urge to scream- to hurt herself so badly that there's no remedy.

She wants to cry. She really does. She looks down at the headband in her hands, a petal landing on her bare knee and it hurts so bad. There's no word to describe the vastness of the ache that surrounds her, that summons her into the abyss and she sinks, letting herself drift into the endless stream of numb, dull pain. She's drowning, but she's still got breath and it doesn't seem right. The crimson sun rises into the yellow sky, promising nothing.

Sakura shuts her eyes, but the tears refuse to come.

A/N:

Here it is. Please do review. It'd be welcome and if you choose not to, I won't find out where you live, hunt you down and murder you slowly with a scythe. I won't. I promise. Fare well until the next update, though.

- WBHL