Onyx

I can't escape this hell

Sasuke was pacing. Back and forth, back and forth from one end of his bedroom to the other. His curse seal had receded with Sakura's kiss, but only anger and anxiety had taken its place. Casting another glance to the diminutive form on the bed, he sank back into his thoughts.

He had to get her out of Sound as soon as physically possible. She wouldn't survive for five minutes here without his presence. His intimidating reputation was enough to fend off the other nukenin while he was within the Village, but the moment he left on a mission she would be vulnerable. Thinking back to their fight in the forest, he predicted that she may be able to hold her own against two or perhaps three opponents, but more would overtake her easily. The Sound-nin would be more than willing to fight dirty, and Sakura would never be able to handle it. Thinking of his fellow elite-nin that Orochimaru had do his personal dirtywork, Sasuke grimly noted that the Leaf kunoichi wouldn't stand a chance if one of them decided to attack her.

Breaking his pacing pattern, he veered sharply to stand over the small body curled on his bed. As he looked down at the pale girl in a bloodied kimono, he decided he needed to gather a few things for her stay. How ever long it would be. Stopping his hand just short of smoothing her tangled hair where it lay sprawled against the stark white sheets, he stepped back and disappeared through the shouji.

So many times I've tried

At the muffled click of the paper screen sliding shut, green eyes blinked open. A low groan rose from Sakura as she wearily stretched, careful not to move her right arm from the wrist down. Quickly assessing her surroundings and injuries, she came to two conclusions: she was alone in a foreign room and her hand was partially healed.

Sakura disregarded the room situation for the time being, she was in no immediate danger and she had a good idea who it belonged to anyway. Instead, she sat up and turned her attention to her recently crippled hand. The ache in her shoulder told her it had been relocated satisfactorily, but the condition of her hand left a few more questions. A surge of chakra confirmed that the numerous breaks and fractures had been set and accelerated, which was normal enough. The epidermal lesion from a compound fracture at her wrist was left open and was still sluggishly weeping. A slightly disgusted look flitted across her features as she observed the patch of bright blood on the bed where her hand and lain. Even if she was a med-nin, she didn't have to like seeing rusty, coagulating blood.

Deciding she would clean up after her self momentarily, Sakura went about taking inventory of her chakra levels. The fight with Sasuke and her body's natural instinct to direct the energy toward regenerating lost blood left her with well under half of her usual supply. Sighing and reminding herself that she was most likely in enemy territory, she decided that it was best to close the gash and leave the rest to her body. It was better than leaving a trail everywhere she went and less chakra-demanding than a full heal. As the green fog of her healing ability coated her un-injured hand, she carefully 'stiched' the two sides together and let the rest of the summoned energy meld back into her system.

Inspecting her skin, the pinkette noticed despairingly that her permanent seal had been disrupted by the lesion. Raised, still new-pink skin ran in a diagonal slash from the center of the seal at the middle of her forearm, all the way up to the first knuckle of her thumb on the top of her hand. She frowned. That sort of impediment was nearly worse than her low chakra reserves. The seals provided an easy source of weaponry while she was a captive. She needed to restore the lines to make the summoning process possible again.

But I'm still caged inside

When Sasuke stepped back into his room thirty minutes later, he wasn't surprised by the fact that Sakura was bleeding. The gash on her arm had still been unhealed when he left, so the metallic smell wasn't shocking. However, a glance to the girl sitting at his desk told him that her battle wound had been taken care of and the bleeding she was doing now was self-inflicted.

Dropping his parcel and flash-stepping to stay her hand, Sasuke asked lowly, "What are you doing?"

Sakura looked more annoyed than startled. Attempting to jerk the hand clutching the sharp stylus back, she replied, "I'm trying to finish this seal, now if you would--"

Black eyes narrowed. "Why isn't the area numbed?"

The pinkette growled and stopped trying to pull her captured hand back. He'd seen her wince, then. Shooting him a matter-of-fact glare, she drawled, "That would be a waste of chakra. I'm in the middle of Sound," Sasuke's stiffening posture wasn't noticed as she continued, "so I'm doing this without anesthetic. It's much less painful if I just get it done--"

Without releasing the hand holding her improvised needle, Sasuke used his remaining hand to deftly pinch the nerve at the back of his former teammate's neck. Supporting her head as she swayed forward, he scooped her up and placed on the soiled bed. Once she was settled onto her back, he pulled her right forearm toward him and inspected her work.

Somebody get me through this nightmare

Groaning, Sakura woke two hours later to an empty room. As she sat up, she frowned at the constricted feel of her right arm. Upon inspection, she saw that it had been wrapped from elbow to wrist in pristine, white bandages. So he'd finished the tattoo for her. She shrugged mentally, so long as it was done. Rubbing the back of her neck she grimaced at the small bruise she was sure was forming; he was rather fond of knocking her out.

As she slid her hand from her nape, her frown deepened at the greasy texture of her hair. She needed a shower. Sliding to the edge of the bed, she stood and glanced around the room more thoroughly. She noticed three doors. There was a door that she'd seen Sasuke come through, a double set that she assumed led to a closet and a final one that may have led to a bathroom.

Padding quickly to the third door, she slid it back to find just what she had hoped for. The dark grey of the bedroom walls were echoed there, along with dark marble and steely fixtures. A blissful smile crossed her features as she spied the shower. A hot rinse would do wonders for both her hygiene and her nerves.

With a slight bounce, Sakura walked into the room. As she quickly gathered shampoo, conditioner and a bathcloth from the shelves near the sink, she noticed a bundle on the counter. Setting the bathing supplies near the shower stall, she turned back to inspect it further.

As she peeled the cloth covering back, she revealed a pile of kunoichi gear. Confusion reigned on her features until she remembered her stained kimono. Glancing down at herself, she decided it was best that she wore the new clothing. A red mesh top and undershirt, black arm guards, shorts and nin-sandals emerged from the parcel. Sarcastically she thought, 'At least it's not purple and white.' She would wear rags over Sound colors.

I can't control myself

Dodge, slash, block. Parry, feign, strike. Jutsu, dodge, jab. Sasuke's mind was blessedly blank aside from the vague hum of his ingrained battle instinct. He was wading easily through the various Sound-nin charging at him. Cutting them down without a scratch on his person. It was almost annoyingly easy.

A smirk slid onto his face as he remembered what Orochimaru had told him. He wasn't to kill during training. There were too few elite-nin in the Village and they couldn't afford to replace the numbers that he could run through in three hours of sparring. Sasuke wanted to laugh. Refraining from killing the men around him with his blows was the biggest challenge he faced in his training.

"Uchiha."

Knocking the man attempting to stab him aside with a strong-arm blow to his face, the dark haired man turned to face Kabuto. "Yes?"

The smug med-nin adjusted his glasses and spoke. "Master Orochimaru would like a word."

With a flat 'hn,' Sasuke sheathed his kasanagi and paced toward the Snake Sannin's quarters. It was a five minute walk from the dojo to the Hokage building, and Sasuke couldn't stop himself from glancing down the road toward his house at the edge of the Village. The former 'Land of Rice Fields' had not been converted into Sound overnight, but still retained the look of any other Hidden Village. Its sinister secrets were concealed under a normal-seeming facade.

So what if you can see this darkest side of me?

Stepping into the darkened chamber where Orochimaru was sitting, Sasuke called, "You wanted to speak with me?"

A thickly coiled snake slithered to the floor as the tall, thin man stood. "Ah, yes. Sasuke, my favored pupil, I have...," he trailed off for a moment as he locked his gaze onto the younger male's, "caught wind of a most delicious rumor." His reptilian tongue rolled the 's' and 'c' sounds into a delighted hiss. As he strolled to stand before his desk, he specified, "Imagine my surprise to find that one Haruno Sakura is living in my Village."

Sasuke's shoulders stiffened as he cut in, "She won't be for much longer. I intend to take her back as soon as pos--"

A rasping chuckle interrupted him. "Ah, ah, ah! She won't be going anywhere."

Anger spilled onto the Uchiha's face. "Her presence in Sound is the result of my loss of control. It--"

This time a full-blown laugh roiled from the Sannin. "Now now, Sasuke, don't take all the credit! I led you to bring her here! I twisted and warped your own mind against you." At the Uchiha's defiant look, he added, "What? Did you honestly think you'd just watch her from afar, let her have the life you convinced yourself she deserves? You're wrong, Sasuke. You're too possessive, far too obsessive for that." The speech began tauntingly, mockingly, but ended almost teasingly.

The anger on his face faded, replaced by a self-satisfied grin. "You're wrong. She means nothing to me."

Orochimaru raised his eyebrows grandly, as if humoring a child. "Oh? Let's test that theory, shall we?"

Somebody help me tame this animal

Steam filled the moderately spacey bathroom as Sakura took a leisurely shower. As she scrubbed the shampoo suds into her long hair, she tried to ignore the masculine scent permeating the thickened air around her. Rinsing her hair vigorously, she tried to disregard just how much she'd missed her teammate. His sudden reappearance was clouding her judgement. Making her soft. A frown set her features. If she wasn't going to be weak anymore, she had to stop this.

Stepping gingerly out of the fogged stall, the pinkette wrapped herself in a towel and used a spare to begin drying her hair. As she briskly worked the terrycloth through her elbow length locks, she noted that she didn't have a brush. A groan tumbled from her lips. Her hair would be a tangled mess if she didn't do something with it.

Tugging her fingers through her mane, Sakura settled on a single french braid. As she wove the long strands into a rope, she glanced around for something to tie off the end. Her eyes settled on the tattered form of her kimono. Still clutching the end of her completed braid, she tore a sleeve free from the rest of the robe and fashioned a strip of silk to serve as a ribbon. Tying the strip in a feminine bow, she stared contemplatively at the remains of her festival wear. If she could find some needle and thread, she might still be able to salvage part of it. Remembering Ino's reluctant compliment on how the creamy silk kimono had suited her, she promised herself she'd do what she could with it.

Green eyes alight with determination, Sakura slipped into the clothes Sasuke had left for her. The thin red camisole and matching mesh top were comfortable enough, but difficult to conceal weapons under. As she slipped into the shorts and left the armguards and sandals for now, she reasoned that she could use the remains of her kimono as a sort of jacket. Gathering the rest of the clothing and her sewing project, she slipped back into the bedroom.

So many times I've lied

Orochimaru gestured flippantly toward a flickering screen on the wall of his office. At the flick of a switch, the static cleared to show a live feed of the exterior of Sasuke's home. Watching with a sick grin as the younger man froze but retained his blank face, the Snake Sannin spoke into a microphone next to the television. "Tsurugi?"

A clear voice rang out, "Yes, Hokage-sama?"

With a long glance at Sasuke, the man asked, "Have you pinpointed the location of your target?"

The voice replied, "Yes, sir. She appears to be in a room at the rear of the building."

"Excellent, can you give my audience a better visual?" Orochimaru smiled as the camera moved closer than zoomed in on a long, narrow window. Steam made the view inside blurry, but a slim figure clad only in a towel could be seen, her long pink hair trailing in damp waves down her back. All three men watched as she obliviously dried her hair, finger combing it then starting a braid at her crown.

Sasuke felt his nails bite into his palms. When the Sannin looked to him, he stonily kept his bland expression. He was not going to let Orochimaru trick him into keeping Sakura here. He wouldn't.

The older man just sighed, "Very good. You may move in and complete your assignment when you wish."

The Uchiha froze. He was bluffing. As if sensing his thoughts, Orochimaru pressed the button again and added, "Do as you will with her. She's of no consequence."

"With pleasure, Hokage-sama." There was a sick glee in the ninja's voice as the view from the camera began to move. The assassin was moving in on Sasuke's home. On Sakura.

Blood rushed from Sasuke's face. What was he going to do?

But there's still rage inside

Sakura dropped her arm-load of clothing onto a chair at the foot of the bed and wrinkled her nose at the state of the linens. Making a quick decision, she pulled the sheets from the bed and added them to her pile, careful to fold the blood away from the other items.

She toed the sliding panel open with her foot and made her way cautiously down the hall she found beyond. As she passed the open doors lining the passage, she noted a study or library and a small dining room. The hall soon opened into a modest living room with a clear view of an open kitchen. Dropping everything but the bundle of linens onto a low table in the front room, she ventured into the kitchen.

The cool tile of the room made her curl her bare toes and she tredded softly, unsure of rather or not Sasuke was home. When she heard no footsteps or other noises, she paced to a closed door at the end of the space. If she guessed correctly, it would be a laundry room. Distantly, she realized that the layout of this house reminded her eerily of her parents' in Konoha. Sasuke had once mentioned, after coming over to inform her of an assignment, that he liked the design. With a rueful smile, she dismissed the thought. He was probably trying to keep her busy with the sideways complement so she wouldn't have time to ask him out.

Sliding the door open, she was pleased to find the laundry closet she was hoping for. After she started the sheets in the washer, she poked around in the cabinet and found a small sewing kit. Happily clutching her find, she made her way back to the living room.

No one will ever change this animal I have become

Black eyes watched with morbid fascination as the bumpy feed marked the ninja's progress toward the back of his home. The pinkette had disappeared from the view of the window, only to return a moment later, fully clothed. He and the other men had watched as she picked up the rest of her gear (So nice of you to get those things for her, Sasuke-kun.) and left the bathroom.

As soon as the ribbon that marked the end of her braid had disappeared through the frame, the nin in the trees began to move. The screen lurched as he landed in a crouch at the base of his perch and swayed as he walked toward the high window of the bathroom. With a chakra-enhanced jump, the man gripped the window sill and pulled himself up. The window wasn't locked.

As the assassin crept in uncontested through the opening, Orochimaru turned to Sasuke, "Not at all concerned for your own safety, are you?"

Without tearing his eyes from the screen, the younger man asked, "Have I any need to be?"

The Sannin just chuckled and turned back to the spectacle. The ninja had dropped into the bathroom and was briefly reflected in the mirror above the sink as he crossed the room. Sasuke memorized his face with killer intent. The screen displayed a half-obscured visual as the assassin stood at the slightly ajar door that joined the bedroom and bathroom. His quiet chuckle as he watched the pretty kunoichi bend over the bedstead to collect the sheets was silent to his prey, but all to loud in Orochimaru's office.

Sasuke felt blood running between his fingers as his nails broke the skin of his palm. The cuts there from the shattered glass hadn't quite healed and the strain had torn the scabs open. As the man began to move toward the vulnerable figure bunching the linens into a careful pile, Sasuke growled, "Why do you want her here?"

A wide smile split Orochimaru's pasty features. Pressing the button at the side of the screen, he hissed, "Wait a moment, won't you, Tsurugi? There's been a slight delay in our plans."

Reluctantly, the voice whispered back, "Yes, sir. Hanging back."

Somebody help me tame this animal I have become

Settling herself into the surprisingly comfy couch back in the living room, Sakura wondered at the domesticity of the house. When Orochimaru had taken over the village, she reasoned he must have converted the occupants to his cause, or...She trailed off, not wanting to delve deeper into the thought. She didn't want to think about what the former occupants of this house had chosen to do. But, Sasuke must have been given this already furbished house.

Glancing down at the sewing basket she'd found, she decided she just couldn't imagine him buying half of the things she saw lying about. She smiled a little at the idea of her brooding former teammate shopping for household supplies as she took up a needle and picked her way through the spools of thread. Finding a pearly white roll, she carefully compared the string against her silken kimono. Her once splendid robe had been cut off at a little above the knee and had lost a sleeve, but with a little thread she was optimistic that she could revive it. Deciding that the color was perfect, she began to hem the bottom of the garment first, carfully evening the edge and ultimately loosing another inch or so to be rid of a bloodstain.

As she worked, she roamed her eyes over the deep red, cherry blossom design on the remaining sleeve. Staring down at the fabric covering her upperbody, she noticed it would be a close match. It was a little odd, as if Sasuke had hoped she would keep the traditional top to wear over the mesh he'd brought her. Dismissing the thought, she ruled that she would keep the remaining left sleeve. It would give her something to conceal her senbon launcher. That decided, she refocused on the work she was doing at the bottom of the silken jacket.

Help me believe it's not the real me

Orochimaru faced Sasuke and began, "It occured to me, not so long ago, that with the considerable strength you've gained in your time here...that you may soon be tempted to leave and pursue other interests." Smirking as the younger man's eyes narrowed at the oblique mention of his brother, he began again, "And I wondered to myself: How does one keep a selfless, cold blooded avenger in one place? How do you sway a man without fear? Without apparent weakness?"

The Sannin stalked closer to Sasuke's unmoving form. "I'll admit that for a while I was stumped. Stuck. But, it occurred to me that no one is truly heartless, least of all you." Studying the Uchiha's face for a response to his barb, but finding none, he went on, "So I improvised. I got inside your head. Literally. To my infinite delight, I found what I needed there." He paused in front of Sasuke and leaned into his face as he teased, "Really, Sasuke-kun, as cruel as you were to that little girl...who could have known just how much you really cared for her?" Humming a little to himself, he quipped, "Or maybe that was the point."

When the younger man growled angrily, Orochimaru laughed, "But even then I was presented with another set of obstacles. Your one weakness, your one pleasure...turned out to be the pampered protege of Tsunade." The old man spat the name, as if disgusted to have to speak it. "Then I had another revelation: Who better than to steal the Leaf Hokage's beloved disciple than the man she loves?" Stepping back and steepling his fingers, he added, "It was easy from there to activate your Curse Seal and let your baser half take over. Very easy."

For the first time since the assassination had been postponed, Sasuke spoke. He snarled, "If all of this was just an elaborate mind-fuck, then why should I care if you kill her? You're the one who planted these ideas, dreams in my head. Maybe once she's dead they'll all be gone again."

The snake-like man 'tsk'ed and strolled back to the furious elite-nin. "Come now, that's cold--even for you, Sasuke. After all, even I can't trick you into caring for her as you do." Stopping just a few feet from his student, Orochimaru jabbed a finger into the left side of Sasuke's chest as he concluded, "Deep down in that dark little heart of yours, you want her here."

Sasuke just smiled. "You're wrong. I couldn't give a shit less."

The Snake Sannin just 'tsk'ed again and cooed, "Language, language, pupil mine." Striding back over to the screen, he pressed the button without looking away form Sasuke's eyes and said, "You may resume your mission now, Tsurugi."

Somebody help me tame this animal

Sakura rhetorically wondered it there was a stitching jutsu. Flexing her fingers to ease the stiffness that had built up in them, she wearily picked her needle up again. Her hands were achy with the careful, precise nature of the work she was doing. Generally she was a little more smashy-smashy.

As she glanced back down to check the progress she'd made, she observed that she'd finished the hem and was nearly half-done with the shoulder she'd shorn off to fashion her hair ribbon. In the end, the right sleeve had been a good choice, since a blood stain from her injured hand had ruined most of the silk there anyway. Settling herself back into her repetitive work, she was soon finished.

A reminiscent smile came to Sakura's face as she mentally thanked her traditional mother for the sewing lessons she'd forced her daughter into when she was young. She remembered the long hours she'd spent stitching Uchiha fans into little squares of fabric. At least the nimble motions had come back to her when she'd needed them. It made things go a lot more quickly.

Standing and slipping the modified kimono over her shoulders, she tied her red obi into a delicate knot and twisted it to sit at the base of her spine. As she smoothed down the front of her attire, she heard a footstep and turned to greet who she assumed to be Sasuke. A hand gripped her newly tied bow and stopped her from turning. Annoyed she growled, "Sas--"

She was cut off by foul-smelling breath against her ear, "Hello, pretty girl."

Green eyes widened. That was most assuredly not Sasuke's voice.

Somebody wake me from this nightmare

Sasuke was watching in Orochimaru's office when the man, Tsurugi, he remembered, made his way into his living room. The camera's vision was washed out for a moment by the sunlight spilling in from the window at the front of the room. When the device adjusted, he could make out the inverted form of his teammate. The assassin was crouching on the ceiling, observing his prey before he pounced.

Sakura was standing, slipping her one-sleeved jacket over her slim shoulders. The red pattern of the only sleeve matched the elbow length mesh shirt exposed on the other side perfectly. As she carefully tied her traditional obi into an over-sized bow, her fair brow crumpled in concentration, Orochimaru glanced at him and uttered, "She's very pretty, Sasuke-kun. I've never seen her in person before...but now I see why you're so attached." Turning back to the screen, he muttered, "Pity."

Grimacing at the squelching feeling of the blood coating his palms as he squeezed his fists tighter, Sasuke remained silent. Transfixed.

The picture shook and spun as Tsurugi dropped from the ceiling, approaching the pinkette as she spun her cloth belt into place. Her head perked and her ribbon-tied braid swayed as the sound reached her ears. Before she could turn, the view from the camera went black as the nin attacking her pressed himself against her back. All that was displayed on the screen were shadows and a blurred close-up of the white embroidery on her red obi. Her annoyed tone played from the speakers, "Sasu--"

A husky voice echoed in the otherwise silent room. "Hello, pretty girl."

Sasuke's stomach rolled. A static sound blared in the room as the assassin brushed his hidden microphone as he slipped a hand down Sakura's thigh. Her fearful squeal made Sasuke's head spin. A pained, male grunt was heard and suddenly they could see a larger picture once more. Sakura had stumbled back from her assailant and was reaching desperately around her for something to use as a weapon.

The camera angle wobbled once more Tsurugi shook off whatever had pained him and stalked after the retreating girl. His voice came again, "Come here, you little bitch!"

He caught up to Sakura in the kitchen. She had her back turned to the assassin and was trying desperately to free a sharp knife from a block on the counter. A dark chuckle filtered through the room as Tsurugi advanced, hands splayed and cutting into the view of the camera on either side. Sakura's voice was shaky as she dropped into a defensive stance and screamed, "Don't come any closer!"

I can't escape this hell

Sasuke watched the events unfolding on the screen with anger. Why wouldn't he just stop the assassination? Then with hate. How dare that man touch what was his? Then with fear. She could really die. Her big, beryl eyes were shining with terror.

Memories and nightmares roiled in the back of his brain. Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut. He had to keep his cool or Orochimaru would win. A pulsing, throbbing sensation built on his neck. The beast was breaking free in his head.

His eyes snapped open to see Tsurugi disarm Sakura and grab her by the throat. The screen went white as he crushed her against the counter. His voice sounded, "You're all mine now."

Mine. Mine. Mine. The word reverberated strangely in Sasuke's head as the burning sensation of the Seal crept down his arm, up his neck. As he felt his eyes bleed raging red, a molten feeling boiled up from deep in his gut. Possessiveness. The kind of possessiveness that made him want to carve his name into Sakura's chest. It terrified his rational mind that he wasn't sure if he meant that figuratively or not.

Sakura was his.

A bass level roar shook the air around the man-possessed. "Call off the mission."

Orochimaru spun to face him. A grin twisted his gaunt features as he replied, "So, you've seen reason! Good. She will be protected so long as she stays inside the Village. If you try to leave without my express permission...she will be punished."

Fighting the spreading sickness, Sasuke growled as his voice flickered between a bestial roar and a yell, "Fine! Agreed. Now, call it off!"

A tearful scream split the air around him as Orochimaru responded, glancing over his shoulder at the screen, "Oh, Tsurugi?" He didn't wait long for an answer as he addressed Sasuke, "He seems to be a little busy with our friend, Sakura, maybe..." He trailed off as a choked sob was heard from the screen, "You should go and tell him yourself?"

The Seal spread over his body like a wildfire as he tore from the room. As he raced at an impossible speed down the darkening streets of Sound, all he could see were the terrified green eyes that had filled his nightmares. Only now they were playing in real time across a huge screen. And it was directly his fault.

A scream echoed in his head. He had to get to Sakura. Now.

This animal I have become.

I'm back to working on this story now that D.V. is only an Epilouge away from being done. (Which will be up tomorrow, Tuesday at the latest.) As always, thanks for reading and please review!

Note: Lyrics from Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace and are NOT MINE