A/N: Hey, everyone. I guess I should clear up a few things. First, I've been camping, I've also caught a cold, so sorry if I haven't replied to PMs related to this story. The second thing I need to say is about the story. Since there was confusion I should have cleared up earlier like this, I decided just to do it now. :-) This story has 3 different time-lines--one where Sasuke is captured, one where Sasuke is with Orochimaru during the time gap, and one way back during academy days. While Tenten is trying to save Sasuke from his unknown captor, she is also remembering the days when Sasuke was with Orochimaru, and in that time-frame, she had been having flashbacks of academy days. Hopefully that made sense. I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

This feeling was unknown to most. Intoxicating. It could rip one to shreds when he was already broken. This feeling could build one up when he already felt as high as possible.

Sometimes to succeed with this feeling, one had to succumb to his heart, follow the tide wherever it led him. Otherwise, he would plunder into oblivion.

But at other times there was another factor—the opposite of this feeling. This opposite was cold, dark. It played a tremendous role in controlling, manipulating. It could exploit, steal, and harm.

Its victims would lose each other for it, would fail for it. This opposite was hatred. Hatred would always kill its opposite. In its rage, no one could control it.

Will forgiveness find its way to me?

Love is a Terrible Thing
By SpacePirateGirl

Chapter III
They Meet Together Yet Are Apart

OOO Present time: September 5th OOO

(Sasuke's POV)

Itachi had always called me naïve.

At that moment, anyone would have called me a fool. I was dumb enough to find myself captured—captured by the associate of the very one I needed to destroy. Why hadn't I been thinking straight? If I had thought for just one moment that somebody could be preparing an ambush, maybe I would have escaped sooner.

Itachi had always called me naïve.

At least, Tenten was safe.

My hands ached from the ropes binding them together, and my legs were completely numb. I was bruised all over, from head to toe, and one tiny movement could send my body spiraling in pain. Basically everything hurt. With my right eye facing the dirt, and my left one most likely black and ugly, I could see nothing. Despite how it hurt worse than Hell possibly could, I rolled over to the other side to see my surroundings. My left eye soon faced the dirt instead.

Grass covered the ground in front of me. Sunlight streaked across my line of vision, and I winced at the brightness. My eyes were not accustomed to such light.

(Normal POV with Sasuke)

"Enjoying the view, are you?" taunted an old and rusty voice from behind him. He felt a foot place itself on his bruised shoulder, and he covered up a flinch. "I asked you a question, Sasuke," he reminded coldly.

Even at the mercy of his "mood," Sasuke refused to answer.

"Oh, I see," his captor said, pulling his foot away from Sasuke's back, which was never a good sign.

Sasuke braced himself for the impact.

"You can't even see the view, can you?" he whispered, his voice dark and tormenting. "Well, maybe you'll see it now!"

The figure had surely kicked him, for he felt himself cough out blood, even as he went rolling sideways. His bruised body screamed in protest, but with tied up hands and numb legs, there was nothing he could do. But finally his rolling began to stop.

He knew it couldn't be over yet. This was too easy. To his horror, right when he was almost stopped, he felt himself speed up, not because of another kick, but . . . because the slope had grown to be downhill.

The hill was steep. He knew that from how his body remained in air for a few seconds in mid-roll before he crashed back down to the bumpy terrain. At that moment, he wanted to die, the pain hurt so badly. Surely he was covered in another layer of bruises.

How far down would the hill take him?

His question was answered when his chest collided with something solid. More blood spewed out of his mouth, and he couldn't breathe. He gasped for air desperately until he felt less winded. Slowly his right eye opened to see what had stopped his fall.

Following the brown, woody trunk up to green, he realized he had hit a tree. He had been lucky. His head could have easily been smashed, instead of his ribs. He knew his captor was steadily approaching him from atop the hill. He knew he would be forced to walk all the way back up for the third time, just because he hadn't answered a silly question.

Maybe next time he would answer the stupid question, drop his facade of firmness. His will was fracturing as time pressed on.

But that was not all of the bad news. His captor had been leading him around many places, as if he was being followed—or worse, forcing someone to follow him. This man had shown a keen sense on how to manipulate emotions. Perhaps, he already knew that Sasuke loved Tenten. Perhaps, he was using Sasuke to get her.

This was a dangerous scenario—one that could have been easily avoided if he hadn't been so naïve.

He felt rough hands grab his shoulders and haul him up to his feet. The first time, his knees gave out on him, and he found his stomach collide with a solid foot. The second time, he was sure to lock his knees before he was dragged up the hill again.

Yes, he was definitely answering the stupid question next time.

OOO Three Years Ago: September 4th OOO

(Normal POV with Sasuke)

He was waiting for her. The night was dark, yet the moonlight was bright and plentiful. If she did happen to come, Sasuke would never forgive himself. And he wondered if she would ever forgive him after she came, if she would ever accept his desperate apologies.

Things had happened. They had been torn apart by rage, and he knew nothing would bring them together again. But she wanted—no, needed—to understand why. He hadn't explained to her because he had been angry. Nothing more.

When he had found her the night he had left, Sasuke had realized Neji had rejected Tenten. She had been planning to tell him how she felt for years, and finally she had gotten around to it. But Neji didn't love her in return. The expression Sasuke had seen on her face that night was tormenting. She had been torn, lost, confused. She hadn't even recognize his voice. And she had almost left the village completely by accident . . . He had needed to save her from the misery of becoming a rogue ninja that night.

And now she would be forced to leave the village anyway. Sasuke sighed and glanced back, eyeing the dark forest in which anyone could be hiding. If only he hadn't been so hasty. If only he had thought for one moment that asking the Sound ninja where they were going and saying he wanted to leave a note behind—all in the same sentence—would probably end up this way.

But, no, he had been too anxious to tell Tenten what had happened that day. It had been one of the worst days of his entire life—excluding the night Itachi had . . . killed everyone.

It had been more than a day since he had taken his spot waiting for her. He wondered how long he was expected to wait for her there, to draw her there, with hardly any food or water to keep himself alert. Sasuke was certain to collapse with exhaustion in another few hours. Would Tenten show up?

A twig snapped from in front of him. Somebody was coming. Then Sasuke glanced back again nervously. They couldn't hurt her—not in a million years would he let them.

More twigs snapped, and Sasuke winced at the volume of them. She wasn't very quiet about coming, even when she should have known there would be danger. Or more like, she should have known in a stable state of mind. He had a feeling she was anything but stable.

Soon enough he saw her chocolate-brown hair, matched with honey-colored eyes. She was wearing her usual clothes, except they seemed haphazardly thrown on. The end of her shirt was slanted sloppily, and one pant leg was wrinkled up to her knee. Her eyes were red and puffy. She seemed as if she had no idea what she was doing here for a moment.

Yet still her face cleared when she saw him. "Sasuke," she mumbled, taking slow steps toward him as she stumbled over the terrain.

He took a step back. No, she couldn't move any closer. If she did . . . "Stop, Tenten," he mouthed to her silently, hoping she would understand. He would be dead if he spoke even a word.

The girl did stop. "Sasuke, I came."

The Uchiha wanted to call out to her, to order her to run, to defend her. But he knew it would only result in both of their deaths.

"Why?" she asked suddenly, out of the blue.

He knew what she was asking, and the question hurt. He feared his own answer—why had he abandoned her so long ago?

"Why, Sasuke?"

He shook his head as he mouthed the word "run".

She did run but only toward him, only to embrace him in a hug. He felt her tears on his shirt, and he couldn't help but put his arms around her tightly. Why had he been such a fool to put her in this situation?

"Very good, Sasuke-kun," a snake-like voice praised from behind him. "Don't let her go now."

Fearfully Tenten tried to pull back and get away, but Sasuke knew he couldn't let her go. It was dangerous . . . Any wrong movement, and she would be dead. Shock washed over her face as she stared at him. She looked so afraid.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, the same words he had put on his note, words he promised to the Sound Four that she wouldn't understand until she arrived. Had he ever said those words so meaningfully, so desperately? He truly longed for forgiveness . . . But the one time he said sorry would be the one time he wouldn't be forgiven. "I'm sorry."

Understanding replaced the shock, and then her eyes flashed with rage. "I hate you," she said, her voice seething with anger. "I hate you!"

"Now, now, girl," came the voice from behind him. "Stay calm, and we promise not to hurt you." His voice was causing her body to shake; Sasuke could feel the tremors as he kept her captured in his arms.

But then she began struggling. "Let me go! Damn it! Let me go, you bastard!" she screamed as she kicked and shoved. Sasuke struggled not to pull away in pain as her kicks started aiming higher than just his shins. He was already exhausted enough.

The owner of the ominous voice appeared with his snake-like eyes, pale skin, black hair—none other than Orochimaru. He had been the one to set the trap after the Sound Four had forced Sasuke to write the message for Tenten to come. He didn't know why they wanted her yet, but it didn't matter. Now she was captured.

Orochimaru's hand gently caressed Tenten's cheek as she kicked the place in between Sasuke's thighs—hardly, too. He didn't know if he could hold on much longer.

"Shit," he muttered as she finally broke free of him, and began to run.

But she did not get far when a yank on one of her tightly-done buns pulled her back. Orochimaru had caught her. Soon the bun came out as she tried to get away, and Sasuke's new master had a bigger leverage on her hair. He threw her back, and now held her in his own arms.

Sasuke watched helplessly. Any resistance from him, and Orochimaru would kill Tenten. He couldn't let that happen. He would do anything to protect her, and disobeying Orochimaru or his followers would be dangerous for her. He had placed her in the situation, after all.

"Tenten, I'm so sorry," he said again, his voice cracking under the pressure.

She didn't seem to hear him as she reached for a Kunai knife and tried to cut of her own hair. But Orochimaru stopped her arm with his free hand. "That won't do," he taunted, shoving her Kunai and the rest of her scrolls and weapons away from her. She was defenseless.

Sasuke flinched as Orochimaru put an arm around her neck to forbid escape. He wanted to glare at the Snake Sanin, but that could be dangerous, too.

Kabuto appeared from behind the tree Sasuke had been glancing warily at before. Grinning maniacally, he put a bag over Tenten's head.

"Fuck you!" they heard her scream before her cursing became muffled.

Sasuke stared at the broken twigs on the ground, avoiding the site of Kabuto tying Tenten's arms behind her back. He knew Kabuto wouldn't be gentle with prisoners. Sasuke hoped she would be alright.

"I never thought I'd see the day an Uchiha was helpless and knew it, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru whispered, his voice sending tremor's down the Uchiha's spine. "Love is a terrible thing, am I right?"

He couldn't take this anymore, and finally knew very well Orochimaru wouldn't hurt his former friend. "Shut up," he said coldly.

Orochimaru laughed, the mirth pointed and eerie. "Let us go now," he suggested, ignoring the tied-up yet still struggling girl in his grasp. She was cursing profanities, even with a bag over her whole head.

Saying nothing, Sasuke and Kabuto obeyed. They headed back to the base of Otogakure.

When he asked what was to be done with Tenten, they only told him not to worry about such things for a day or two.

Fearing Tenten's death, he listened without a second thought.

And soon, a day had passed. The day before, Kabuto had led him to a room as soon as Orochimaru disappeared with Tenten, and told him that it was to be Sasuke's bedroom. Kabuto had also warned him he had a day to settle in to Otogakure before anything dramatic would begin happening.

Then the Uchiha had been locked inside a room with boredom etching the walls. Once in a while the door opened to present Kabuto giving him food. After making sure poison was not an ingredient, Sasuke had eaten, starved from standing outside the base for more than a day without food or water or sleep. He was tired, and rested most of the time neither Kabuto nor Orochimaru was there.

Finally the door opened to reveal Kabuto but without any food. Eagerly awaiting to find out any news about Tenten, Sasuke sat up, and listened for the medic-nin's words.

"Since she was technically your prisoner when you laid the trap," Kabuto began smugly as Sasuke glared, "you are entitled to take care of her. I'll, of course, have free access for using her for experiments and other things that you can't know yet, but mainly you'll be the one to make sure she's fed and alive. Got it?"

Sasuke nodded carefully, afraid of the catch.

Seeing his wary reaction, Kabuto grinned darkly. "You should already know the consequences if you let her escape. Orochimaru kills traitors. And he wouldn't spare Tenten in the process."

Yes, he already knew that part. Freeing a prisoner would obviously lead to death when dealing with Orochimaru, though Sasuke hardly liked the fact.

"Orochimaru has told me to ask you something . . . Would you like to see her?"

"Fine." Sasuke stood up, pretending to be indifferent to seeing Tenten or not, though on the inside, his heart was begging him otherwise. He reluctantly allowed Kabuto to lead him down the hallway. The minutes passed through silence, and in a short time, he reached the chamber of Tenten's prison. The road from his room to hers was fairly straight, and he knew he wouldn't get lost.

"You have five minutes," Kabuto explained and unlocked the door.

Sasuke entered the chamber, seeing a small candle lit in the corner of the room. Scanning the other corners to make sure there was no other threat, he finally brought his eyes to Tenten, pressed against the center of the wall, glaring pointedly at him.

Her arms were behind her back—probably tied—and her legs were bound by rope. He reached out a hand to touch her to make sure she was okay.

Tenten sprang forward angrily, and sank her teeth into his finger.

Sasuke held back a yelp of surprise, and jumped backwards, clutching his wounded finger with his other hand.

"Let me explain, Tenten," he began, keeping his voice calm.

She shook her head wildly. "There is nothing to explain! You led me to a trap! That's all there is to it! You've always been a liar!"

His heart was breaking, but he managed to cover it up with an angry expression. Sasuke could always hide his feelings, even if pushed to the limits. "There's an easy way," he told her coldly, "and there's a hard way."

"I chose neither!" she seethed, and tried to lunge for him once again.

Sasuke dodged, and her face hit the floor with an very audible thump. Hoping she hadn't been hurt too badly, he continued: "Either you calm down for two seconds, and I explain your situation to you, or I let you wallow around in darkness, not knowing what's going to happen. You can't choose neither. When the five minutes are up, the second choice is made by default obviously."

Tenten struggled to get to her knees again, and Sasuke reached out a hand to help her. She shook him off with her shoulders.

"Why did you do this?" she cried out. "Why did you let them capture me?"

Sasuke closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. He breathed in and out slowly. "I didn't know. I meant what I said in the first note. But the Sound Four caught me writing the second, and Orochimaru eventually laid the trap."

"Why the hell did you go along with it?" she demanded angrily. "Why, Sasuke?"

"If I didn't," he shot back, losing control of his emotions, "then they promised to kill both me and you. You really thought I wanted you dead?"

He saw her shoulders shake as her voice made slight whimpers. She didn't answer, though he wished she had. It would have helped him know what to say next.

Maybe he could start with explaining why he had betrayed her all those years ago.

"Tenten . . ." he started.

She stopped crying.

"I take back everything I said to you that one day," he told her, knowing without words that she would understand what was meant. "I never hated you, or thought you were weak. My clan had just been destroyed. I was angry—"

"I don't care anymore!" she yelled. "I'm over you—as a friend and a lover. You might not hate me, but I hate you!"

He bit back an angry retort. "Fine," he said coldly, unable to keep his temper out of the way. "I should leave now."

"Maybe you should." Her brown eyes turned to ice when she looked at him and finally managed to get to a sitting position again. "Don't bother coming here again to apologize. I won't listen."

He ignored her, his own eyes growing icy as well. His attitude had taken full control as he flung her out of the way with his foot and didn't look when she fell back to the ground, her success in getting up failing immediately. He didn't look back as he left.