Author's Notes: Hey Hi and welcome to another chapter. I have had some positive feedback thus far, so I am going to assume that I am doing a fair job so far. Hopefully this continues! Thank you for reading! Enjoy! Constructive criticism is always welcomed.

Disclaimer: I could never own the characters of Naruto, but they can certainly own me! XD


Chapter Two: Stains & Decisions

Losing so many in such a short period of time really threw certain things into sharp relief for Sakura. As ridiculous as it seemed to everyone else, she was never able to shake the feeling that if she had been there she could have helped in some way. She partially blamed herself for not listening to the feelings she had been having those precious few days on the ride home. She even suspected that the dull echoing feeling of loss that usually caught her unawares since then were her own form of punishment, forced onto her from her guilt-ridden conscious.

One day she decided to begin trusting her instincts and sought out one of the world's best medics, Tsunade. Tsunade was a tough, blonde woman with a tragic past of her own. Having lost her younger brother and fiancé at a young age, she was immediately sympathetic to Sakura's cause, and young as Sakura was at the time, set about teaching her everything she knew. Sakura's reasoning was to save every life she could to make up for every life that was lost that chilling night.

At the same time Sakura confronted her kingdom's best silver-haired warrior. She doubted she could be as good as he once was, but hearing of how easily the Uchiha's lives had been erased, Sakura wanted to know how to take care of herself. That night had opened her eyes to the cruelty toward the unsuspecting in the real world, and she firmly believed that she would never let anyone try to protect her with their life. She would never need a prince to protect her, she would rescue herself; she didn't care how long it took to learn how. Kakashi silently agreed with her, and patiently guided her every step of the way.

Although her parents didn't exactly agree that Sakura should be exposed to such things, they couldn't exactly disagree either. They understood the motives behind their daughter's decisions, and allowed her to continue as long as she stuck to her regular duties as well. Over time they gradually adjusted to their daughter's…eccentricities, and gave their full support.

And so, twelve years passed in this pattern…

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"What?" an astonished, emerald-eyed young woman managed to force out in shock.

Lady Haruno, as poised and dignified as ever, pursed her lips together and continued to let her husband speak for them both. She knew the torment this conversation would bring her daughter and she loathed every minute of it.

"It is time for you to fulfill your obligations as the Haruno heir," Sakura's father repeated for her again. "We must uphold our side of the contract signed between us and the Uchiha's over a decade ago."

A now eighteen-year-old Sakura winced internally at the name her father used. It tore at the never-healed hole inside her chest; although it had never went away she had learned to live with it as long as certain restrictions were placed in her life. As an unspoken rule, no one ever mentioned the time when she was six, or anything related to that time.

A dull throbbing ache began along the edges of the hole, but she concentrated on the conversation, hoping against hope that it would go away.

"We waited as long as we could, but the peace treaty has been signed already. I know he was not your first choice, but you have to holdup to your responsibilities…" He trailed off when he realized his daughter was trying to tune him out, and he became irritated as well as exasperated. "It has been twelve years, Sakura! He is not coming back! He is d-"

Lady Haruno set a gentle hand on her husband's arm, cutting him off wordlessly as he looked down at her in her seat. One look of warning in her eyes and he sighed before letting her talk.

"Sakura," she began delicately, but firmly. "I know you loved him, and nothing will change that. Something that strong only happens once in a lifetime. Fortunately I experienced that with your father through our own arranged marriage, and you have inherited my Gift, one that will never sway your heart fully another way.

"However, we must uphold the contract, otherwise we risk war with Uchiha Itachi. He has taken over so many lands already; we know he has the power to do so here. You do not wish for that to happen here, right?"

"Of course not," Sakura mumbled vehemently, her long hair swinging back and forth as she shook her head. The hole's ache increasing the longer the conversation increased. Mention of his brother was hard enough, but she knew she wouldn't last long if his name was mentioned too.

"Good," her mother continued with a soft sad smile. "I also think you are long overdue for paying your last respects to all of them. Do you not agree?"

The look on Sakura's face as she gazed back at her mother was enough of an answer, and the Haruno Queen proceeded cautiously, weighing her every word before she spoke it.

"Sakura, you should go and re-introduce yourself to Itachi. As much as we both wish against it, he is now your fiancé, and the only reason he has not sought control over our own kingdom yet. You know as well as we do that other kingdoms no longer have an heir; that was quickly dealt with when they tried to fight back. Your father and I do not wish this to happen to you too. At least, if you are with him, you will be safer. And though you do not love him as deeply as you once did with another, one day you may find him to be a suitable companion." Tears glistened in her eyes. "Please, sweetie, do this for all our sakes." Her husband's hand squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, and she placed her own on top to reassure him.

Sakura felt a stab of pain cut through her already bleeding heart. She knew her mother had wanted her to have her 'happily ever after,' and in their current situation this was as close as she would ever get. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to stay away from the sand colored building that haunted her dreams at night, ones that awoke her every morning in a cold sweat…

But for her parents who loved her, and her kingdom who would one day look to her, she would go to the ends of the Earth to protect them all. By marrying Itachi she would ensure her home's safety through peaceful cooperation. I can do this. I'll just think of it as an obligatory responsibility. Nothing more.

So against her mind's screaming, and the hole's tearing at her insides, she nodded. Faintly more than a whisper she finally acquiesced.

"Alright. I will go."

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Sakura let the velvet curtain fall back across the window of her bumpy carriage, and sighed as she settled into the back of her seat once again. The landscape had changed dramatically from her own of white beaches and miles of coastline with the wide, open blue sea to one of intense dark forests and sharp shades of greenery. She knew she was getting close.

She had left several days after her parents' conversation, taking her time to pack and say her good-byes. She didn't know if she would ever be coming back, and so she had lingered as long as she was permitted to.

Saying farewell to Tsunade had been hard, she had been with her for so long, but Tsunade had left her with instructions to try out her talents in the rest of the world, and Sakura was anxious to prove herself.

Kakashi had suggested that he go along with Sakura, but she had firmly reassured him that she would be fine, he was needed more at home. She hoped it would never happen, but she wanted Kakashi with her parents in case anyone ever tried to do anything. Which she doubted since most of the surrounding lands were now under Itachi's control; he certainly hadn't waited very long to move along with his life. Maybe he's trying to hide his grief by trying to make his parent's proud and being on top, being the best by covering up his feelings this way. Sakura frowned. She seriously doubted it after all the rumors she had heard on her travels, but she tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Her parents had been the hardest to leave behind. Her father had slipped a few times and she knew he wished for things to be different as well, but the sight of her mother's face was the hardest. Her last words to Sakura had been "I love you" and "I'm sorry," as she hugged her daughter like she would never let her go.

Parting with them all, and her childhood home had been hard, but hadn't hurt as much as other things, like that night… She shook her head and forced her thoughts in another direction before she would regret it later.

Fortunately she didn't have to think anymore as she felt the momentum of the carriage slow down and finally come to a stop.

Suddenly her heart began to pound in her ears as she knew that what lay beyond her closed door was the living embodiment of her waking nightmares. She drew in a shaky breath and tried to steady herself. It's just a building. It's just a building. It's someone else's home made of nothing more than slabs of stone. She repeated her mantra until her nerves settled as she heard the knock on her door.

"We've arrived Young Miss," the footman announced, in a hushed voice that caught her attention and pulled her out of her dark thoughts, curious now. He opened the door and Sakura paused in her actions of stepping out.

The Uchiha home had changed. Not in any physical form to the castle itself, but it no longer radiated that comforting glow she remembered from her childhood days. The place seemed to have an ever-present cloud over itself and reeked of cold, raw strength and despair. She shivered involuntarily before stepping lightly onto the ground, as the footman removed his hand from hers after helping her out.

As eerie as the place was now, she felt a twinge of relief that it wasn't the same, it wouldn't force out too many memories of happier times the way it looked now.

The windows seemed dark and empty, and Sakura thought for a moment that she could almost hear the cries of pain and misery left over from that night; screams from the glassy surfaces hollows. She glanced back to those who had accompanied her to see their looks of dread at getting any closer, duty or not. She smiled wryly.A good-sized lightening bolt striking behind the forlorn castle would probably send them all flying home without so much as a second glance back.

Fortunately for all, a servant chose that moment to appear at the front doors and slowly, almost leisurely made his way toward them. Sakura didn't recognize the spiky pony tailed, brown haired teen in front of her, but he didn't look much older than her. She shrugged to herself. He might be new.

The servant stopped in front of them with a look like they had caused him an inconvenience by bothering to show up. "Welcome Lady Haruno. Your Lord is occupied at the moment, but will see you at your evening meal." He nearly spat the words at her in a way that clearly said he didn't want to be the one doing this.

Sakura was taken aback, but simply nodded in response, overlooking his tone. "Thank you," she responded politely before turning to her group. "Thank you for coming so far with me, give my best to Mother and Father," curtsying as she said it.

The Uchiha servant studied her curiously, as he instructed her servants to leave her things, someone else would be along shortly to take care of them. Then he turned to lead her inside.

Sakura lifted one of her bags off the floor, carrying it in her hand. The servant raised an eyebrow in her direction, but she merely smiled back. He sighed.

As he led her up the stairs to the front doors he looked back at her like he was going to ask her something, but then decided against it, like it was too bothersome to even try. His face erased everything he was thinking when the two stepped through the doorway and into the castle Sakura could never forget.

She let her eyes wander, hit with nostalgia everywhere she looked. The inside's physical appearance hadn't changed either. Although, it too held the feeling from the outside, one that sent chills up her spine, and it was almost ridiculously clean.

Feeling around the edges of the hole, she allowed herself to simply remember the physical place. If she didn't think about those that had lived here once, the effects shouldn't be too bad later. She left her feet to guide her as her mind wandered around the room, stopping only when they arrived at a familiar door on the fourth floor.

The beautifully carved, white-paneled door lay before her as perfect as she had remembered. The servant opened the door for her and she proceeded cautiously inside. It was no longer a sitting room, but a bedroom. A bed had been added along the far left wall, a nightstand next to it, and a chest of drawers on the other. However, the internal decorations, and the light airy feeling still clung to the place.

She felt her body relax slightly. That horrible feeling didn't leak too far inside here.

She turned to thank the servant that had led her, but he was already gone. Puzzled for a moment, she soon shrugged it off and set her bag down on the table and chairs that remained in the room from that long ago time, right in front of her. She sat on the bed and let her eyes wander again. This is my room now. This is my home now…what do I do now?

Sakura eventually slipped off her bed and fetched a book from her bag, sitting on the wide window ledge to study it. It was a book of her own creation, one she had been working on since she was six. In it she had recorded everything she had learned from both Tsunade and Kakashi. There were also numerous pages of facts and rumors that she had been told or overheard throughout her life. Something had urged her to make this written journal, and she had heeded its word unfalteringly. Who knew? It might prove useful one day. It certainly helped her studies run smoother. She began to read.

(Two years ago…)

Report: Overheard conversation this morning between Father and Mother when I was on my way to practice with Kakashi-sensei…

The Nara kingdom has finally fallen. Their sixteen-year-old son and only heir, Shikamaru Nara, is presumed dead, no traces of his body were found in the aftermath of the skirmish. Itachi has successfully usurped the kingdom into his grasp, and has added it to his ever-expanding control of surrounding lands.

Shikamaru's friend and ally, Chouji Akimichi, has too been presumed to have fallen in battle. The two kingdoms have been strong allies dating back centuries, the one and only kingdoms whose ties have never been severed.

The Akimichi mourn their loss, but are still holding their own against Itachi and his rumored Akatsuki members. The Nara family sends help underground when the Akatsuki are distracted...

A knock on the door, followed by the door opening brought Sakura's attention back to the present, but she didn't look up.

"Your things are here…ma'am," a feminine voice forced out the last word. She too sounded reluctant to be there, just as the last servant had.

"Leave them where they are. I'll attend to them shortly," Sakura responded, still reading.

No one mourns the Nara's loss more than perhaps the girl he was courting, Ino Yamanaka, who has sworn to find him alive. Chances are not in her favor…

The girl sighed, irritated. "I am to unpack them for you…my Lady," the woman grit out between her teeth.

Report: Overheard through conversation Tsunade had with her assistant Shizune…

Ino Yamanaka and her entire squad have been found dead. Their bodies were massacred beyond recognition, piled in a heap unceremoniously, and left to carrion animals. No word yet on who performed this atrocious deed…

Unmoving, Sakura responded, "That will not be necessary. I have two capable hands. I can do it myself."

Her parents now too must mourn the loss of their daughter. Her father has taken the news particularly hard and has vowed to find the perpetrator at any cost.

"As you wish," the woman called out almost merrily and Sakura heard the door close again, enthusiastically.

Sakura shook her head, amusement on her lips. She book-marked the page she was re-reading, slipped down from the sill, shook out her skirts and set about attending her things. She hadn't brought much, but made sure she drew out unpacking it all for as long as she could manage. She succeeded in keeping herself occupied and distracted for the remainder of the day.

As day slipped into evening she lit her candles and continued, stopping only when a second knock resounded on her door.

The door opened a crack, just enough for the same feminine voice from earlier to float through. "Your meal is served." The door shut with a sound click.

Sakura took time to check herself in the mirror before descending down the hallway and stairs to face her new betrothed, whom she hadn't seen in the last twelve years. She kept her eyes straight ahead as she walked down the familiar path, avoiding the bits of the past that jumped out at her from every angle; she needed to be fully focused during the meal.

Sakura's first view of Itachi Uchiha, when she sat across from him on one end of the long table, hit her like a jolt of lightening. He hadn't changed much in the last decade or so. His hair was still long and tied back from his face, but his eyes were darker than ever, more like pitiless black holes that betrayed not even the slightest hint of emotions on his empty façade. The candlelight glinted off his eyes, and from a certain angle seemed to reflect a piercing red stare that stopped all before it in their tracks, mesmerized.

Slightly nervous now, she gracefully took her seat, remembering sharply the last time she had sat at that very table, before shoving the memory away quickly. The hole's fiery edge licked at the ragged wound inside her.

"Good evening, Sire," she greeted politely.

Itachi's gaze flickered to hers for a fraction of a second before ignoring her completely.

Slightly affronted, the corners of Sakura's mouth turned down, deciding, childishly she knew, to ignore him in return. They ate in silence, Itachi finishing before her and disappearing to who knew where.

Now cross, Sakura finished, thanked the servant and requested that he pass on her compliments to the chef before retiring for the night.

Curled up in her bed, the flames of the fireplace opposite her flickering and sending shadows everywhere, Sakura let her mind wander again. Even with the fire heating up her room, she couldn't shake her chill. Seeing Itachi again had resurfaced all her old thoughts and feelings about him. He still made her blood run cold for some unexplainable reason, and lying in bed in the same castle where the massacre had taken place made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. If it had been her in his place, she never would have set foot back inside the castle again.

Eventually her eyes drifted to sleep where her mind relaxed and released all the memories she could hold back during the daylight. The hole in her chest throbbed and ached and in the back of her mind she knew she would pay for it when she awoke the next morning. She always did.

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Days passed in silence. The only time she saw Itachi was at their evening meal, and after a handful of failed conversations, she gave up trying to speak to him entirely. She didn't really see the point anymore, and she vaguely remembered that he hadn't exactly been a talkative person before that night.

To keep herself occupied, Sakura practiced everything Kakashi-sensei had taught her when she needed to move around, moving furniture to give her more room in her room, and read through the medical texts she had brought with her to keep her mind sharp when she needed a rest.

After nearly a week of this, Sakura grew tired of only seeing the walls inside her room, and decided it was time to explore her new home on her own. She needed to see just how much had changed and how much had stayed the same on her own.

Several hours of poking around led her to relive memories she couldn't block in time due to their abruptness, and she began to wonder if this was a bad idea after all. The aching in her heart and chest soon became a constant thing and she simply just kept moving.

Curiosity broke through her musings when she realized she hadn't seen anyone the entire time she had been walking around. She knew it was normal for servants to hardly be seen, as part of their code of servility, but she was hard-pressed to find even a glimpse of anyone at all. Unnerved, she found her way to the kitchen and peeked inside just to make sure the castle wasn't empty, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief at the movements of people inside.

Even though she knew they must have seen her, they all avoided her eyes. She wondered if they were as spooked as she was about the echoing loneliness about the place, or if they were just trying that hard to concentrate on their jobs. Sakura thought it best to leave them be when that familiar pang of pain raced through her body, somewhat dulled by the already constant ache of her jagged wound. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed another young servant, a different one from yesterday, one with wild, short brown hair, shift slightly as a white dog whined at the open entrance leading from outside.

Nonchalantly, the young man rose and greeted the animal before following it outside. Discreet eyes followed the wake of his leave and a few flickered briefly toward Sakura, quickly returning to their work like nothing had happened. Well that was…weird. Did I do something? I don't know what to make of that. She shook her head in slight bafflement, before ducking out of the doorway, and returning to her exploring.

Where do I want to go next? There's still so much left to see, but where to start? Hmm…I never really went inside the master bedroom of his parents' before I left last time. Not that it would have been polite to really look in the first place, but since I live here now I have every right to, right? Sakura nodded to herself and determinedly ascended the stairs to the fifth floor, stopping in front of a pair of dark, ornately carved doors, the Uchiha family crest in the center.

Hands shaking slightly she grasped the golden door handles and pulled them open slightly, the dust softening the sound the door should have made.

At first, all she saw was darkness.

All the windows had been covered with a heavy dark material, and everything was coated in at least a decades worth of dust. It was obvious no one had been up here to clean it recently. It was such a striking juxtaposition of the warmth and sunlight at her back and the cold, dank, darkness before her that she opened the door further to see better, but the movement stirred the dust, making her sneeze.

Her head still bent from sneezing she opened her eyes to receive a good look at the floor. It appeared to be darker in one area than the rest of the floor.

Pulling the door open wider, her eyes widened in horror, and she recoiled from the sight. Lying just inside the door was a stain, a dark, stain that had permanently dyed the stone and carpets beneath it. Her feet froze her to the spot, and she stood there still as a statue, realizing moments too late that this was the very room in which the late King and Queen had met their early end.

A bird flew past the window outside in the hall, and its shadow soared across her back, leaving a cold trail along in its wake. She shivered violently, regaining her movement. Sakura quickly shut the door and fled down to her room where she remained, sitting as close as she could to the fire and its warmth, until she was called down for her evening meal.

That night, as they repeated the ritual of continued silence, Sakura fidgeted. Seeing the room and its leftover bloodstains had brought back her mother's suggestion of paying her respects.

"Itachi? Sire…?" Sakura began tentatively. He gave no response to show that he had heard her, but he didn't silence her either. "I…wanted to offer my condolences for you and your family about what happened that night-" Sakura broke herself off as Itachi finally met her gaze, freezing her insides more thoroughly than the sight of the room had.

His eyes glared at her with a look of deepest loathing, and stated in a clear, cool, threatening voice, "You are never to mention them again," before abruptly standing and clearing out of the room, his empty plate the only thing left behind to accompany the resounding silence of the room.

Stunned and terrified, Sakura sat as still as a stone in her chair long after he had left. She couldn't seem to remember how to move, her whole body concentrating on just remembering how to breathe.

Eventually, a servant came up behind her, and helped her to rise out of her chair. She walked in a daze.

The servant continued to guide her gently but firmly along from behind, back to her room.

Looking back she couldn't remember even leaving her seat, but with the quiet click of the door behind her, Sakura awoke to find herself facing her room. The inevitability of her situation, and the sudden realization of how her future would be consumed Sakura.

Panic quickly set in.

I have to get out of here! I have to make a run for it. I don't care how, but I am getting out of here! Tonight! It's too much. I thought I could handle it, but I'll go as insane as the rest of them if I am here much longer!

Sakura grabbed the bag that she had first brought into her room, emptied out its contents and began throwing in all the things she would need, taking the bare minimum of clothes, hair things, her book, and a few medical supplies. She couldn't seem to pack fast enough to leave this haunted place from her memories, its eerie present, and frightening future.