EM: Rewritten and retitled chapter 4. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Not mine, nor will it ever be.

Chapter 4: Strike of Lightning

She hadn't slept in what felt like a long time. But for some reason she just couldn't do it. Why was sleep being so evasive? There was something tugging her mind, her thoughts jumbling together. She turned this way, rolled back over, then onto her stomach. She even paced around her room; counted off the number of times her heart beat. It was ridiculous. But he was there. Everywhere. It was all she could think about.

Sasuke.

She was not about to let Sasuke Uchiha prevent her from getting one wink of sleep, but that's exactly what happened. Sleep evaded her. Just when she thought she had it, it disappeared. His face would jump into her mind and her heart would pick up its pace, even if she didn't want it too.

Just what was he thinking tonight, licking my finger like that?

She was still rubbing her middle finger, where Sakura had cut her. Where Sasuke had licked her. Where her skin tingled. She shook her head back and forth, making her dizzy. She couldn't decide what she hated more. The fact that he licked her, or that his action was making her restless, making her blood rise.

I hate it all.

She deftly rolled out of bed and walked into the living area with a sigh.

She hadn't wanted to show Sasuke this side of her, not really. It was never her intention to let him follow her home. But something made her do it. Something inside of her wanted him to come along. Something inside of her wanted the company. There was something about him that just called out to her.

It wasn't something she found she liked too much, but it had occurred to her while she had been meditating, with him sitting not fifteen feet behind her. After all that she had been through with him, which to say the least wasn't very much, she couldn't help but already feel this pull in his direction. There was this overwhelming need to listen to everything about him. Perhaps he reminded her of someone she missed…

She knew the history of Sasuke Uchiha, and she knew that love was not a part of that history. Itachi Uchiha destroyed his entire family when Sasuke was but seven years old. Itachi tells him to get stronger if he wants to fight and defeat him. And the only way to do this is to kill the person that is closest to you. Itachi wanted him to have a goal in life, even if it was one of revenge. Sasuke had put everything into becoming strong, and in the process he also became cold and spiteful.

Akiko was familiar with his family history and felt a pang of sympathy. She knew what it was like to lose what you loved dearly. Especially to someone you looked up to. Of course she didn't know what is was like to lose your whole family to a blood brother, but she felt something close to that. But she wanted to know what he really felt. Why he did what he did. What was the reason he left Konoha and went to Orochimaru? Was it merely for the sake of becoming stronger? To defeat his brother? Those questions would never be answered without him.

The fire was just embers now and all her plants looked as if they had fallen asleep. She was jealous. The moon shone into the room and Akiko spotted the blanket still on the table, her door still ajar. There was a night chill in the air.

Sasuke was still in the spot she had left him, against the tree. What she hadn't expected though was to see a sleeping Sasuke. He was sitting Indian style and his katana was still lying beside him. But one of his hands was now sprawled on the ground next to him, like it had fallen from his lap. His head hung low to his chest, which was rising and falling in a steady, deep rhythm.

She picked up the blanket and quietly made her way over to Sasuke through the grass wet with dew. He didn't stir when she approached. She stood there for a moment, looking down on him. She then crouched down so that she was eye-level with him. She was a little surprised by her proximity. Sasuke up close was more than handsome. He was utterly beautiful.

His pale unmarked skin was like marble and looked cool and smooth to the touch, which is what she really wanted to do. Her hand even lifted up to his face but it stopped in midair. That would absolutely ruin the moment. His eyes were shadowed and not from the darkness, but from lack of sleep or perhaps something that was going on inside of him. She wanted to wipe away that shadow, like it was just a smudge. It was cold enough outside that she could just see his breath making clouds in the air. His lips were slightly parted and she knew from that that he was really deeply asleep. He had a prominent chin and thin eyebrows. His dark blue hair still framed his face and she knew that his coal black eyes were deep and distant. But no matter what kind of emotion he didn't show she could still see some of the hidden feelings deep inside them. She could see the turmoil he was going through. His body gave a quick shiver and Akiko froze instantly.

She was completely still and waited for his eyes to snap open like he knew she was there. But his hand merely twitched and his hairs were on end. It was at that moment that she really noticed how cold it was outside. She had goose bumps herself and found that her body was shivering as well.

She spread out the blanket and as softly as she could so as not to disturb him, laid it over his body. As it settled over his sleeping form she still expected him to jump up and attack her but he still didn't move. She brought it up around his shoulders softly and moved away quickly. When he still hadn't moved she turned on her heels and went back into the house. If she wasn't caught now she wasn't sticking around any longer so that it would happen. The rushing of the waterfall drowned out her hurried footfalls on the grass and she was in the house and closing the door quietly behind her.

Sasuke had been trying to stay awake after she had gone to her room the first time and didn't come back. Sleeping was something he did little of and he would not do it here in the open in a strange place. But his body betrayed him and exhaustion claimed him.

It was dark out and flashes of silver could be seen in the night.

"No matter how many times you try, Sasuke, you just cannot kill me."

Sasuke wasn't breaking a sweat but he was once again trying, yes trying to kill Orochimaru. No matter how many times he tried he could never seem to do it. No matter how many times he could take control either. It seemed to be impossible. But Sasuke would never admit to such a thing.

Orochimaru's grin was wide and his fangs were gleaming in the moonlight. Sasuke was unfazed.

"Hn."

Inside he was fuming though. He had unsuccessfully tried to kill Orochimaru more times than he could count over the past two years. And Itachi was no help either, always coming in at the worst times, waiting for his moment to take his eyes.

"Sasuke, Sasuke…you've been trying for so long. I feel absolutely terrible." At terrible Orochimaru cackled and began to slither circles around Sasuke.

"Would you like to know how?" Sasuke's hands tightened around his katana. Of course he wanted to know.

"Well since I know you're not going to admit to this, I'll tell you."

Sasuke's katana lowered.

"So you are interested! How delightful!" Orochimaru cackled, eyes gleaming in sadistic pleasure.

Sasuke waited. He would never admit or show anything that would give him away.

"Orochimaru-sama…" Kabuto's voice rang out through the darkness. Orochimaru's hand went up to silence Kabuto. Glasses glinted in the moonlight.

Orochimaru was now standing on two feet behind Sasuke and his hair fell into his face. His tongue flicked out tasting the air.

"Find my sister, Sasuke. She is the only one who would know how to kill me. Or possibly could." He laughed again.

Sasuke's hands dropped to his sides. Orochimaru was so stupid. To think that only one person could actually kill him. He was just playing mind games with him.

"Surprised my dear vessel? Wonder how I could possibly have a sister?"

His voice echoed out through the still darkness. Sasuke didn't move. He kept on laughing.

"Akiko will be difficult to handle. Finding her will be even harder. But getting that information will be near impossible."

With that said Orochimaru turned and left. He could hear Kabuto's quiet inquiry to the sister fact and Orochimaru's noncommittal remark.

A sister? How absurd.

But why would Orochimaru admit to such absurd information if it weren't true. There had to be some explanation for his outrageous remark. And he was going to find out what that was.

Sasuke had been dreaming when Akiko had come out to him and placed the blanket over his cold body. Just as she had closed the door behind her Sasuke jolted awake immediately flying for his katana. But something restricted him and he didn't just grab the hilt of his katana but also something very soft and warm and smelling of lavender. He looked down at his form and found himself covered in a gray cotton blanket. He was warm. It was unusual for him to wake up warm. If he ever fell asleep he usually woke up cold and stiff.

He recalled the dream he had had in his slumber. He had found Orochimaru's sister just like he knew he would, but it had taken him longer than he expected. Six months to be precise. He tracked and tracked and spent many days and nights looking for the so-called sister of Orochimaru. Of course there was no way to find out from anyone if he did. The only people who might know, and might is the key word here, would be his teammates and even this was slim. Perhaps the Third would have known. But he was dead. Jiraiya and Tsunade would have been the only ones to know after that. But obviously he wasn't going to go and ask them.

He looked up in time to see none other than Akiko walk out the closed door wearing a very long purple colored cloak. It had two buttons up the front, a hood and was left open at the bottom. It fluttered around her legs. He watched her pull up her hood and swiftly took off in the direction of the cliff behind her home. She scaled the cliff wall, easily and raced off.

Sasuke wasted no time following her. He shook off the blanket, grabbed his katana and was chasing after her.

Her cloak was fluttering behind her and she was running silently along the forest floor. Sasuke made no sound and was right with her. He didn't know where she was going but he would keep himself hidden. They were running for some time and soon Sasuke was blocking out the run and was just concentrating on breathing. Because of this he didn't see her turn right and he fell behind slightly and almost lost her.

Where is she going?

He wasn't waiting for that answer for much longer. She came to halt outside a thickly overgrown brush surrounded by very tall willow trees.

He could hear the swift rushing and skipping of water over rocks and figured there was probably a source nearby. She seemed to be headed in its direction. As quietly as he could he followed her through the willow vines and through the brush. He was met by what would have been a peaceful sight.

Akiko was standing under a willow tree. The source of water was a little stream that ran around the tree and on into the forest around them. Her hood had been pulled back and her hair was hanging down her back, flaming in the darkness. She had her hand placed upon the trees body and she was staring up into its branches. Her cloak was pushed up to her shoulders and her skin had gone pale from the cold and her chest was rising and falling from the run. She hadn't bothered to wear anything than what he had last seen her in. Her feet were bare. Her breath came out in little puffs. Sasuke wondered what had brought her here, in the middle of the night.

"Why did you follow me?"

He hesitated for a moment and then stepped out into the clearing.

She knew that she had been followed. Why he had to come along she didn't know. Why she had allowed it, she didn't know. But she wished he would just leave her. This was the one place she had wanted to be alone, the place where she had once found comfort. This was their place and no one else's. She should have never come while he was following. But she needed to sort out her thoughts, and he had been the one person she could do that with. This was where they had been, whenever they went to get away. It was also the last place she had seen him happy.

I'm hopeless by myself. If only he hadn't died.

She wanted to scream in frustration. Everything was making her angry. Sasuke, Itachi, Orochimaru, her life.

"What do you want Sasuke?"

He didn't answer. He stood there, katana still in his hand. She wanted to strangle him! He made her feel so confused! She wanted him to stay at the same time that she wanted him to leave. She had no one anymore. There was no one to listen to her, to look at her with those understanding eyes. There was no one to make her feel less alone than she already did. Maybe she had wanted that from Sasuke. Maybe that was why she had let him stay.

But I can't anymore.

Tears welled up and streamed down her face. Suddenly it all hit her, like a wave breaking on the sand. She bent over and clutched her sides. She had no parents, no family, no friends, no one to comfort her. She was alone, with only the nightmares to keep her company, the pain of a life she never wanted to remember ever again. How could she have ever thought that Sasuke might be the one to…to what? Change that? Make the loneliness go away? He was just as alone as she was.

Sasuke watched as emotions flitted across her face. It was making him nervous, especially when she started to cry.

"What do you want!" Her voice echoed in the darkness causing sleeping birds to fly off. Sasuke stayed silent. He stared at her back for she had not turned to face him. Something was wrong.

"I asked you a question dammit." He could hear the agony in her voice, the pain. He had felt that once. Long ago when his brother had betrayed him.

Suddenly she felt the energy and the need to get him to go away. She turned abruptly and her face was livid. He took a hesitant step backwards, unsure of whether he should heed her plea or to stay in case she decided to run away.

"Answer me!" Her chest was heaving and her hair looked as if it was on fire. Her hands were fisted at her sides and her legs were sliding outward. He noticed that her eyes flashed blue.

Why! Why does it hurt so much!

She was losing herself, in all of the pain and sadness. It was welling up inside of her, overflowing. All she had wanted was a normal life. All she had wanted was to live.

Drip

Drip

Drip

Blood fell onto the ground next to Akiko. Sasuke watched, as the earth was stained black. Suddenly she looked up.

"Leave. Now." Her voice was strained and he felt her wavering. She was losing control of the thing inside of her.

"LEAVE!"

His head jerked up and he caught the look in her now blue eyes. They were filled with sadness and hate, anger and loneliness. She wanted him to stay but she couldn't bear to have him watch. Not him. He paused for a minute, watching her, and then abruptly turned and dashed from her secret place. When Sasuke had put some distance between himself and Akiko he heard a high pitched keening noise. It was something between animal and human, rage and sorrow.

She had let go. It was animalistic and human at the same time. It was the cry of someone who couldn't bear to live anymore. She fell to her knees and started to cry, great heaving sobs that wracked her entire frame. Her eyes couldn't release the tears fast enough, couldn't breathe in enough air. She was suffocating behind the pain of a life she had been forced into.

When Sasuke had heard her scream he had paused in mid step. Something tugged at him to go back. Something else was saying who cares? He listened to the most familiar voice in his head and continued on his way back.

Akiko was sitting in the muddy earth crying. Crying like she had not ever cried before. Crying like the day she had been born.

Why was I born?

Why do you still strive to live?

Akiko was clutching her sides as her body heaved with each breath she took. It hurt so much. She shouldn't have come here. Being here was nothing more than a mistake. Memories were everywhere, the good and the bad. They were swallowing her up. For as long as she could remember she had always wanted understanding. Ever since her 'parents' she had wanted someone there for her, someone who could make the pain less…agonizing, someone who would see how she was hurting.

Above all things she wanted…

"Hello my dear."

She froze. The remainder of her tears fell until her eyes shed no more and she stopped shaking. She felt it, the presence that she grew to hate more and more. The presence she feared. Her thoughts fled her mind and she saw only one thing. A flash of yellow and a glint of white.

No…not him…not…

Long black hair and pale white skin.

Orochimaru…

"It's so good to see you."

She started to shake again. Why? Why was he here?

"Did you miss me?" And he laughed.

She stopped breathing. He was everywhere suddenly. It was so cold.

"You look upset dear sister. What is the matter?"

She could see his hand stretched out before her, as if to comfort her. She flinched. She had learned long ago, that that reaching hand was not to comfort. She recoiled as his long fingers brushed over her cheek. It was like ice.

"You should be happier to see me!"

She cringed as his words echoed on in her mind. It was worse than him physically hitting her.

"I know you want to say something. So say it! Tell me what you're really thinking!"

Why was he yelling? Why didn't he hit her? Why was he here? But if she didn't answer him, he might torture her again, might make her wish she were dead.

"Why…are you here?"

She almost sobbed, but she held it back by sheer force of will. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of her tears. He laughed long and hard. It sounded like nails being dragged on a chalkboard.

"How you could say that to your dear brother?"

"You're no brother of mine." His eyes narrowed but his grin was still plastered to his face. He hissed and his tongue flicked out.

"You dare say that to me?"

She wanted to kill him. Every nerve in her body was screaming and she wanted to kill him, to rid herself of everything about him. She whimpered and looked into his eyes. Those same morbid yellow eyes with that same blood thirsting look.

"You…you only hurt me…" He smiled evilly at her and her eyes widened.

"I was the only one to love you, you stupid, worthless pawn."

Her heart felt like it was crumbling in her chest. She had gone cold, so very cold. That smile, those eyes, his words. It was the beginning of the end. Why was she so stupid?

"Did I hurt your feelings, sister?"

She shivered.

"Well I don't care."

Her head snapped up and she found herself face to face with Orochimaru. His breath was tickling her hair and her eyes had gone wide. His tongue flicked out and she flinched. He laughed long and hard. Akiko cowered and wished for silence and emptiness. She closed her eyes and held her breath. He laughed manically.

"You can't run from me."

His voice lowered an octave.

"I will always be there. In your dreams, your thoughts, what you hate and love. I'll always be there. Haunting you…tearing you apart."

She felt the tears stream down her face, could smell the clear crisp scent of the river and the saltiness of her tears. She could sense the evil coming from his body and feel the despair crashing over her. She wanted to run. All of her instincts were telling her to escape. She felt like a bird held captive in a cage and there was no door. She felt like she could never escape from the hell he had thrust her into. She gasped, trying to bring in air that she had denied her body. She opened her tear filled eyes and his yellow ones were still gazing on into her eyes. His eyes widened and she saw it. All of the pain and suffering she had pushed so far back into the recesses of her mind that it now all came flooding back, like water let free from the dam. She saw everything that had happened, all the loss she had endured, all the fake love she had been given, all of the lies she had been fed. She saw it all, so fresh in her mind she thought it was happening again.

"Is that you…father?"

Thick shoulders and short brown hair matted with blood. Fists clenched and shaking, a guttural sound came from the man swaying from side to side. His body fell forward and the dirt clouded around the now still body.

"FATHER!"

"They didn't want you." His cold hand reached out to her.

"MOTHER! NO!"

A short woman with long fire red hair and small beautiful hands stood there, with blood dripping from her fingertips. The woman's head turned to look behind her and blue eyes met green ones. The woman smiled and fell to the earth. A beautiful blazing fire extinguished. A shrill cry pierced the night sky.

"You killed them." She was crying. No. She couldn't have killed them. They said they loved her. Why would they lie?

"Poor pathetic child. No one to take care of you. No one to love you. How lonely."

Yellow eyes glinted with malice and a pale hand stretched forward.

"What is it that you want, you pitiful excuse for a child?"

"STOP! STOP! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T NEED YOU! I DON'T WANT YOU! YOU CAN'T HURT ME! YOU CAN'T HURT ME! NO!"

Akiko's scream echoed out through the now empty forest and when her eyes snapped open the sudden silence seemed oppressing. She realized that she wasn't alone, but Orochimaru was no longer there.

"What..."

Sasuke made a hesitant step in Akiko's direction but stopped. He had no idea what to do.

He had made it back to her place when something didn't feel right. He had this sudden feeling that he should go back to her. He had felt the coldness of death. He had immediately raced back through the trees to the place where he had left her. Midway he heard a scream and had emerged into the clearing to see her in chaos. She was standing so that she was sideways to him and he could see her visibly shaking. Her eyes were squeezed shut tight, and tears were leaking from her closed eyes. Her hands were clenching the fabric of her shirt so tight her hands had gone white and her shirt was starting to rip. Her face was turned upwards and she was pale, her scream echoing in the darkness that was suddenly closing in around them. Her eyes snapped opened and she swung her head round, eyes frantically searching for the source of the terror. Instead her eyes fell on him and she went still. Panic filled her eyes and then she fell to her knees crying for the entire world to hear.

Watching her, crying like she had nothing left in the world made him angry. He knew what those feelings were like. He fleetingly wished he could cry like that, without abandon. He also wished that he could do that while someone held him. Before he could stop himself and think about what he was really doing, he found himself walking over to her. He knelt down beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She flinched away from his touch and screamed out again. He heard the fear in that scream.

Something had made her this way. He didn't know what, but he suddenly wanted to find out.

He reached over and brought her into his arms. She cringed at his touch at first, eyes widening in fear. She fought back at first, shoving him. But he didn't budge. He reached forward again, slower this time and when she didn't push him away, she pulled her into his embrace. Only when he scooped her legs up and she was cradled in his arms did she bury her head his chest. He could feel her shaking and her small hands gripping his shirt. She was suddenly so small and fragile in his hands. Gone were the anger and the hatred. Gone was the serene girl of the meadow. He stood up and held her closer and he took her away from whatever it was that had scared her.

She cried the entire way back and he often caught her mumbling out words like don't leave, never before, why didn't and no love. He was confused. Who was she talking about? What was she talking about?

He couldn't keep his own thoughts straight.

Why did I go back? Why am I carrying her?

Sasuke was confused about his own actions and thinking more and more about them only made him want to scream. He wanted to drop her and run from everything, but doing that would only make him feel…guilty?

Once back he entered her home and made his way to the room he assumed was hers. He stepped through the front door, past the table, through the living area where all of her plants stood at attention as if they knew she was in distress. He walked through the doorway to her room. He took in with a quick glance that the room was furnished simply. One oversized bed, a nightstand, a dresser and a rug. She had plants in here as well.

He took two quick strides to her bed and made to quickly place her on it and leave. He had to get out. He had to leave before he was consumed by surfacing emotions he had hidden away for too long. When he went to move away he found that his shirt was still in her grasp. Her cries became a little louder. He felt her internal scream. What she couldn't say aloud.

DON'T LEAVE ME!

He felt it so deeply in his heart, that his eyes widened and he couldn't leave.

What do I do?

But it came to him instantly. Like he had never forgotten or not ever shown any type of love. He did what he had thought he would never do. He picked her up, sat on the bed with his back against the headboard and brought her into his arms. They went up around her shaking form, burying her deep into his embrace. He enveloped her in him, curling around her violently shaking form.

She was broken. He felt her hot tears soaking into his shirt and her hot breath coming in gasps on his skin. Her skin was hot against his and he could feel her lips moving, but the words he could not hear this time.

She couldn't be alone. Not now, not when his presence was everywhere, under her skin. She felt Sasuke move to leave and wouldn't let him. She needed someone, anyone, but that monster under skin, invading her thoughts. She needed to feel something other than his cold words and his hated eyes. She felt him slide his body around hers and felt his warm arms come up around her shoulders. She fell deeper into his soft white shirt and cried and cried and cried. The terror and the pain she had felt when looking into Orochimaru's eyes was so overwhelming she felt herself break. Something in the back of her mind questioned Sasuke's unusual behavior but what did that matter. He was there and he wasn't leaving. He wasn't leaving. She wasn't alone. She couldn't have asked for more from someone at that moment and she wanted with all her heart to stay like that, to stay in the comfort of someone else's arms. To feel like she would be safe no matter what happened.

Before the darkness claimed her, she heard her name fall softly from his lips, like the rain falling softly to cleanse the earth.

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