Chapter 6: Insanity

Sakura felt hands. Hands touching every surface of her body, along the crevices of her beating heart. Her damn beating heart. Where Sasuke pierced her. She was alive. She didn't know where she as but something told her that this was far from heaven.

She saw no angels; she did not see her children with halos as her eyes were shut tightly, trying to see if such a pretty vision would soon arise in her head. She heard no fluttering of wings and no harmonizing music like she always expected; a peaceful setting to a peaceful sound. If anything she was closing her eyes from the hellish nightmare that happened only moments ago. It was possibly the worst dream that she ever experienced. And she wanted to sigh in relief and prayed that it was all just a dream. That her children were asleep in their beds just as she was asleep in hers. There was just no way something so vicious could be true. She swallowed hard as she had to soon face her fears and awake from the grizzly nightmare before it plagued her any longer. She slowly opened her eyes, blinded by the bright yet familiar fluorescent lights. She was not home. Then that must mean...

The white walls and beeping noises meant that she was in the hospital. She did not need to look around to confirm it. If she was not in her darkened room, with the big bay window atop of her bed post she knew she was no where near her home. The IV catheter that was in her vein meant that fluids were being distributed throughout her body. It must have meant that she had no blood in her body and was given fluids to speed up the process of healing. The soft murmurs between her colleagues cemented the fact that someone saved her from the puncture wound that Sasuke tried and ended up failing in killing her. But who? Did Sasuke have a change of heart and decide that it was a terrible choice to murder someone so dear to them? Or so she thought?

"Akemi? Daichi?" she slowly whispered to herself. She wanted to raise her arms and clutch both of them to her chest, as if speaking their names would breathe life back into them and make them reappear from thin air. But it was more like if she spoke the names of her two children, everything would replay in her mind. The bloodstained hair and her daughter's frail and tiny little body covered by her son's as he tried to save her but with no luck. There shocked and blank expressions as they did not realize that they were knocking in deaths door in a matter of seconds.

"Sakura..." Shizune softly whispered in her ear. Sakura failed to notice Shizune as she was still entranced with her memories. The deaths of her children, her only children, still fresh in her mind. She could even still smell the blood as it was fresh, seeping out of their tiny five year old bodies. It was as though she was only focusing on the deaths and nothing else. She could not think of anything else. She would not think of anything else. She was in such a state of shock that nothing seemed to awake her from those memories and bring her back to reality. Her children alone were the one thing that always brought the happiness into her life since Sasuke left. They were the one thing that was keeping Sakura rooted, kept her sanity long enough until Sasuke would return to her to give her that peaceful state of mind. Sasuke…

She kept asking the same questions over and over. What happened? How could he have taken the lives that she willingly gave him? His own flesh and blood!? Madara? The man that he was after for so long is the reason she would no longer see her children grow? None of it was making sense. He could have told her to go into hiding, to leave the village which she would have done to protect them. They were practically all she lived for these days. She just stared in disbelief at the ceiling, too distraught for words. Her mouth would make tiny o's as if she would say something, but no sound was coming out, almost as if her mind could no longer procure the correct way to speak. Her eyes were still staring upwards at the white ceiling, still unaware that Shizune was trying to get her to focus.

Shizune called her name countless times as soon as she saw that she was awake. But Sakura did not stir, almost as if she was hypnotized by the ceiling. She raised her hand over her head letting her chakra flow onto her to see if it was anything wrong with her peripheral vision. She continued to see if any other damages were done to her cerebral and frontal cortex, but finding nothing wrong. This light physical she was doing would have to be taken to drastic measures if she could not find anything wrong with it. Anyone with a mind would be able to easily see that something was indeed wrong. There just had to be. It was then she felt something slam on the wall. And not even that was stirring anything in Sakura's body.

"What the hell teme?" Naruto's voice broke through the walls. Still Sakura did nothing but continue to stare at the ceiling. This worried Shizune greatly and without even thinking about the health of the patient went to call in Naruto and Tsunade to see if they could do something, anything for her. She approached the door as she heard a voice that was menacing and smooth as velvet.

"Is she awake?" Sasuke growled. Shizune wasted no time to open the door and peer into the conversation that was being intensified. Maybe he might be able to stir something in her.

"She's awake...but something's not right." Shizune broke the tension that was building up in the waiting room. She looked at her hokage as she was standing closest to the door and managed to see Naruto as well as a not so familiar face. But she knew who it was in an instant. Sasuke Uchiha was there as well. She thought she heard his voice and if anything he could make her move, do something at least.

As if they were impatiently waiting for the news all day she saw as Tsunade, Naruto, and Sasuke ran in her direction to see the fallen cherry blossom. They saw her the same way that Shizune left her. She just would not take her eyes off that white ceiling.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto said talking before anyone. Again Sakura did not move. He approached her slowly grabbing her hand and giving her an affectionate squeeze. Just like old times. One which she did not even return, much less feel. Tsunade huddled herself in the corner with Shizune discussing what could possibly be that has affected Sakura's speech, her vision, her everything. It was as if she was alive but dead all at the same time. When it showed that Naruto's presence did not affect her in the least bit did Sasuke decide to talk. He kept himself composed and was getting anxious too as their reunion would not be private as he would have liked.

"Sakura…" he spoke out. His voice it's soft yet rough voice reverberating the thin walls of the hospital room.

Almost as if the light switch turned on in her mind Naruto saw how her eyes flickered and started moving around. But somehow they were different. They were wider, animated as she struggled to compose herself and see if in fact he was indeed here. Her hand began a vice like grip on Naruto's, too strong that he had to free himself from it. Her body still weak from where her heart was stabbed was bringing her no pain any more almost as if the hatred that was building up inside her was healing faster than any medicine. She swiftly stood up and came face to face with the man that she had not seen in years, and did not wish to see now. Her jade eyes clashing with his ever present dark, obsidian ones. He took in a moment to see the face that he constantly dreamed about and how he had to hold himself steady from reaching over and pulling her in a tight and passionate embrace.

Her skin still held its beautiful ivory shade as he left her, just slightly lighter than usual. Her lips were still its perfect plumpness. Her body although covered by the hospital bedding was visible to be as toned as ever even after she had twins. She was still breathtaking to him.

And he was still the same as Sakura made a small examination with her eyes as well. His nose was still carved sharply downward. His skin still pale as if he was glowing a shade that no one ever could. No one could ever compete in his handsomeness. His thin lips still as dangerous as ever to tempt her with a swift kiss. His handsome self that would always leave her speechless. But this time was not the same. Other times it was for the fact alone that he was hers as she was his. Now she didn't even want to see him. Her whole being was seething with hatred as she saw how softly he spoke her name. She didn't even want to hear his voice, and much less want to see him. More than anything she wanted him to be in an insufferable pain, much like he has just put her through.

He was nothing but menacing to her now. His lips were not tempting her as they once did. If anything she wanted to rip them off his beautiful face. In fact she wanted to rip everything about him. To destroy him, as he was still alive while her children weren't. She had to speak it, to show the curse that this man was holding with him. He was no longer what she loved but rather what she feared. Just one word alone could explain him in his entirety. And she had to speak it now.

"Murderer…" her voice was small but it was loud enough to send shivers down Sasuke's back, something no one could ever do. Him? The great Uchiha a murderer? He knew this but he was an avenger, killing what was wrong in the world to keep her and his children safe. And it was thanks to Madara that his children were far from being safe.

He slowly walked to Sakura's side taking her hand and firmly squeezing it. Sakura could swear that her hand was burning due to his touch but not in the way she loved. It was painful just touching him, making her want to cause even more pain to him, just like he was to her.

"Where are they?" Sasuke calmly spoke as everyone in the hospital room focused all their attention on her answer. They all knew who 'they' were. The children and future of the Uchiha clan. Before anything else he asked the question that had been looming in the air since Naruto returned from the house without either one. Sakura simply spoke again what she said only moments before.

"Murderer." she said with more ferocity this time. Again Sasuke felt tiny shivers run down his spine. It was the look in her eyes. She held something in them that were shaded by the drugs and fluids that were coursing through her veins. Or was it. He kept his face calm as Sakura kept labeling him as something or someone sinister. He wanted to investigate her mind with his sharingan, but due to her physical conditions he dared not to risk it. He wanted to search her eyes but found her not returning his gaze. For whatever reason he did not know. He began touching her face lightly, being affectionate for once since he hasn't seen her in so many years. She looked tired and on the verge of tears by now. She finally looked back at him, finding something she couldn't identify in his, which she didn't care. Why was he playing dumb? He was there, hell he did it. Why ask such a question unless he wanted to drill it in her head that her children were no longer alive?

"What happened…" he again spoke to her in that calming voice. She cracked. Her body began to contort with such ferocity that she pushed him away, turning to her side and retching.

Tsunade and Shizune approached her bedside restraining her and assisting her from throwing up. It was eerily silent for a few moments before they heard shuddering sobs that escaped her partially opened mouth.

'What happened?! Was this really the question he is asking?!' Sakura mentally yelled at herself. 'He killed them! Just like I am going to kill him!'

"Answer Sakura quickly" he instructed, losing his affectionate manner to try to figure out what was wrong with her. She turned to face him, the look of disbelief still plastered on her face as the look of confusion was slightly visible on his. He looked back with the same intense gaze, noticing that something was just not right about her eyes.

"You were there! You should know! You… you killed them!" she yelled out. Her sobs were uncontrollable now, as silence again penetrated the room, except for her cries. But not even sobbing or the constraints that the two women would stop her ranting.

"Why did you save me?! Why didn't to just let me bleed to death!? Answer me you murderer!!?" she spat at him, who just as shocked as anyone in the room. He killed… his children? He… is the reason that Sakura is in the hospital?

Tsunade wasted no time. Almost as soon as she heard the most appalling news she instructed Shizune to bring an ANBU squad, who arrived within seconds. They grabbed Sasuke as he was pinned to the floor not even bothering to struggle. He was too far stunned to have lost the ability to fight. Almost as soon as he was thrown on the floor Naruto came to his aid pushing the ANBU aside.

"Let him go!" Naruto yelled at them. They looked toward Tsunade's direction, waiting for further instruction. A mere wave if her hand gave them the signal to let Naruto defend his long time friend. "It's not true! I saw her stab herself. She doesn't know what she's saying! It isn't true!"

"Don't defend this killer!" Sakura choked out. 'That's what he is. He is a murderer and nothing more.' A voice reminded her in the back of her head.

"How can you even think that Sakura-chan?! How can you think that he is the reason we don't know where your children are?"

"Because I know. I saw him with my own eyes!" 'Didn't I?!' She kept asking herself that, as her mind was slowly going blank. All she knew was that he was a murderer and nothing that Naruto said was going to change her mind. That was what that voice in her hand kept repeating. But it was too much. Her mind was hitting clinks and forcing her to lose focus on people in the room. She was slowly losing consciousness. She was not really sure what was going on as she fell backwards in the bed her eyes wide and transfixed on the ceiling, same as before.

Tsunade approached the semi-deluded Sakura with caution. She looked closely into her eyes seeing how clouded they were, and cursing to herself to have not seen that before. She began straight away, but to no avail. She didn't understand where to begin with this malevolent genjutsu. She looked at Sasuke, if anything he would be able to understand about this genjutsu, seeing at how it was dangerous. Sasuke took her look as a sign of helping her and began walking toward her and saw that there was something wrong with her eyes. Her beautiful jade eyes. He too cursed himself. The genjutsu was the reason he had not looked at her eyes, really looked at her eyes.

They were misshapen. Nothing like he remembered. Her pupils were dilated to the point that they were almost nonexistent, shining brighter than he had ever seen them before. They were fierce indeed, shrouded in pain and fear. He slowly cupped her face in his mauled hands and lightly kissed her cherry lips all the while staring into her eyes to break the genjutsu that was placed on her. His eyes stung greatly as he noticed how strong this jutsu was. And menacing. But nonetheless, after a while, he saw how here massive dilated eyes were slowly awakening. He continued to stare as her eyes came back into focus. He saw how her eyes came back into her natural glow, only to have her exhale and say the word he wanted.

"Sasuke-kun."

Everyone in the room gave an exhale as strong as she did; Naruto was even on the breaking point of tears. Tsunade came closer to her to see that she did not look away. She actually stared back with her fair smile as if nothing was wrong. But something was wrong indeed.

"Wha-what happened?" She asked as she slowly rose up with the help of Sasuke. He slowly looked at Tsunade who realized that this was a strong genjutsu to behold, and much more to fear. By the looks of it not only was her vision clouded, but her memory was tampered as well.

It was a genjutsu all along. A permanent one. And only one man besides Sasuke could have pulled it off. A man that was there only hours ago. A man that had a plan up his sleeve. A man who had something in store for both Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno.

A man by the name of Madara Uchiha.

The same Madara that did take their children in the middle of the night, and left their mother to slowly and painfully die of insanity.

A/N: Well there's chapter 6 for ya. Hope you guys liked it and I'm working on Chapter 7 so hopefully I'll have it posted up by the end of the week. Well not much to say today since all I want is to hear more of what you guys think about the story! So review please! :)