Disclaimer: The day I own Naruto is the day the series transforms itself into Konoha High School. (YouTube it. It's awesome.)

The pain unrelentingly assailed my senses until it was all I could think of. Every inch of me felt like it was on fire. The only sounds were my shrieks echoing repeatedly against the cold stone walls and the frantic racing of my heart in my chest like it would burst at any second.

Then everything stopped.

I gasped deep shuddering breaths, shivering violently as though pure ice was crawling through my veins.

"Don't touch her." The sound was fuzzy, like I was hearing everything underwater. It was a long time before I realized that Kabuto's hand on my arm was no longer there and I finally had the strength to open my eyes again.

"Sasuke..." My voice was filled with hope and tinged with the slightest hint of fear. In all the time I had known him, I had never ever seen him so furious, so close to losing the control that defined him so completely.

"Come to rescue your dear Sakura-chan I see," Kabuto said calmly despite the sword Sasuke was holding against his neck. "What will the council say once they find out you've entered Orochimaru-sama's realm?"

"I have every right to retrieve what's mine." I would have protested if not for the strange gleam in his cold eyes, like he was barely restraining himself from angling his sword a little higher and slicing Kabuto's neck. This Sasuke was different. Dangerous. And he scared me even more than Orochimaru had.

But Sasuke wouldn't hurt me.

Would he?

"Orochimaru-sama's offer still stands. After all, you can't hide behind your brother's shadow forever, Sasuke-kun." Kabuto didn't so much as wince. The only evidence of any injury was the small trickle of blood running down the length of the blade. A bright, angry crimson that was the exact shade Sasuke's eyes had taken on.

"Get out." Sasuke's voice was a deadly whisper.

"Very well," Kabuto acquiesced, directing a meaningful glance at me. "But I can't help but wonder, Sasuke-kun. Am I the one she needs to be protected from or is it you."

With that last cryptic statement, Kabuto vanished.

"Sakura." Sasuke turned to look at me for the first time since he'd arrived. I pushed aside the overwhelming fear and stared hard into those blood-red eyes. Maybe if I looked hard enough, the Sasuke I knew would be somewhere in this... this...

The three commas I hadn't really noticed before slowly started to spin. Before I knew it, I was dragged under, drowning in the darkness that was almost comforting.

Chapter 5: Doubt and Trust

Once again I awoke on a bed to a room that wasn't mine. I sighed. Would I ever get to go home?

I tried to sit up but my limbs were still weak with an odd tingling sensation, most likely the residual effects of whatever it was Kabuto had done to me. I would have hit the pillows less than gently had someone not caught me. Someone with a shock of golden hair and worried blue eyes.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto." My throat felt scratchy and the rest of me probably looked like I'd been through hell. Yeah, that was pretty much the general idea.

"You okay?" I clearly wasn't but I nodded slightly. I didn't want to worry him anymore than I already had.

"I wish I could stay until the bastard gets back but I have to bring Hinata home." The name sounded vaguely familiar but I didn't really care to figure it out at the moment. "She's tired from holding the portal open. What took that bastard so long anyway-"

"Where's Sasuke?"

The distrust in my tone must have been apparent because Naruto stopped mid-rant and shifted uncomfortably.

"Look, I'm sure he has his reasons for doing all the stuff he's done, not that I know what they are myself," Naruto grumbled loudly under his breath. "I dunno what Orochimaru and his lackeys told you while you were down there but just hear him out okay? I'll be back in a bit."

I half expected him to poof out of sight but either he couldn't or he just had the tact to leave the room first.

But what could Sasuke have done to make Naruto sound so serious?

As if my thoughts had summoned him, Sasuke entered the room. He was dressed in all black which made him look quite intimidating and utterly devastating. His eyes had thankfully returned to normal.

He sat down on the edge of the bed beside me, so still and quiet that he could have been a statue. It was a long time before he spoke.

"Are you hurt?" he asked softly.

I shook my head.

Sasuke's clenched fists relaxed slightly and the relief in his eyes was tangible. "What did they do to you?"

"I don't know, but Orochimaru and Kabuto-" I suppressed the shudder at the memory of the pain. "They said so many things about hell and demons and-"

My voice caught in my throat. Sasuke's eyes never left mine as he leaned forward to hear my pained whisper.

"They took her, Sasuke. They took my mother and killed her."

I was sobbing by the time the last word left my lips. At first I hadn't wanted to believe it but saying it out loud for Sasuke to hear had made it final. My mother was gone and she was never coming back.

Suddenly, I was pressed against Sasuke's chest with his arms wrapped around me, his chin resting on the top of my head. I clutched weakly at the dark material of his shirt and cried even harder until there were no tears left to cry.

"I'm sorry."

I pulled back in his embrace to look into his eyes. Those dark pools were a turbulent maelstrom of emotions. Anger. Doubt. Grief. Regret?

"Who are you?" I finally asked.

His tired, soulful gaze met mine, staring deep into my eyes so that I could see for myself that everything he was about to tell me was the truth. A truth I wasn't sure if I was prepared to hear.

Or perhaps one I had known all along.

"I'm a demon, Sakura."

Still trapped in the circle of his arms, I was sure he could hear the way my breath hitched involuntarily. He carefully lowered me back onto the bed in a half sitting position, leaning me against the pile of pillows.

"Do you remember what happened last year?" Sasuke ventured warily, staring at me with those all-encompassing onyx eyes that seemed to see right through to my very soul.

How could I have forgotten those eyes?

"I was in the hospital. I was dying. You came to my room and offered to save me. I agreed, then you ki-" I blushed at the memory and couldn't bring myself to look at the knowing smirk on Sasuke's face.

"I thought it was just a dream," I murmured. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You weren't supposed to know. In fact, I'm not even supposed to be here," Sasuke said wryly.

"Then why are you here?" I could tell that Sasuke was starting to lose his patience from the note of exasperation in his tone.

"When I offered to save you, do you remember exactly what I said?"

My lack of reply was enough of an answer.

"Nothing in this world is free. And to extend the life of a human requires the highest price of all."

My green eyes widened. I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

"I own you, Sakura." That infuriating smirk was back.

"And I always take care of what's mine."

I know I haven't been updating in a while and I'm really really sorry about that. It's just that the evil thing called real life caught up and I've been ridiculously busy. But school's on break now so I'm taking the opportunity to write more :D

Sakura finally get's rescued and is somewhat enlightened by Sasuke plus the long awaited fluff X3 SasuSaku ftw! NaruHina also seems to be making an appearance but I'm not sure how far I want to go into that pairing. Hinata will definitely be back for real though and not just in name.

Also, sometime during this story, not sure when but it will happen, Sasuke and Sakura will be going on a semi-date-ish kind of outing. Any suggestions/requests for locations/situations?