First of all, I'd like to apologise to all my regular readers (who have probably stopped watching this story for updates a long time ago). There've been a lot of changes going on…I'm now living in Holland, and have been without internet access for a month, pretty much. Basically I've only just managed to get it fixed. Also I have much less free time now as I am a sort of au pair/cleaner, so busy loads.

Excuses aside, on with Itachi's mind-fucks!

1

Oh Kuso, that HURTS…

Sakura opened her eyes and was in instant agony. Her brain seemed to be trying to squeeze itself out of a small crack in the front of her skull, and various parts of her body were on fire with pain. She shifted experimentally and twitched violently in reflex as her body informed her that two of her ribs were fractured.

Shit. How am I going to heal myself?

She forced herself to think back. She could remember the house in the distance, taking one step forward and then the earth simply pushing hard against her and sending her flying back into the courtyard. Explosive tags. Well done for scanning the area before running for safety, moron.

Hissing through her teeth, Sakura propped herself against the wall and assessed as much damage as she could with her fingers. There was a deep cut under her left eye that would probably scar, and her body was pitted with small cuts from the debris. She noted that these had all been cleaned already.

Itachi's hands have been all over you…

Sakura shook the thought away. She already felt bad enough about allowing desperation for escape to overtake her caution, and from the injuries, without thinking of Itachi touching her. It made her feel sick.

Ignoring her inner medic screaming in her head, Sakura attempted to stand up, clinging to the walls. Sweat began to pour down her as she fought her physical limits. She managed to get to the doorway before collapsing.

Stupid, stupid, stupid…

Sakura abandoned dignity and sucked in air.

"UCHIHA!"

She was not going to address him by his first time.

Itachi stepped from the shadows further down the hall. Just one look at his eyes told Sakura that he had seen her struggling, heard her scream his name and was now smirking. Sakura very nearly succumbed to her rage and her desire to scream 'bastard' at him very loudly, but just managed to suppress it.

He walked over and picked her up in his arms, moving her back to the bed.

This is so humiliating…and I don't want him touching me like this!

Itachi dropped her unceremoniously down and then leaned over her, that smirk still in his eyes. Sakura tried to burrow into the mattress to get away as he brought his face close to hers, resting his hands on her shoulders…

Then she felt the flow of chakra. He was pushing some of his chakra into her!

It felt vile. It seemed tainted, cloying, a poison in her system. He stood up, taking his hands away, and his face returned to its usual deadpan expression.

"I have given you enough chakra to heal your ribs, Haruno," he said in a monotone. "Don't try to use it for anything else, or I will incapacitate you and this time you will not be healed. There is food ready for you in the main room." He turned and left.

Sakura was almost gagging, converting the chakra to healing chakra. It was oozing through her system instead of rushing around it, and everything seemed to be moving slowly – once she had finished healing herself and stood up, the room swayed and it took her a while to regain her balance.

What has he done to me…?

The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, as Sakura staggered into the walls and the shadows seemed to make it even longer. She forced all her attention on getting to the main room, making herself run towards the end as she felt like she would fall over. As a result, she tripped over her own feet going in, and fell sprawling. Her muscles were turning to mush and she didn't have the strength to stand again.

What the hell is this?!

She shut her eyes and saw the imprint of the Sharingan against the blackness of her lids. They flew open again as she felt Itachi lift her and set her down on the cushions at the edge of the table. He propped her up like a doll, arms rested for support on the tabletop, before pulling a plate of food toward them. One arm around her shoulders, Itachi dipped his chopsticks into the bowl and pulled out a few strands of noodles before holding them up to her mouth.

NO!

Sakura put the little strength she had into turning her head away. Itachi was toying with her, making her into some sort of game for himself to pass the time until Sasuke got here. What exactly he hoped to achieve with this, Sakura had no idea, but she was going to fight it from this point. She knew he was deliberately making her feel helpless and uncomfortable, and she wasn't going to stand for it. Sakura didn't care if he killed her, she was going to go out fighting.

But then Itachi muttered. "Open your mouth." And Sakura felt her body betray her as her head turned forwards and she accepted the food. Itachi's face did not change one jot from his usual expression, but he was amused, she could tell. What he had done to her exactly was anyone's guess, but it was just another method of torture. Sakura was locked in her mind, completely unable to access the rest of her body without Itachi's orders to guide her.

Itachi gave her permission to finish the rest of her food herself, but then got her to sit still while he left. She could not move, talk – anything at all. He was gone for five hours and Sakura had nearly gone mad with boredom when he returned. She'd been constantly testing to see if she could move any part of her body herself, and had just achieved some reaction in her little finger when he came back.

"You may move again."

Sakura stood up and flew across the room at him, knowing it was futile but wishing so hard for the slightest chance, a single opportunity to hurt him. She was caught more off guard when he did not dodge and she smashed into him, both of them crashing into the wall.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME, YOU BASTARD?!"

Itachi sat up and brushed his hair out of his face.

"When I introduced my chakra to your system, it was so that I could use a jutsu that essentially forced you to do whatever I commanded. It takes a little while to activate, which was why you were able to get here on your own even though your body was shutting down all the time. I haven't used it on anyone else before; I wanted to test its effectiveness."

1

Itachi was lying about the purpose of his use of the jutsu on Sakura. He had noticed how uncomfortable she was around him, how her tension increased as he got closer to her. He had used the jutsu to make her physically repulsed by his ability to touch her whenever he wanted. Even as Sakura railed at him, his mind was elsewhere, thinking about how he could twist this to his full advantage. What would drive her absolutely crazy, make her so disgusted with herself that she could not look her friends in the eye – assuming they all survived this?

Itachi already knew. However, his plan involved a intricate genjutsu that he had not yet perfected. Time was running out and he wanted Sasuke's heart to be shattered before Itachi killed him.

He returned to his quarters, leaving Sakura slumped on the floor, and folded his hands into a seal. By his calculations, the pursuing team should be within range now. It was time to start splitting them up.

1

Sasuke's mood was not improved by the trail becoming stronger. Instead it made him more intent, more focused on his goal. He pushed himself harder and harder, keeping exact pace with Naruto, both boys straining to reach Sakura as fast as they could. It was only Kakashi's intervention that had stopped them rushing headlong into a number of the traps that Itachi had set up.

Kakashi was worrying about the recklessness of the boys. Their desperation was blinding them, and even Sai had made a stumble, moving faster than he normally would. Kakashi predicted trouble between him and Sasuke later on. Sai wanted to comfort Sakura and apologise for not being able to help her, whereas Sasuke wanted revenge for Itachi interfering in his life again. However, Sai also wanted to fight Itachi for catching him off guard. He did not like anybody disrespecting Sakura, and feelings had been strained between the boys for months because of that.

Kakashi felt a rush of chakra behind him and turned his head.

What the hell?!

Itachi was behind them, coming up fast.

How did he get around us?

"Team Kakashi! Find a firm footing and hold it!" Kakashi stopped on a branch and was nearly knocked forwards by the wave of murderous intent coming off Sasuke. Itachi held up a hand and a wave of shruikens flew towards him.

"Team! Split!"

Kakashi dived downwards, pushing up the material from his left eye. He had just caught sight of the Shadow Shruiken move; if he had simply ducked the other shruikens would have thudded into him. Itachi vanished and Kakashi's Sharingan barely managed to see him moving straight towards Naruto.

"Naruto! Down!"

Naruto flung himself backwards, missing the kunai that Itachi had thrown straight at his chest. Kakashi caught more movement in the corner of his eye and swore. Shadow clones. Sai's eyes widened. He made an odd, strangled gasp of pain, and then a plume of blood billowed from his stomach and he began to fall. Kakashi leapt and caught him just before he hit the ground.

"Sai! Can you move?" Beads of sweat were coursing down Sai's pale face. He pressed a hand into the cut on his stomach and assessed the damage.

"Yes, but I should not. I need to stay down now – sorry, Taichou." Kakashi nodded grimly and took to the trees again. Naruto had performed a mass Kage Bunshin and got all of them to light a Rasengan-Shruiken. Itachi was so far ahead of him in speed and dodging ability that Naruto's only hope of staying alive was to keep up a constant level of carnage. Itachi clones and Naruto clones were vanishing at an incredible rate. It was only then that Kakashi's mind properly registered something.

Where the hell is Sasuke?!

1

Sasuke had spotted the first Itachi heading off into the forest and followed, leaving his team-mates behind. He'd swiftly realised that the fight was meant to be a diversion, and it was highly probable that the shinobi he was following was not the real Itachi. Nonetheless, if it lead him to Sakura…

Itachi stopped suddenly once they were about ten miles from the fight. Sasuke, keeping a good distance away, halted himself and hung back warily. While watching the Itachi facing him, he kept his senses alert for any approaching projectiles or shadow clones.

"So now you care for her, little brother?"

Itachi's voice echoed through the trees, sounding all around Sasuke. He forced himself to keep looking forward. He did not reply.

"You are still a child, Sasuke," Itachi continued. "It is as though I took a toy you never played with and you are throwing a tantrum on principle."

"Sakura is not a toy," Sasuke growled. The words stung him. It was exactly as how he had treated her. A forgotten toy, a neglected friend. He did care for her but it was aloof and he never took the time to demonstrate it in case it encouraged her to start hoping that he might see her romantically again.

"She is mine now."

Sasuke barely suppressed his rage.

"She is not yours to own."

"I control her. She does as I will. It is me she will kneel for now, me she will follow wherever I go. You've lost her."

"What have you done to her?" The Itachi on the branch smirked. The insinuation in that one gesture was enough to make Sasuke fly off the handle. He launched himself and to his shock, Itachi did not dodge. Both men crashed through several trees before hitting the ground. Sasuke grabbed the front of Itachi's cloak and pulled his fist back.

"I've left a trail for you. Come and claim her if you can…foolish little brother." Itachi's features melted and suddenly Sasuke was pinning a dead shinobi he did not recognise. He stood up sharply and looked around, eyes searching for a clue.

1

Finally, the first chapter in well over a month (really sorry guys!) Hope this lives up to standard…I think Itachi is getting creepier now. Review please!

-Genjutsu-Dragon-