I apologize for the extremely LONG wait, but I have had no time on my hands, but, anyways, here is the seventh chapter. Quite short bows in apology but I will get back on track with this story and my others ;

Thanks sooo much for all of the reviews and encouragement!


"Suigetsu, get them out," I said, my voice so low I barely heard it.

"What?" he asked.

"Get them out," Sasuke repeated for me as I hugged his kimono tighter.

Once they left, I sat myself up, keeping his kimono on me as if it were mine. I looked up at Suigetsu, pain and fear swirling inside of me. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" he asked, still oblivious. That was partly my fault.

"Listen."

Suigetsu sat in front of me, heeding Sasuke's order. A feeling in my gut told me that he knew everything. Everything that had happened to me, he knew. The Uchiha was beginning to become an annoyance to me, the way he knew everything without anyone telling him. Brushing those thoughts away, I focused on the task ahead.

"The day that I first…allowed myself to be taken in my Shakkri," I started slowly, finding my words carefully, "something happened to me before that."

He nodded, taking a sip from his water holder. "I figured as much. I just want to know what."

I clenched my fist. "If you shut up and listen," I growled, "you'll find out."

"I can comment on this conversation," he argued.

"No you can't."

"Why not? I can relate to it probably."

Something inside of me sparked and I was suddenly tackling Suigetsu to the ground, straddling him, my hand around his throat. "The only way you'd be able to relate to me is if you were raped by Orochimaru!" I growled vehemently, my eyes burning.

Suigetsu's eye slowly widened, his mouth dropping open. The Uchiha swiftly lifted me off of him, planting me on the bed like a young child. I began to protest, but he face came within inches of mine, shutting me up.

"I will not allow you to harm my team," he said, his Sharingan eyes piercing.

"Get away from me," I snapped, crossing my arms and looking away from him. "I don't need to be talked down to, especially by the likes of you."

"Suit yourself."

"Urgh! You are so difficult!" I shouted at him, punching the mattress in a miniature tantrum.

He shrugged. "See me as you will."

I shot up, closing the space between us quickly. He looked down at me in a smug way, his face betraying nothing, but I knew he was being smug. "Just because you view yourself an as Uchiha and higher than everyone else-"

"Not everyone," he interrupted. "Just you."

I raised my hand to slap him, but I was stopped. I looked at my old friend, wondering what was going on. "Suigetsu, release me."

"Repeat that phrase," he said calmly.

"Release," I repeated, "me."

"Not that one. The other one."

"The only way you'd be able to relate to me is if you were raped by Orochimaru." I seethed, my eyes cold as I stared into his.

"When?" His grip on my hand tightened.

"Before I passed out," I told him, no emotion in me.

"Before Shakkri took hold of you," he corrected, releasing me.

"I let her."

"Why?"

"Why?" I repeated.

"Yes, Sana, why?" he was asking it so simply, so utterly emotionlessly that I knew my eyes were tearing up. Bitterness raged inside of me as I continued to stare at him, the silence in the room deafening.

"I'll tell you why," I snapped, "It's because I knew the exact reason you'd act towards me if I didn't allow myself to be taken in. I knew the exact way everyone would view me and I would have rather be seen as weak against a spirit than against him!" My charka hit him in the chest, forcing him through the stone wall as I ran away, the tears in my eyes streaming down my face.

"Oh no you don't!" he shouted and I landed face down on the floor within seconds, his body heavier than mine. I attempted to push him off, but it was no use. I was weak, for the moment, and fighting Suigetsu when I had no strength wouldn't make me stronger. Finally, I gave up. I stopped thrashing about, stopped cursing under my breath. I stopped everything.

Suigetsu crawled off of me, the hall quite and somber. I felt the heat from the Uchiha. He was close, but distant enough to give the due privacy and space that was needed. I couldn't look at my best friend. I was ashamed and I forcing myself to look into his eyes wouldn't help anyone. "Sana…"

"I wanted to tell you," I whispered, water in my eyes. "I did, but I just couldn't."

"Why? I thought we were…close."

"We were," I told him, my eyes glued to the floor. "That's the reason. I felt that…by letting hi-…Orochimaru accomplish what he did…I'd look weaker. I'd look more pathetic than I already was. I was…ashamed." My voice cracked at the word as I forced myself to remain calm. "I was ashamed that I had let you down and you would see me as…disgusting and vile. I just couldn't handle that. That's why I chose to let Shakkri take control. My emotions over what happened weakened me and the thought of letting you down…there was no other choice."

He was silent, a rarity since I had known him. Suigetsu always had a comment, some form of a remark. But not now. Now, he was silent. I slowly raised my eyes to look at him. He was staring down, much like I had been. His hands were balled into fists and I saw him biting his lip in anger. Was he angry with me? Angry that I hadn't told him sooner? Or was he furious at Orochimaru? The situation? I reached out cautiously, afraid of his touch. Afraid of his reaction. I was much too afraid for my own good.

Sasuke's hot skin touch my hand and I pulled back instantly. I stared into his smoldering Sharingan eyes, his raven blue locks falling around his face. He shook his head to the side slowly, never breaking the eye contact he had with me. I looked at Suigetsu and then back to him. He gently tugged at my hand. I tugged back.

A trace of annoyance flashed in his eyes.

He pulled me up to my feet and began to lead me away from Suigetsu. I protested, pulling him back. HE stumbled once before he pulled me up into his arms in one fluid motion. I stared at him, bewildered.

"He needs time to think," he told me simply.

"How much time?"

"As much as he needs."

I sighed, leaning my head against his collarbone. "Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Why did you do it?"

He slowed a step before continuing on. "Do what?"

I looked up at him. "Why did you-" But I couldn't continue on as a coughing fit interrupted me. I coughed hard, pain exploding in my chest, my throat screaming in pain. Sasuke had knelt down, placing me on the floor as I coughed myself to death. Once it was over, lasting about three minutes of nonstop coughing and choking, I breathed raggedly, trying to get as many deep breaths as I could. Sasuke's warmth surrounded me the entire time.

"You shouldn't have overworked your voice," he said, picking me up again.

I nodded, my throat out of commission.

"Nor your body. You need time to heal before your training."

I wanted to ask him further about my training. What as it for? Who would I be training with or under? For how long? Would I have to contain Shakkri? How long would it take to train each day? But I couldn't. He had placed me in the bed and instantaneously, I felt my eyes closing and I drifted into a deep sleep.


Well, how was that? Did all of you like it? I apologize once again for the extreme delay, but the more encourgament and reviews, the quicker it'll be ;)

Thank you so much for reading, commenting, etc!

M. Neko