Things Change
Chapter 7
"Unhinged"
Green eyes flickered to a glow in the moonlight as Sakura opened her eyes. There she lay, quiet and prepared to start her day, but something, more like someone, was holding her body frozen. Her small breaths moved the dark bangs covering his eyes, and she smiled. Sakura's heart was filled to the brim with butterflies, remembering last night as her cheeks flushed.
Itachi slept silently and still, appearing peaceful, though before these past few days Sakura couldn't have imagined the word 'peace' and the name 'Uchiha Itachi' having anything in common. Again, a smile broke through her pale face, illuminated in the small light. Brushing her own bangs behind her ear, she leaned down and gently pressed her soft lips to his cheek, and she watched him stir.
His eyes flitted open and he too, smiled. Strong jaws stretched open to a silent yawn, and his hand scouted for hers until their fingers were tangled. Both locked eyes for a moment before Sakura turned and rose from the toasty sheets. Itachi's eyes followed her dark silouhette.
XXXX
The sun was hot, and birds flew over the training battlefield where a lone kunoichi stood against a blue man twice her size at least. His sharp teeth grinned wildly at her, and her knuckles clenched to bony white.
"Sakura-chan, please tell me the purpose of your initiation." Lord Pein stood on the outer ring of the packed dirt where the other members of Akatsuki were scattered. The rings of fire that made up his eyes watched her carefully, noticing every expression she made.
Sakura locked eyes with him, dousing the fire with jade. She hollered across the field, "To test my intelligence, chakra level, endurance, strength, cunning, speed and moxie...Sir." she grinned.
"And the rules of this match..." he asked approvingly.
She pointed her finger toward Kisame, "To take out Hoshigaki Kisame within the time limit and boundaries before he can take me down." Sakura swallowed hard.
Pein smiled, and asked her now only to explain the rule of disqualification to him of her match. The kunoichi's face turned sour. "I cannot kill him."
"Good. You many begin." Lord Pein waved his fingers and returned to his seat aside Konan.
Before Sakura could comprehend the fight had began, a loud crack rang in her ear and a pain like no other shot through her cheek. Her hair was flailing back until she hit the stone wall bordering the yard. Kisame stood where she was before with a victorious grin on his face.
Itachi's hand clenched around the branch of the tree he was crouched on.
A moment after the wall had crumbled slightly, Sakura emerged with a broken jaw. Her hand was glowing green as she smiled. The skin repaired itself faster than the average medical ninja could. "Ow." she said, and in a whirl of Sakura petals, she was gone.
A light breeze caressed the scales on Kisame's face, and he jerked away at it's touch too quickly. 'THWACK!' The fish giant timbered, digging up dirt with his face. Again, Sakura was gone.
Blue man jumped to his feet, pulling Samehada from it's wrappings and weilding it before him in defense. "Come out come out where ever you are, Sa-ku-ra." he cooed. The sound of someone stepping on water made him turn to face the small pool of rainwater behind him. A ghost of laughter aroused his hands to form the signs for his own "Quick Sand Justu". "Earth Style: Quick Sand Justu!"
Another ghost of laughter from the trees, and suddenly Sakura was there again, about three feet behind him and to the right. In her hand was a kunai, which she threw at him in rage. "Dammit." Sakura hissed.
"Got-cha kitten." Kisame smirked, heaving Samehada over his form. Before the sword could plummit to Sakura's doom, something interrupted Kisame's balance.
"More like I've got you, Kisame." Sakura was standing completely on the tip of Samehada when she pushed off into the air. Flipping backward to the ground gracefully, Sakura charged Kisame head on. Grabbing Samehada by the handle, Sakura jolted backward with a shock to her hand. "Piss." she breathed. Her hand began to glow, and when she focused it to the pain, nothing happened except an intensified throbbing.
"Ha ha ha!" Kisame bellowed in his deep voice. "There's not a soul who walks among the living who has ever been unharmed by touching Samehada, except for me." again he mocked and laughed at her.
Sakura hissed, noting to stay with long ranged attacks from now on. Shit, that took away her best offense. She could no longer crush his skull between her hands, not that she was allowed to in the first place. Switching to defensive position, Sakura ran head on toward him, lowering her body so close to the ground she could have been floating.
Before the two could collide, Sakura punched the Earth hard with her fist, creating jagged, sharp uprisings of rock, like sharp daggers angled toward Kisame. He couldn't stop without running straight into them, which would be suicide. The small crowd of spectators watched Sakura in awe. She really was as good as Itachi had told them, in spite of himself.
The sacrifice made was Samehada. Kisame dug it into the ground just inches before the rocks, and polevolted himself over them, tumbling onto the ground.
"Earth style: Earth prizon jutsu!" Sakura shouted, hands flying into complicated signs. Lucky for her Earth was her element, and ninjutsu worked well for her enduring chakra. Pieces of the ground shot up around Kisame before he could stand up completely, and he lost his footing as the dirt floor trembled beneath him. It wrapped him in a constricting cocoon.
Sakura lunged at him again, "Kage bunshin." she spat.
Eleven clones of herself shot around Kisame, and the tall shark didn't know which was the real one. Unfortunate for him, genjutsu wasn't exactly something he was powerful at detecting.
Each clone held a kunai, and began to run wicked fast circles around him. The real Sakura was hidden amongst them, with the knowledge that his Samahada had no long ranged attack. On her mark, the clones threw their kunai in the opposite direction, careful not to directly hit Kisame in the process.
When each was finished, they dispersed into bursts of cherry blossom petals again.
"Shit." Kisame growled, figuring out her plan. His head whipped around to see all of the kunai were planted in the dirt in a large circle around him. "No! You will not win, Haruno-chan! Do you hear me!?" he roared and thrashed relentlessly, yet the chakra bonds attached to the kunai held him in place. He wasn't going anywhere with the web-like design holding him in the dead center like a big blue target.
Sakura laughed, launching herself into the air above him. "Senbon Rain jutsu!" she hollered, twirling herself around and around while senbon came down like rain over Kisame. He did not have Samehada to deflect them, as Sakura had planned.
When she was finished with her Senbon Rain, Sakura nearly collapsed onto the ground, tired from the intense battle. A smile crept it's way onto her face however, for she was the victor of her first match. She could rest for the remainder of the day, and she would move on to face someone tomorrow in match two.
Clapping rose from the audience, and Kisame sat in the dirt like a puffer fish, senbon sticking to him everywhere. "Though I lost, good job out there Haruno-chan, I underestimated your abilities as a ninja." he pouted, faking a smile.
Lord Pein silenced the clapping spectators with a wave of his hand, "Well done, well done indeed Sakura-chan. You have passed the first test, and tomorrow you shall move on to face a new opponent in the second match. Rest for tonight." he nodded toward her.
The majority of the other Akatsuki gave Sakura high-fives of smiled at her victory. Itachi was one of the last memebers leaving the grounds, but he never looked at Sakura. Curiously, she caught up with him, tugging gently on his arm.
"Hey, Itachi, are you mad at me or something?" Sakura asked. He still didn't turn to look at her. He completely ignored her. Gently, he shook off her arm and walked away quickly. She was left standing alone and without a cloak by the kitchen. Deidara-san was rummaging through the refrigerator for something.
Sakura puffed a breath of air and sat down at the long dinner table. Deidara noticed her sorrowful expression, and placed a small clay bird and an apple on the table beside her when he walked by. Again, she was left alone.
At first she didn't notice the bird, but then it started to move. "Chirp, chirp chirp." it noised, prodding the apple in her direction. Sakura smiled gently, "Thank you." she whispered, and the bird exploded into a tiny firework. Deidara was sweet from what she could tell, and she would have to thank him later for sure. She picked up her apple and left.
Spending the rest of the daylight hours reading book from the library outside, Sakura decided to return the books when dusk came. Stretching her limbs, she went back to the library, and her thoughts floated back to Itachi when she placed one of the books back on the shelf. Itachi had the same book in his massive collection, and it was a good read.
"That's it, I'm going to find out what his deal is. Ignoring me all day." she mumbled to herself. Stalking back to she and Itachi's bedroom, she found him reading a book in his big red comfy chair by a lit fire. He was wearing glasses, and Sakura could tell he was thinking hard, his fingers rubbing his temple on one side of his head.
"Itachi..." she interrupted. His eyes instantly became cold and distant. Sakura didn't like this side of Itachi. "What's going on with you...with, us..." she asked quietly.
Itachi tried to ignore her again, but she stopped him. She walked to him silently, closing the book and taking it from him. Obsidian eyes looked toward the fire, and he said nothing. But that wasn't going to work, not again. Sakura moved to sit on his knee, and she curled up against him.
"Get lost." he whispered in a dark tone. Sakura's head snapped up to look at him, and his eyes scared her. They were so dark, she couldn't see anything in them. So dark not even the hate within them made itself present.
"No." Sakura demanded. "What is your problem? You've been avoiding me all day." she reminded him sternly.
Itachi pushed her off of him roughly, and her butt hit the floor. "I said: Get lo-" he was cut short by Sakura's growl.
She stood up again, "I don't care what you said, Itachi! I want to know what is wrong with you!" she yelled now.
"Don't raise your voice at me." Itachi hissed. He was dangerous, but he knew all too well that so was she.
Sakura stepped closer, "I'll raise my voice if I want to! It's your fault for not telling me!" she interjected with angry hand motions. Itachi ground his teeth together.
"I'm not going to tell you! So shut your mouth!" he hollered back at her. His hand roughly grabbed her arm.
Sakura winced at his strength. "Let go of me!" she screeched.
"No." he barked, yanking her toward the door though she protested. He held her bad arm.
"Itachi sto-!" Sakura moaned in pain.
The door to the Uchiha's room flew open and hit the wall with a bang. The hallway was empty except for Zetzu-san walking by with Tobi-san. "Shut up!" he raised his voice at her. Sakura was confused why he was so angry with her, she did nothing wrong. Her eyes welled with tears.
Finally she cried,"Itachi stop! Let go of me! Itachi, let go, please! You're hurting me!" Her pained scream broke his anger. He actually looked at her this time with his own eyes, rather than blind rage. Her arm was losing blood, she was crying, and she was terrified...she was terrified of him of all things. He couldn't feel any worse.
Itachi's hand instantly let go of her arm, and he gently pulled her back into the room without haste, closing and locking the door behind him. He set Sakura down on the bed, and she still cried, cowering into a ball away from him. The Uchiha felt sick, and he curled around Sakura, though she whimpered when he came closer, trying to get away still.
"I'm sorry." he touched her back.
"You're a bastard." she sobbed. Sakura's tears were drying up, and she stopped crying, but she still did not turn to face him.
"I'm sorry." he whispered again, lying down beside her, careful not to touch her. "I didn't mean to get out of hand, I just..." he couldn't find the words.
Sakura roled over, peeking one puffy eye at him, "All I asked is to know why you avoided me until I made you mad."
Itachi mumbled something inaudible to her hidden ears.
"I didn't quite catch that..." she said.
"I said: I know you wouldn't accept, so I kept it to myself." Itachi cleared his throat, turning his head away from her now. Sakura didn't know why, but she did know that he wasn't avoiding her, but just a question or something like that.
The pinkette uncurled herself, stretching a hand to lay on his bare chest. She inched closer to him, "What wouldn't I accept?" she asked innocently.
Itachi ignored her again. "Hey now, let's not get to fighting again, what aren't you asking me to accept, Itachi-kun?" Sakura rested her chin on his shoulder, pouting her lips.
"Me." he said, and Sakura didn't quite understand what he meant by the word.
"What do you mean?" She questioned, curious.
Faster than lightning, Itachi rolled on top of her, capturing her lips with his own. His fingers curled around the sheets and he waitied for the sharp pain of a slap to the face.
The only thing that happened was Sakura's hand clenching the sheets as well, her back arching into him with a moan and her sudden heavy breathing when he pulled away from her. "You think I wouldn't accept you?" Sakura smiled, searching his eyes again for the warmth she knew was deep inside of them. Deeper than the hate.
Itachi stopped holding his breath, thankful for her acceptance. "I was avoiding you because I want you. I didn't think you would accept it if I told you, so I avoided the possibility." he explained.
"Silly boy." Sakura whispered, pulling him back down for another breathtaking kiss. Their passion mastered the fire burning in the room. Itachi's fingers trailed up her side until they found the zipper of her shirt, slowly pulling it down. Blackberry lips planted kissed down her jaw, to her neck, over her chest and down to her stomach.
Perfectly manicured green-nailed fingers left goosebumps down the Uchiha's chest to the string of his sweat pants, "Hurry." she moaned in protest to his playful teasing.
Turns out Uchiha and Cherry Blossoms were on the menu tonight...
new chapter, hopefully you like it. :)
my writing has been way off lately due to my hard drive crashing for three weeks, and a mess of other unforunate events.
anyway, 4th marking period starts this wednesday. damn.
that means school is almost over, and i'll have ample time to update.
anyway, new NaruSaku fic called "Purple Hearts."
r&rs on an of my stories (especially "Reaching the End of the Road") would be wonderful.
ps: hahahaha, lemon cliff-hanger. :D
Im so mean, I know.
love, Razega.
