AN: New Manga Chapter SPOILERS Beware!! After Sasuke learns the truth about Itachi and is Akatsuki.

Sasuke stared into the darkness at the gates of Konoha, the desolate streets eerily reflecting his memory of Konoha. The rain was pouring down in torrents, hiding their presence and washing away their scent. Shadows cast over their eyes from the hood of their cloaks, team Hawk headed toward their destination.


"Sakura!"

Sakura stopped and turned. She was covering Ino's shift for her because she had a mission. It was fairly late, and the rain was pouring down.

"Hey Sakura," Ino said, running up to Sakura, "It turns out my mission is canceled, or rather, Naruto insisted on replacing me because he was bored, so I just let him since I was supposed to be here. So you can get back to whatever you were doing, thanks for covering for me."

"Yeah, no problem," Sakura said.

She was glad she was able to go home. She had been at the hospital so much lately… but she had one more thing to check first.

The top floor was fairly empty, only the nurses watching over the nursery still around. Kaiya was sleeping peacefully as Sakura checked in on her. She was a beautiful baby… truly an Uchiha. Sakura wondered if Sasuke's child would look like this. She could have easily been his with how much he resembled Itachi.

Sakura picked her up in her arms and gently rocked the sleeping child. She hated that Kaiya had to stay here. If not for the medical procedure, she would have taken her home already. That was why Sakura was taking any shift she could at the hospital. She didn't want her to be alone.

Just as she laid Kaiya back in her crib, she got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt a strange chakra presence… an enormous presence directly above her. She gasped and looked up as it hit her. What was it? It was so powerful… and there was more than one.



Sakura headed for the stairs that led to the roof, her heat beating abnormally fast. The last time she had been on the roof had led to the beginning of a nightmare. She wasn't sure what she expected to find up there, but it was clear she was meant to find out. She wondered if their presence could be felt by others… or if it was directed at her.

As she stepped into the cold, bitter rain, she saw four shadowy figures several feet in front of her. The clouds soon shifted and the moonlight revealed the red clouds on their cloaks, their faces still hidden from their hoods.

"If you've come for Naruto, you're out of luck! Besides, I would never let you take him," Sakura yelled through the rain, her anger boiling over.

Sakura watched nervously as the one closest to her reached for his hood and let it fall. She stared in shock at the face that was revealed to her, sure she was losing her mind… There was no…

"No… There's no way…" Sakura muttered, but the wind carried her voice to the Akatsuki.

"Hey bitch! Don't look at Sasuke that-"

Sasuke turned to one of the others sharply. "Quiet, Karin."

Sakura barely registered the exchange as she stared into Sasuke's face… Why would he be wearing an Akatsuki cloak… it just wasn't possible. Anger consumed her as she realized this must be a trick.

"Who are you? Why are you pretending to be Sasuke? Tell me!" Sakura shouted.

Sakura was discomforted by the very Sasuke-like way he closed his eyes and said, "It's me, Sakura."

Her name on his lips sent a chill down her spine and she knew that he wasn't lying. Only Sasuke could affect her that way. No one could ever mimic how she instinctively reacted to him.

Still, she couldn't give up that easily… because if this was really Sasuke, then he was truly lost to her.



"Prove it," she whispered.

At that moment, she found herself staring into Sasuke's Sharingan, only it looked different. Before she knew what happened, she was back in Orochimaru's lair, sitting next to Sasuke on his bed, just before he kissed her. Just before…

"Sakura, would you forgive me for anything?"

"You know I would."

Sakura wasn't sure when she fell to the ground on her knees, or when the illusion was over, but she knew Sasuke could never do that before.

She was breathing so hard, the others were convinced Sasuke had tortured her… maybe they were right in a sense… tortured her with her own memories of him.

She looked up at Sasuke, his stance just as it was before, his face just as stoic. He knew she was convinced now.

"You should be careful what you say, Sakura."

Unnerved by Sasuke's remark, Sakura pulled herself to her feet, unwilling to look weak before them, her gaze never leaving Sasuke's, still panting from her memory of sleeping with him. When he began to approach her, she nearly flinched, but he was already there before she could.

In an instant, Sasuke had knocked her unconscious. She gracefully fell into his arms, where he lifted her against his chest.

"Let's go."


Sasuke leaned against the window facing his bed. He hadn't been to his house in years, everything in the same place it once was. His picture of team seven still lie face down on his desk. He picked it up and looked at the faces of his teammates. Sakura had definitely changed. She had matured, no longer the young typical schoolgirl. He glanced at her passed out form on the bed. She had truly become strong. Only now that she was focused and her heart was 

hardened did he see her beauty. Only now did he realize she was just what he needed.

Sakura awoke and suddenly sat up in the bed. She stared into his eyes unseeingly for a moment before she closed them for a moment and comprehended what had happened.

"Why Sasuke… Why would you join them?" she whispered as she stared at him.

Sasuke looked away coldly.

"You don't need to know," Sasuke said and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Sakura yelled. She was surprised to see him stop, though he didn't turn back. "Why did you bring me here?"

He spoke without looking at her. "Because I need you," he said, before looking over his shoulder, "so I can restore my clan."

Sakura stared into his eyes, the true depth of what he was saying sinking in. Sasuke closed his eyes and turned away from her before he left her alone.


Sakura sat wide awake in the darkness, the moonlight only bringing her light when the dark clouds that blanketed the sky were kind enough to disperse momentarily. She had tried to turn on the light, but realized the power to the old Uchiha district had long been shut off since Sasuke's disappearance. She also noticed there were chakra strings keeping her in the room.

Sakura sighed as she fell back on the bed, unsure what to make of the whole situation. If he meant what he said, then that meant he really wants her to have his children… It wasn't like he hadn't said that their first day as team seven. He had always planned on restoring his clan; she just didn't realize that was his soul focus. Happiness was never part of the plan. She had to get through to him, no matter what.

Sasuke returned sooner than she would have expected, locking the door behind him. Sakura was sitting at the end of the bed looking out the window. She still wasn't use to seeing Sasuke… it didn't feel real to her. The Akatsuki cloak on his back made it feel like a nightmare rather than a dream. She 

wished she understood… What on earth could make him join the hated organization his brother was a part of… and Konoha's greatest enemy.

"You should be asleep."

"How can you possibly think I could sleep now?" Sakura mumbled.

Sasuke ignored her and lit a candle. It flickered as the flame came to life, creating the illusion that the clouds on his cloak were moving.

"Why me, Sasuke?"

He turned around to watch her. It was clear he knew what she meant.

"You're the best choice," he said emotionlessly.

"So if I wasn't as strong as I am, you would have chosen someone else?" she asked, feeling the unshed tears in her eyes.

Sasuke remained silent.

"How can you say any ties between us have nothing to do with this?" Sakura asked, her voice about to break, tears falling down her cheeks.

Sasuke smirked at her. "I knew you would never betray me. Your ties to me make me trust you. However, those ties only hold you down, not me. You're right, Sakura, I chose you for more than your strength. There was never another choice to begin with because I saw no one else. However, that fact means nothing."

Sakura looked into his eyes, searching for just a trace of what she was looking for… "You really don't care about me at all?"

Sasuke's expression was once again unreadable. "No, I just need you."

Before she realized he had moved, Sasuke was in front of her, his dark eyes so intense she felt he was staring through her.

"Sakura. If you do not accept this, I will let you leave," he said.

Sakura thought for a moment. A life without Sasuke was unthinkable… but a life with him when he didn't love her, or ever care for her? Could she handle that? Could she change that? Could she leave her village for him, a man who 

didn't care about anyone who would give their lives for him that betrayed their village in every way? She would become a criminal… a missing nin just like him if she accepted… that was why he gave her a choice…

"I told you once before, I would do anything for you, Sasuke."

Sasuke had a hard expression on his face as he recalled that evening so long ago that had haunted his dreams for months.

Sakura stared at him. "Sasuke, if you didn't care about what I wanted, why would you give me a choice?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I like hearing you scream, but sometimes I want you on top (okay that was a joke!)"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "It would be inconvenient to have to restrain you when I could find another who would be obedient."

Sakura closed her eyes. Count on Sasuke to be a jerk.

"Sakura," Sasuke began, but stopped.

She looked at him curiously, wondering what could possibly make him hesitate.

Sakura reached out and touched his cheek, drawing his gaze back to hers.

"What, Sasuke?"

"From this point on, you will be Sakura Uchiha, my wife," Sasuke said.

Sakura stared at him, her lips parted. "But Sasuke… there has to be documents signed and… you hate me…" Sakura muttered the last part, which Sasuke ignored.

"No, my word is all that an Uchiha must give. My will makes it so. Do you accept, Sakura?"

"Yes."

"Then you now carry the burden of my name, along with its legacy. Do not forget that."



Sakura ran her hand through Sasuke's hair. "Even though you deny it, I know there is more to this than continuing a bloodline. You're just too scared to accept that you love someone else, because the pain of loss is too great."

Sasuke closed his eyes. "The loss is so great that I am willing to give my life to avenge Itachi. What was done to my clan is unforgivable, Sakura. I cannot love you because there is a strong chance that I may never come back when I leave you again. This is why you carrying on my name is so important."

"Sasuke, what do you mean, Itachi? You just killed him. You're revenge was everything to you…"

Sasuke's blaring red Sharingan was the last thing she saw before falling into the black depths of Sasuke's memories.

What she saw there was unbelievable. Itachi… was ordered by Konoha to destroy his clan… how could this be?

"It can't be true," Sakura whispered.

"I will kill the elders and Danzou. These actions will effectively destroy the root of Konoha, leaving it vulnerable. There is no way to avoid it," Sasuke said.

Sakura felt anger rising in her chest. How could something like this happen? How could her village, that she fought so hard, be capable of doing this? Not only was Sasuke's life destroyed, but Itachi never had a chance. He never had a choice. Other solutions could have been considered… but to massacre the clan out of fear? It is not the way of the leaf village.

"Sasuke, I will fight along with you. Tsunade will never stand for this… she will order Konoha Shinobi to dissemble Anbu Root and-"

"No, Sakura. Involving the Hokage is out of the question. She will side with the elders and a full scale war will be fought," Sasuke said.

"No, Sasuke, she is my sensei, I know her better than almost anyone. She would never stand for this, you have to listen to me!"

"No, Sakura. I will do this on my own and you will stay here. You cannot get hurt."



Sakura stared at his back before looking away and lying on the bed and silently sobbing, wondering how things got so messed up.

"Naruto… Sasuke's hurt, I need you," Saukra whispered for only the second time in her life.


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