A/N: Meh, sorry for the wait, but I'm not going to force myself to write when I have no ideas. That just makes for chapters filled with crap that I get disappointed with. Last chapter, lemon chapter, I warned you, etc etc blah blah do not own. Also, on a completely irrelevant note, NEVER write Itachi while listening to "Great Balls of Fire."

Chapter 10 - Burn Asunder

"How the hell are we supposed to concentrate on this mission when everything is falling down around us?" Sakura kicked a rock with frustration, not realizing she had added chakra and sent the rock straight through the opposing wall with a crash.

Itachi was unaffected by her outrage and continued inspecting the ground in front of him, Sharingan examining every small detail. "This way." He began walking down the corridor, leading the way as Sakura regained her composure and followed along. She was still uneasy, the news of Hidan and Kakuzu falling in battle hitting her heavily. Those two weren't called the zombie twins for nothing, and yet somehow someone had come up with a way of killing them off, even Hidan. Somehow she knew that Deidara wouldn't be too far behind, though that news would be even worse. She liked Deidara, as crazy as he was, though she hadn't had much of a chance to really talk to him. Their brief interludes had been pleasant, and she knew they would have been great friends if only things had gone better.

The long destroyed corridors of Orochimaru's lost underground complex were difficult to navigate even when they found completely intact tunnels. Most of the long passes were unreachable by normal means, and they didn't want to risk a cave-in by digging through. However, half of the complex was relatively untouched and after a few minutes they found one of the inner rooms, laboratory jars and books filling the room. On the desk was a very old, withered severed hand, the Akatsuki ring on it. Itachi paused in front of it, nodding once. "So that's how he did it..."

Sakura grimaced at the sight of the laboratory but stepped next to him, frowning down at the severed hand. "Did what?"

"When we were all taken into Akatsuki, we were told that there was only one way out, and that was death. These rings can never be removed from the user's hand except in death. However... it seems that he was able to escape the ring's influence by severing his own hand. A desperate measure, perhaps, but effective. After he escaped Akatsuki, we have had trouble tracking him down again."

She nodded in response and took the ring from the hand, her medic professionalism overtaking her initial repulsion. The Void, as the writing on the ring said. "Now... to look for evidence about Sasuke."

"Aren't you going to put the ring on?"

"No. Not yet, anyway. If being in Akatsuki is truly so binding, I want to think harder about it. That, and..." She grimaced down at the ring again. "It's filthy."

He let out a small scoff that might have been laughter and turned away quickly, cloak fluttering in the silence. She followed at a short distance, inspecting the room on the way out. No, Sasuke wasn't here, this was Orochimaru's sanctum. In fact, few signs existed of any activity that would belong only to Sasuke. Both of them realized this after searching room by room, and Itachi closed the last door reluctantly. "Sasuke can be quite the escape artist when he really wishes it."

She scoffed. "Believe me, I know." Frowning in dismay, she looked down the hall at all the other doors in the numerous corridors. Well, now what? A moment passed, then she suddenly got an idea. "Well... there's more than one way to find what you're looking for." With a smirk she concentrated her chakra, heightening her sense of smell to that of a very keen ninken dog. "I'll sniff him out."

Itachi followed at a careful distance. She was a bit unconventional, but he wouldn't complain. All over the walls were traces of past battles, a scrape here, a gouge there, nothing unusual considering what Orochimaru had been up to all these years. Sakura stopped at one room in particular, going over to the empty bed and taking the sheets from it. "This was his. I don't see any sign of struggle." That's what unnerved both of them the most. Sasuke hadn't fought back. Maybe he didn't need to.

"I suppose he had his reasons. It's possible that he is waiting for the right moment to strike back at the snake. A snake may bite and poison its prey, but an injured beast is one to be feared."

She chuckled bitterly. "Don't I know it. Sometimes I could barely contain some of the jounin patients at the hospital. A few really hard cases had to be restrained by Tsunade herself, with the help of me and a few other medics."

He nodded appreciatively. "Kisame has his bad days as well. It is all I can do to tend to his wounds when he can barely move. Odd, isn't it, how they can't move to tend to themselves but they still thrash about like a wild creature?"

"That never made sense to me, no matter how much I learned." They stepped out into the bright light again, tracing the faint scent trail Sasuke left behind. After several feet it disappeared completely, leaving Sakura to sigh with dismay. "This is so strange..." An odd trail of blood caught her eye just barely, covered by rocks enough to where she only noticed it by chance. She ran to the trail, catching the scent again and hoping they had caught on to something at last. After uncovering the trail, she followed the growing streak of blood to where several large splatters and smudges covered the wall, smeared in some areas. Her mouth opened with awe at the sheer scope of the damage. "This..."

Itachi shook his head once. "A slaughter." He nodded again, though towards an unidentified lump on the floor. Upon further inspection, they found it was Orochimaru's discarded body. Sakura drew back, repulsed.

"Disgusting..." Despite her repulsion, she drew closer, inspecting the body from enough of a distance to not smell it. She immediately dispelled her chakra enhanced scent, overcome by the smell of decay. "It looks like he was stabbed with some kind of chakra weapon."

"Not quite. It seems like a pure chakra wound. It has the entry size of a weapon, but not the right type of slice. The wound is singed, that indicates a chakra wound. However, he managed to concentrate it to almost the accuracy of a sword..."

"He's getting stronger."

"He is." Itachi stooped down again, picking up a fragment of snake skin, pondering it carefully. "Perhaps this time he will be strong enough to kill me. I wouldn't want to leave a weakling behind to Madara."

Sakura paused, thinking over what Itachi was saying. In a quiet voice, she said "Sasuke won't be alone this time."

He glanced up at her, her downcast gaze looking sad in the full light. "No. He won't be alone, not for long. He has you."

"No, not me. He left me alone, he didn't want me to follow after him, and I don't intend to, not after what he's done. It's clear he doesn't want any interference until he finds you. When I said he wouldn't be alone... I meant that... he has you. In the end, Sasuke has his brother to guide him."

His eyes were cast to the ground, his figure unmoving and silent. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think. She was right, he knew, but he didn't know how to come to terms with what she meant. He remained silent. There was nothing he could say.

That night, under the stars they camped beneath, silence reigned above all else. He hadn't said anything since she commented on his role in his brother's life, and she wondered if she shouldn't have said it at all. No, she didn't regret that, she supposed. Still, he was so quiet. Trying to shift the strange mood to something else, she finally spoke, the fire flickering away as they stared at the stars. "Where do you suppose he went?"

Itachi had his hands clasped primly on his chest, laying back as he stared at the sky. "It's likely that he is looking for me. However... there is one more thing I must do, and it is why Leader sent Deidara to intercept Sasuke. If he does... he might get killed, but if he doesn't... we will all get killed. I must do this tomorrow, while I have a chance. It's the only chance I have."

"What are you going to do?"

His eyes closed in contemplation. "It is something I can't even tell you, I'm afraid. It is important that I take it to my grave, you understand. If Madara were to capture you and have someone extract your memories, everything would be ruined. I know you would never quail under mere interrogation, you proved this to me well enough, but we must plan for the worst case."

She nodded, frowning up at nothing. "I understand. The fact alone that I know what I do now is too revealing if I were to be caught. I know you'll do what you have to. It'll only be a few days, won't it? Until he..."

"Most likely. It won't be much longer. When tomorrow is over with, and news of his battle is known, I shall send a message to him and lead him to me at last."

"Only tomorrow? It seems like such a distant time, even though it's only hours..."

"I suppose that since I'm aware that I will die soon, time seems to stretch on forever."

She sat up slowly, nodding towards the fire. "Yes, I've seen that happen with terminal patients. They cling on to every last minute, using their final hours to make amends and leave their families with something to consider."

"So it will go. I don't regret what I must put him through. It is necessary, if he is to get at Madara. There is much more I would do if time went on, but this will not be the case." He faced her, catching her gaze. "When I am gone, you must take care that Madara doesn't try to sway you. Once he figures out that you know everything, he will try to make you his ally. Along with that, he is still trying to manipulate the others. Kisame knows the other half of my plan, and you will need to make sure he succeeds." His expression grew unreadable. "I want you to make sure he'll be alright."

Her brows raised at that. Itachi never seemed to care much about anyone else, save his brother in recent days, but now it seemed he cared somewhat for his long-time partner. Perhaps after the many years they spent in the other's company they had formed a sort of friendly bond, though it was just as likely that Itachi was considering Kisame's strength in battle. "Alright. I'll take care of him."

He closed his eyes again briefly. "We will arrange it so you will meet up with Naruto after my battle. From there, you must return and make it seem as if nothing happened and you managed to escape once I perished. Once you return, tell your shishou what I have told you, leak everything, have them prepare for war. This final battle will accomplish much more than preparing Sasuke for his own battle, it will set the entire plan into action. You must see to it that Akatsuki and Konoha acts as one. Use your ring, keep it a secret. If you focus your chakra into it, even while not wearing it, you can contact Pein. He will give you further instructions."

"What about you, though? What about..." Her eyes drifted back to the ground, not wanting to say it. What about the two of them? What about the things they had felt, the strange clash of wills that led to unexpected passion? Would she never be able to understand what it was?

Itachi was far more perceptive than most people and caught on to her implication. "I am out of time, tomorrow I venture into the unknown. As for tonight, however..." He edged closer to her, the backs of his fingers tracing the outline of her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps tonight can last a bit longer." His expression was suddenly unguarded, losing the usual mask of indifference. She knew that he still held emotions deep down, buried under years of imposed icy apathy. He was slow to change once he was set in his ways, but this turn of events, all he had shared with her, somehow he began to trust her with everything, even his true personality. This real man under the mask was just as calm, quiet and reserved, but he exuded a strange kind of tenderness that could only come from someone that had loved too much once. He had loved his brother, it was a fatal mistake but necessary. Once that was all taken from him he had closed down, shut off everything, but now in his last hours he could truly forget.

She willingly closed the distance, seeking his lips with her own, that same surge of ice gone and replaced with renewed fire. Of the people she had known from Konoha, only a few others had held the will of fire the same way Itachi had. Of all great sacrifices that had been made, his was one of the greatest. She didn't think him a martyr, rather someone that had been caught up in unfortunate circumstances. She had to let him go after tonight. They knew it couldn't last. For everyone's sake, including their own, this would be all they could ever have. Neither regretted it. He leaned into her kiss, deepening it with a turn of his head. She let him push her down onto her back when his hands came to her shoulders, surrendering to his touch.

When he pulled away, he took her hand cautiously, running his thumb over her palm, thinking. Humans were such fragile things, he mused. One critical hit was all it would take to end one's existence. If he wanted to, he could have killed her too, but instead his other hand roamed down her curved face, down to her neck, resting on the zipper of her signature vest. His palm rested over her heart, feeling the beating underneath. Fragile things. Her perceptive eyes saw much more than he would have wished, but perhaps it was for the better. Maybe she would understand, as no other before her had. She didn't look at him with disgust anymore, just the calm, sympathetic gaze that had intrigued him from the start. Her hands went down his chest, feeling the thick fabric of his cloak before unsnapping the heavy garment, leaving behind his thin meshed shirt. His lean muscles plainly showed under the tight fabric, tensing as he drew close enough for her to catch that alluring scent again.

He smelled of jasmine and something masculine, strands of his long hair escaping the confines of his tie. She reached back to untie his hair, each segment flickering yellow and orange by the light of the fire. As he paused there above her, his hair down around his shoulders and his cloak gone, it almost seemed as if he were someone else, someone that didn't have the ties to Akatsuki, the ties to himself, the ties to his past and his regrets. He seemed to feel freed of his obligations, free from the world if only for one night. He leaned close again, kissing her forehead chastely. It was a thanks, a thanks for freeing him at least once.

Her hands went to his neck, pulling him down for another kiss, responding in the only way she felt proper. She knew what he meant. She had seen it all before. It was their fate as shinobi to suffer, to feel this separation from themselves, to be so different from other people. She had her own separation from herself, what she had called Inner Sakura, and she supposed she was just as insane as anyone else that called themselves a shinobi. When he pulled back again, her look was resolute, holding a sense of finality. They had changed, but the change only fueled the fatal attraction. Her hands grabbed his shirt roughly, suddenly desiring more of this fire that burned in their souls. He responded by leaning up a little, letting her remove all that remained of his former self.

His lean muscles tensed as he edged back down, unzipping her vest slowly, intently focused on every piece of her that he unveiled. In truth he was intrigued, still uncertain how someone like her could inspire him into changing who he was. She knew everything... she accepted what he was. Since she knew everything, he knew she had accepted all of him, all of what he had been and what he was now. Perhaps that was what intrigued him. No matter how much she found out, she would try to see things from every perspective. She was quite similar to himself, he mused. If he had been born to a different family... if he had been someone ordinary... could he have been more like her?

Her clothing fell aside, followed by whatever still separated them, leaving them with nothing but themselves. She had changed once the clothing was lost. Without her signature gear, she ceased to be Haruno Sakura and became... just a person, just someone that knew the stranger above her. All pretenses were cast aside, meaningless words and notions next to the heat of the moment. His hands ran up her legs, lingering over every inch, almost as if inspecting. She didn't exactly expect blind passion out of him, but even so, his scrutiny made her blush. His dark eyes wandered back to her face again, her shy blush and unguarded expression making him stop in his tracks. He smirked just the smallest bit, staring at her as he continued his exploration, watching her grow more and more red as she turned her face away.

Sakura finally had enough of the intense glare and began an exploration of her own, her nails drifting from his chest to his sides. He seemed slightly amused by that and stopped his movements to watch her progress. Only when she grazed over a particularly sensitive region did he finally lose his desire to explore and regained that nearly abandoned sense of lust. He didn't deny these sensations anymore, he knew that no human being could for long. Even the most chaste monk in the fire country had to have his moments, he surmised. His dark ebony eyes flicked to hers, letting her know that he didn't feel like playing games anymore. Her own jade eyes burned with inner fire, not wanting to play around either. With another slight smirk he drew closer, biting at her lower lip as he took her slowly.

She tensed at the intrusion, though after a moment her fingers tightened around his back, one hand coming up to thread through his long hair. He paused only another moment before continuing, slow but steady at first, getting accustomed to this odd sensation coursing through him. If it had been only a clash of fire and ice before, now it seemed like a complete meltdown. With every motion he felt something old and forgotten stir in his gut, something he had abandoned so long ago. He didn't dare consider what it might be, lest he forget his lifelong mission. No, whatever it was, it couldn't be. This was his fate, this was how it was meant to be, as painful as it was.

When she clenched harder, he knew she was close, coming near the edge as his speed increased. He felt it too, the tense, blinding moment just before the end. His rhythm didn't decrease even as he fought the overwhelming sensations rushing over him, suddenly feeling far too much when he was so used to feeling nothing at all. She arched suddenly, and for the briefest moment he thought she whispered his name, though it was lost in the roar of the crackling fire. When she tensed around him, clutching at his back for dear life, he lost it as well, tensing as stars danced across his vision. The explosion of thought and feeling was almost too much, but when it was over he felt a sense of clarity that he had never had before. Yes, now he understood.

He withdrew but she pulled him close again, not relinquishing her hold. He understood why. She didn't want to give up what this was they had felt. Reluctantly, his lips pursed slightly as he opened his eyes and looked at her. "You have to let me go."

His words were simple but final, and although she understood, her eyes closed and she sighed heavily, loosening her grip. "I understand."

A small, real smile escaped him, letting her have one last glimpse of what he truly was. It was only because of this chance relationship that he knew anything at all of who he had been, as confusing and complex as it may have been. With that, the Itachi she knew disappeared, his Sharingan appearing, whirring quietly. "...then sleep." His gaze was mesmerizing... lulling her into sleep...

She woke, cold and alone, on her back but covered with a small blanket. He was gone. Was this the end? She had no idea how long she cried. In the end, he didn't regret marching to his death, but she still mourned. She mourned what he was, what it meant to lose what this world really needed. Perhaps, she supposed, she even mourned for her own sake.

A/N: Okay... Before you ask... this is the ENDING. Before you go about trying to kill me, there will be a sequel but not for some time yet. This is how I wanted it to end, really.