Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Slight AU warning.
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XXX

Unknown Deceit

Bolded lines are Inner Sakura. Italicized lines are regular thoughts from anybody. Bolded italicized lines are flashbacks or dreams. Warning, this chapter's got a small part that's a little graphic.

Chapter 10 – Into Warm Arms

He let go of her hand and her waist, and wrapped his arms around her.

Sakura paused in mid-hiccup, her face going into his kimono. It smelled of the fresh night air and grass. Her tears caught his fabric, transferring onto the cloth and away from her makeup. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't mind this. She liked it, in face. To be so close to the Uchiha.

I want to experience that again...over and over...

His reply was something Sakura would have never had thought of, especially not from him. It took her off guard.

He smiled.

It was a kind, gentle, happy smile, which broke the sadness that had once placed an eternity hold on his face.

I could remember that forever...

"I will find your old self," Itachi promised. "And I will forever stay there with you, until you can find your summer beyond the harsh winter."

Sakura's eyes fell to the ground. "I..." she looked back up at him. "Will you promise me that?"

Itachi's smile never left his perfect face. "...Until your story's end."

I don't want my story to end.

XxXxXx

Sakura's eyes fluttered open. Her stare was groggy and unfocused, but her senses alerted her that she was in grave danger.

Akimu was sitting on top of her, holding a kunai high up in the air. Surprised by her awakening, he stopped with a horrified look on his face. Sakura blinked and screamed, shooting out of the way.

"What are you doing?!" she screamed.

"Please, go back to sleep!" Akimu implored, throwing the kunai at her. She ducked her head and grabbed it when it sunk into the wall, tossing it back at him two-fold.

This can't be happening, she thought as Akimu nabbed it between two fingers. Not Akimu. He's too nice!

"What do you want from me?" Sakura asked, automatically reaching for her weapons pouch tied around her leg...problem was she was wearing a nightgown, and completely unprepared for what was happening.

"I'm sorry. I was going to do this while you slept, but I can't turn back now," Akimu pledged. "You must die, Sakura Haruno!"

"Why are you doing this?" she yelled. "Is it because of the seal? You never worried about it before!" she screamed and dodged a flurry of senbon.

"I've been patient about it enough, but after what Kisame said the night before I cannot keep myself docile! You are a wonderful woman, but you must die!" Akimu sounded truly miserable, advancing on her.

Sakura jumped on her bed and grabbed a vase, throwing it at him. There was a loud crash, and Akimu punched through it just as the door to her room flew open.

In a split second, Itachi had appeared, taken a sword, and plunged it straight through Akimu's back without any second thoughts. Sakura collapsed on her bed, shaking and sweating, watching Akimu crumple and his blood covering Itachi's hands and night clothing. In the moonlight that shone through her window, he truly looked like the murderer everyone claimed he was.

Deidara, Sasori and Kisame came in behind Itachi, Deidara looking at Akimu solemnly. "You just had to betray us," he spoke softly.

Akimu was choking on the floor. Sakura couldn't see him, but it didn't matter. His words were what hit her hardest.

"She...you're giving her false hope you bastards! S-She thinks she's going to live? The only w-way to destroy the seal is to kill the owner before the seal transfers! A-And you...you make her think that there's another way..." Akimu stopped talking, signaling that he was dead.

Sakura pulled her knees close to her and she rested her chin on them, not speaking. Last time was thrown from her mind as Akimu's words embedded themselves into her brain. False hope...killing the seal...killing her. And Itachi had promised, he had fucking promised her that he would end her pain. Or was that just another way of saying he'd kill her?

Itachi handed the sword to Sasori, who nodded and left holding the blade. He kicked Akimu out of the way, and he hit the wall and made a large bloodstain, making Sakura wince. He was supposed to be a gentle man. Sure, he was strong, but...never had she seen such anger in his eyes. It was inhuman, thirsting for blood.

"Sakura," he said in a gentle voice that didn't match his eyes, approaching the bed.

"DON'T COME NEAR ME!" Sakura screamed, grabbing a kunai from the wall behind her.

He paused, and Deidara gasped at her outburst. "Sakura, are you alright yeah?"

"NO, I'M NOT FUCKING ALRIGHT YEAH!" She was utterly terrified.

Itachi put a hand to silence Deidara, who had opened his mouth. "Sakura," he reiterated softly.

"Stop saying my name like that," she demanded, "stop SAYING IT!"

He drew closer, and she threw the kunai as a warning. It whizzed past his ear and nearly hit Kisame, who moved his head. "I said don't come near me, you monster!"

He hesitated. "...Monster?"

"You just killed someone in my bedroom! You're fucking bloody and your eyes..." she shuddered.

"I will not let anyone hurt you," he explained.

"You just kicked him out of the way! He was your friend, and you kicked him like he was trash!" Akimu had tried to take her life because he was afraid of the destruction of the world. That's a very good reason to try and kill someone, she thought. Even though it hurt her. What she was angry about the most was how they had all lied, flat-out lied to her.

"You too...all of you," she hissed. "You all lied. First Konoha, and now you. There's no one I can turn to, is there? You said you'd find a way to heal me!"

"We've been trying!" Deidara said in a desperate voice. "We haven't found anything, but we didn't want to worry you, yeah!"

"You were going to have to kill me eventually if you didn't succeed, and that you kept from me! Now I know I'm gonna have to die, and none of you had the decency to tell me. I got close to all of you, especially you," she glanced at Itachi, "and you gave me hope. And then you found it fit to take it all away along with my trust and compassion for any of you bastards."

"Don't say that," Kisame said. "You don't hate us."

"I WISH I DID!" Sakura cried. "I REALLY WISH I DID!"

"Look, we aren't going to stop searching for a way," Deidara said, hoping this would cheer her up. "We won't give up on you."

Sakura jumped off the bed, still shaking. "Today is a night where we celebrate the future winter, and also the ending of warmth, but that does not mean warm days aren't ahead. Beyond the snow and ice are the sun and the flowers. You can reach that destination, by just being patient, and putting your trust in the earth that it will keep its promise to rotate the seasons. Just like I will see you through your troubles and your battles, and I will keep my promise to find a way for you to not have to suffer anymore."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. Sakura smirked angrily. "You remember that, from yesterday? There's no way to cure me. And you knew that and lied to me."

"...We do not know if there isn't a way. All we can do is keep searching," Itachi told her.

Sakura strode across the room and to the door. Itachi stepped in front of it, his eyes reverting back to their gentleness.

"...Get out of my way," she spat.

"Don't do this," he warned.

She flipped her pink hair out of her face and pushed him out of the way. She stepped into the hall, and in a rush of wind she was gone.

Deidara looked from the doorframe to the Uchiha. "Aren't you going after her, yeah?"

"...Don't worry. I know where she's going," he said.

Kisame stared at Akimu, depressed. "I should have never told him the lifespan remaining on the seal."

"What is it?" Deidara asked. "Don't worry; I won't go psycho killer."

Kisame smiled half-heartedly at his joke. "...less than two months."

"Are you kidding?! Cuz that's far from funny," Deidara sputtered.

Itachi heaved a sigh. "...Whatever you do, do not say anything to Sakura."

XxXxXx

She didn't now where she was going. She just ran and ran and ran, trying to get as far from the castle as possible. It wasn't until she stopped from fatigue that she noticed where her legs had subconsciously carried her.

She was situated in front of a small, dark home made from wood with two front windows and small shrubs lined up underneath them. The clearing was fairly large and settled in the deep part of the forest.

Sakura knew where she was. This was where she had considered going hundreds of times, but never gathered up the courage to pull through with her plan. Where she wanted to retreat after Tsunade ordered her assassination.

Slowly, she walked to the front door. Standing there, she didn't know if she should even be there. Finally, she made up her mind and rapped on the door, quietly.

A flash of red in the window, and Sakura's heart flopped over. Two years. It had been two years. She didn't know what to say, what to even do.

The door opened, and all of her worries about introduction left her.

"...Sakura?"

Her lip trembled, and she leapt forward and hugged him, crying. Surprised, and completely taken off guard, he placed his arms around her, comfortingly. "It's going to be alright, don't cry."

He led her into his home and sat her on the couch in the darkly furnished living room, and went to his cluttered kitchen. Two years. It had been two years. He poured a glass of peach nectar, hoping that she still had a fondness for the drink. What he couldn't understand was why he was being so casual. Two goddamn years.

He offered her the glass. She took it with a thank you and wiped her tears away, tilting it into her mouth and sipping the drink.

"How do you know where I live?" the dark-haired man asked, sitting across from her.

"I found out with some research. Don't worry; I didn't tell anyone. I've wanted to come for a while, but I couldn't bring myself to..." she felt a lump grow in her throat, "...come."

"...Did something happen with you and Itachi?" he asked.

"How did you know...oh, he's been keeping in contact with you, hasn't he?" the pinkette surmised, noticing a stack of letters on a cherrywood table.

"I know everything that he knows." With that, the man stood up, his long bangs framing his pale face, with almond-shaped black eyes and a small scar running down the right side of his lip. The man, Sasuke Uchiha, reached over and picked up the letter with the most recent date printed on it in neat penmanship.

He read it over, and sighed, crumpling it up and throwing it in the wastebasket. "Did you find out about your odds?"

"My odds, that's what it's called?" Sakura asked, looking livid. "For the most part. Why would he be so kind to me?! It doesn't make sense. I'd think he'd want the seal gone as quick as possible!"

"He has his reasons," Sasuke replied. He moved in front of the wall lamp. The shaded light illuminated his face, and his former teammate noticed that his once-sharp, cold eyes were soft and tired looking. He was much skinnier, and his muscles had degenerated significantly.

Sasuke's really been affected by all this. He doesn't look as appealing as he used to, not as intimidating.

"I wish I knew them." Sakura crossed her arms and sunk lower into the couch, feeling listless.

"I can assure you he won't go back on his word."

"How do you know? How come you are all so sure I'm going to survive? That no one will have to kill me eventually?" Sakura felt her eyes burn.

"I don't. But he's my brother, just in case you forgot. And I know he doesn't throw away things precious to him." His eyes scrutinized her in nothing but a red nightgown hardly suitable for winter. He stood up and gathered up a blanket, draping it over her.

"Thank you," she whispered, hiccupping.

"Don't thank me. I'm a son of a bitch for leaving you and Naruto to chase after power I didn't need. All I can do is beg for amnesty by helping my brother and his friends."

"You're trying to find a way to destroy it?" she asked.

"I'd prefer to call it a cure." He brushed pink strands out of her beautiful face. "I don't want to lose you, not when I still need to be forgiven."

"Sasuke..." Sakura began, but another knock on the door interrupted her.

"I'm quite popular today," the Uchiha said with a chuckle. "Stay where you are."

She nodded. Sasuke looked through the window, his Sharingan activated, and relaxed. He opened the door. "You know, you made her cry," he responded to the silence.

She knew who was at the door. She threw the blanket over her head. Maybe he wouldn't notice her.

Sasuke stuck his head back in and paused for a moment, sensing her underneath the blanket. He smirked, amused. "Come out here and see him."

"I don't want to!" she protested. God damnit, I sound like a child.

Well, you ARE being immature!

She heard Itachi enter, and let the blanket slide down her face so her emerald orbs were visible, glaring at him. He was wearing his Akatsuki cloak, looking wind-blown. "Let's go."

"Go to hell."

Sasuke ducked into the kitchen while they settled their differences. He didn't have the right to be a part of any of it.

"Sakura," he said sharply, "Please."

His tone was frantic and a bit pleading. The kunoichi wouldn't have expected it from the cool customer he usually was.

"We don't want you to come back just because of the seal. We're worried, and you can't do this to us. Damnit, I've tried so hard to keep you safe, and you have no right to throw away everything we give you." He was embittered.

Sakura didn't blame him. "...I don't want to die." Her eyes filled with tears. "I-I don't get it! I'm usually strong-willed, but I've been having so many breakdowns lately. I don't think I can take this..."

"Come back. We'll find a cure together."

She nodded silently and wiped away her tears. She stood up, the blanket falling to the ground. He noticed her lack of decent clothing and moved behind her. She heard a rustle, and her body warmed when a cloak was placed around her. It was Itachi's robe.

"Itachi..." she spoke quietly.

"Brother, can I speak to you for a minute?" Sasuke reappeared and was standing parallel to them.

Itachi nodded curtly. "Go wait outside," he addressed to Sakura.

"Don't take too long."

Sasuke watched her step towards the door. When he was certain it was closed, his eyes fell upon Itachi's matching ones. "...You're keeping your promise."

"You didn't think I would?"

"It's unexpected how far you went. But now I can really see. I fucked up like you won't believe it," Sasuke laughed dryly.

"I don't understand." Itachi wasn't lying.

"Oh, you will in time. I know that for a fact." His face darkened. "How much time do we have?"

"Two months." The older Uchiha didn't sound happy.

"Are you kidding me? Shit. Well, I guess I can't say 'no pressure'." The younger Uchiha scrutinized his brother. "...I'll do everything I can. I guess we'll just have to speed things up a bit."

"I shall give you a report on our progress as well." Itachi turned towards the door.

"Hey, brother?"

He paused, his hand on the knob.

"...Take care of her."

Itachi didn't reply. He opened the door and stepped out into the cold winter night. Sakura was plodding around, watching trees. She perked up when she noticed him. He walked to her and they left for the castle. Sakura looked back at Sasuke's house. He was nowhere to be seen.

A loud yawn escaped her body. She hadn't realized how tired she was. She leaned her pink-haired head against Itachi's shoulder, which she barely reached.

"Itachi..." she drawled sleepily.

"Yes?" He usually didn't respond when called, preferring to wait for a question or statement. Actually, it felt bizarre to say anything at all.

"Am I...going to die?"

His chest tightened unpleasantly. He didn't want to lie. So, he decided not to. "No. I won't let you die." Usually, he'd avoid the question with some half-baked answer, but he was certain this time.

He gasped lightly and turned, catching Sakura right before she hit the cold ground. Sweeping her up bridal-style, he noticed the tiredness etched into her soft features.

She has gone through too much in her life. Just like us, she will always be vigilant asleep or awake, awarding her with unrest.

A light snow had begun to fall. Itachi hurried along, wanting to get inside as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, before he could begin a sprint, five chakra sources burst from the trees.

They were on him in a second. Sakura's eyes fluttered open. She hadn't really fallen into a deep enough sleep, and the rush of five shinobi was enough to rouse her. She shrieked as Itachi—arm around her stomach—flew her out of the mess and onto steady ground.

He pivoted, kunai clashing. There's no time for this!

"ANBU!" Sakura exclaimed. Damnit, I have no weapons!

A female with a tanuki mask leaped at her. Sakura acted quick, sending a Burning Hearts Jutsu at her and sliding underneath the flames towards Itachi, who was spinning in a full-circle defending from thrown senbon. When he halted, they were stuck to some sort of body shield. He punched the shield, which exploded and sent the senbon back, this time with shards of the shield to worry about.

His eyes bled into their deep red and he easily responded to a taijutsu attack from a male donkey-mask with the same attack with ten times the power. He rushed forward in front of Sakura, taking a shuriken and throwing it to distract a woman before running forward and plunging a kunai into her abdomen.

"I do not kill Konoha ninja unless am I truly forced too. None of you are powerful enough to even scratch me, so I am not forced to kill you! Leave!" he demanded.

"You've murdered plenty of them before—or did you forget about your clan?" one yelled.

He moved his head to duck a shuriken. Sakura was glaring at him. "Fuck you! What do you know?" she spat.

"You're one to talk, traitor! You've dishonored Hatake Kakashi's good name as well as Naruto Uzumaki's!"

"Hah, oh really?" If only they knew the truth about Kakashi. Naruto she felt guilty for.

She sauntered forward, only to have a pain explode from her back. A shrill scream came up through her throat and she fell to her knees. Her eyes squeezed shut from the pain; she forced them open so she could continue fighting.

Sakura was kneeling in a wasteland. The trees around her were burned down, nothing but stumps covering the ashen land. The grass nestles under her legs were blackened and dead, and as she stood up they made crispy noises as they fell apart.

The disgusting smell of burning blood was all around her, enough to make her gag. Bewildered, her eyes fell upon a body lying in the center of the crusted blood. She neared it, and let out a terrified scream.

It was Itachi, or what was left of him. All of his skin was burnt black, a Sharingan eyeball hanging out of a blown-up socket. A small piece of red-clouded cloth was melted onto his arm, which was nothing but a bone. His skull was crushed in half, his brain leaking out the sides.

She couldn't bring herself to stop screaming. No tears fell out of the pure disgust that she felt, and she threw up more than once. Finally, her mind gave her respite from the gruesome scene and she fainted.

XxXxXx

It was really warm. Sakura sat up, breathing in gasps of fear. A small lamp was dimly lit on the bedside table, and Itachi was sitting on a chair next to her. She was in his bed.

"You're awake," he noticed. "Deidara and Sasori beat back the ANBU while I got you back safely. They're alright, but we need to be more..."

He paused when Sakura threw her arms around him, sobbing. "I h-had a nightmare! No, a vision! You were dead and burnt and everything was blown up and you...y-you were..."

He hugged her back. "Whatever happened to me will not happen. I swear it."

"That's not the only time I've had those dreams! I had a dream about the Akatsuki on the battlefield. And on the battlefield I saw a vision of Konoha burning to the ground! And this was before I received the seal," she choked out.

Itachi wiped her eyes dry, gathering stray tears on a pale finger. "We don't know why that happened. Another thing on our minds is your visions."

Sakura released him and stared into his tired eyes. "You don't have a scratch on you."

"I don't hurt easily. Remember, I'm one of the most feared ninja in the world. I may not have the actual power to slay my clan, but I'm damn near close."

"I shouldn't even worry about you. I know you're strong. But, please don't get into any more fights," she begged. Then, she laughed. "Why am I even bothering? I sound like a damsel in distress."

"You are one," he pointed out.

"I'm a strong kunoichi! It's not like I can't take care of myself," she grumbled.

"Not against five ANBU," he said truthfully.

"How's that gonna make me feel better?" she complained.

He smiled. "I should be the one telling you not to get into any fights."

She pushed him, giggling. "You're no fun. I liked you better on the dance floor."

"What are you talking about? I don't dance."

"Oooh, you!"

XxXxXx

"You're sure it was her?" A woman asked the ANBU officer beyond her desk.

"Come on; how many pink-haired ninja are there?" he replied.

"Alright, thank you for the details." She held a wordy report in her hands. "You're dismissed. Await further orders until then."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade read the report, her conscience screaming at her. 'Traveling with missing-nin class S Itachi Uchiha and was backed up by class S missing-nin Sasori and Deidara, last names unknown.'

"Fucking great," she said. "I had partially hoped we'd never hear from them again. That maybe, just maybe something happened and she wasn't still carrying that bitch."

'Fainted at scene, screaming Itachi Uchiha's name several times. He fled with her while Sasori and Deidara provided a distraction. Major injuries at the hand of Sasori, Deidara refused to fight properly. Retreat was necessary from the extremities of injury from Sasori's violence.'

"Of course Sasori would be pissed. His life's been ruined because of this, more so than a lot of Akatsuki." Tsunade threw down the report. "Damnit Sakura; why did you have to be found out?"

The next couple days were not fun for Tsunade. Rumors had somehow been born, and soon the whole town was chattering about Akatsuki and Sakura.

She called a meeting with Kakashi, a honcho of ANBU. He wore heavy winter apparel. "Tsunade, your boobs are going to freeze off if you don't cover them," he greeted her.

Her eyes narrowed. "This is serious business. I know you've been informed about the Akatsuki slash Sakura sighting."

He chuckled. "Yup, that's the talk of the town."

"I know it's colder than a bitch in a freezer out there, but we have to send search teams looking for them. They were traveling northeast through the forest, so we can assume that their hideout is located in that area. I want you to lead a search team beyond the battlefield grounds."

Kakashi nodded. "Should we prepare for a full-day?"

"Possibly. If you can't find anything then return and I'll have preparations for a longer exhibition." Tsunade laved her fingers together. "I have full trust in your abilities. Surely you won't let the fact that this is your former student cloud your judgment."

Kakashi smirked. "I hope you think the same way."

"...You're one of the only people who know my true colors. Even I'm ashamed of myself," she admitted.

"There are always parts of us we wish we didn't have," the silver-haired man replied. "I'll have those teams ready."

He left, stuffing his hands in his pockets. I have to figure out how I can mislead my team without looking suspicious. I pray to god the barrier has been recharged.

Tsunade took a large swig of sake. Life sucked a lot more than it should. The door to her office banged open and Naruto sauntered in. "Tsunade-granny!" he exclaimed, sounding hyper.

She groaned. "What?"

"I heard Sakura's been spotted," he said in a much more serious tone.

She stared at the boy almost out of his teens. "Yeah."

"Yeah? That's all you can say? When can I see her? Where is she? I want to see her!"

"Stop talking for a minute!" Tsunade commanded. "We're sending a search team to look for her, and you're not a part of ANBU. Therefore you have no jurisdiction and no allowance to join the search team."

"Are you kidding me?" Naruto asked, anger rising. "She's my old teammate!"

"Yeah, and she's my old student!" the Hokage snapped. "But you must be forgetting that she tried to kill me, and a sector of ANBU. I'm not about to let you go after her, she might kill you."

Naruto quieted. "She wouldn't kill me."

"She's hanging around with the murderer of the Uchiha clan, you idiot. I don't think friendship matters to her. Now, thank you for interrupting me. Leave."

"But—"

"I said leave!"

Naruto glared. "Fine. Thanks for nothing." He stepped outside her office and slammed the door shut. He descended the Hokage Monument and watched the sky turn peach-colored as the sun set. Walking past Ichiraku Ramen, he heard someone call his name. His blue sandals crunched over little pebbles as he stopped.

Ino Yamanaka was catching up to him quickly, blond hair curled and long over her shoulders. "Thanks for waiting," she said. "You just come from the Hokage's office?"

"How'd you guess," Naruto said, sounding put-out.

"I was just there yesterday. She turned me down too. I know you'd want to go look for Sakura." She flipped her bangs out of her eyes.

"Well I can't, because Tsunade's being a bitch," the kyuubi-holder grumbled.

"Who cares what she says?" Ino asked, feeling rebellious.

"You want to go look for Sakura? But our missions. What if we're assigned to something?" Naruto didn't know why he wasn't jumping at the chance to leave. Usually he was the insurgent.

"Then we'll get our asses chewed later. But you know as well as I do there's something wrong with this picture. Now, Sasuke—I don't know much about him—but he showed signs of detaching long before he actually did. But Sakura, she was perfectly fine I know that. She had no qualms with the Fifth or anybody, I'm sure." Ino shook her head. "Something's up. I want to know what it is."

Naruto smirked. "You want me to help you? I heard Sakura was found up north."

"There's a village up there that ninja often use as a checkpoint. We could start there," Ino stated.

"Sounds good to me. When should we leave?" Naruto asked.

"Tomorrow morning, when no one's awake," Ino suggested.

He thought about it. "A lot of people wake up really early here. I'd say really late at night. We'll have to get around guards, but they shouldn't be that hard. Let's go home and pack, and then meet up at Kikyo Castle at a quarter past midnight."

She nodded. "Will do."

XxXxXx

Kisame watched Sakura pick snow flowers dotted around the icy fields. His eyes bore into the seal.

Two months...we'd better hurry our asses up.

XxXxXx

Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and want more. Because, I'm telling you there will be much more!

Has anyone ever played Silent Hill 3? It's one of the scariest games I've ever played. Absolutely amazing game too. Oh, a new chapter of Show Me a Hero should be up soon.

Well, finally we hear from Konoha again after four chapters. And just when you thought everyone was here, I go and haul in Sasuke. For those who love him, you'll be seeing more of him, and for those who don't, too bad. Don't worry; he wont' be making any moves on Sakura.

Merry Christmas again!