Recap:
"So they infiltrated my base and killed my operatives for one derisory girl?" the question was rhetorical as he hummed in his own response. "That simply won't do. The Akatsuki truly have grown reckless. Doubtful that she'll survive their company for long, but the Akatsuki cannot go unpunished for what they've done."
"Sir?"
"We need Kabuto. Work on that until further instructions are given."
"Sir, what of the Akatsuki and the rest of the FBI?"
"I will handle the Akatsuki," the man replied as a smirk grew across his lips. "As for the FBI, we have evaded them for this long. They are docile for the time being. Now get to work."
"Yes, Orochimaru," was the only reply before he left the room.
"Sakura Haruno, you have truly been an annoyance on this earth. I'll have to use whatever tactics necessary to eliminate you and anyone else who has the audacity to stand in my way. The price for discontentment is death."
-xxx-
Ch.10 The Reality of Weakness
When she woke up the next morning, the pain of her injuries hit her with full force. A sharp intake to her lungs tried to quell her discomfort, but availed with no success. Now that she knew the full extent of her injuries, and had allowed her current situation to sink in, the gang members had agree to leave her uncuffed to her bed. The restraint had only seemed to spike her anxiety levels and would not help in her recovery. It reminded her too much of the many hours she spent strapped to the metal table in the clutches of Kimmimaro.
She tried to regulate her breathing to assist with her pain. The most prominent discomfort she felt originated from her damaged ribs and recently reset ankle. The dull throb of the injury resonated through her body as it now laid propped among a stark white pillow. Before Kisame had left her the previous day, he pressed that the newly set wound should remain elevated for proper healing. She gave him no response. She was still mulling over Kisame's reasoning for her withholding and she couldn't find any fight in her at that time.
As she grew more accustomed to the pain with each breath taken, it began to dull away to a faint sensation at the back of her mind. She would not complain openly, in fear of being injected with medication unknown to her. To keep her bearings, she needed to remain level headed to find some way out of her current predicament. The initially small emptiness in her stomach that had gone unattended previously now became obvious as the walls of her stomach rumbled. Daring to consider when she had last ate, it was before she was taken hostage by her first host.
She let it set in that this hostage situation would play out much differently than the first she was set in. And for that, she was unsure whether to be thankful or even more fearful. The men she was with now had no information they wanted or ransom to be withheld. She was the final prize, and they reminded her that she would be treated as such. Assuming that she would not be harmed during her stay, she knew that this situation would not be as taxing on her physical state as it would on her mental one.
Being around criminals whose infamy only heightened their danger was not an easy situation. Adding the fact that these men held an obsession knowing no bounds made treading lightly even more important. It was as if she had an extra sense when it came to these men, because she felt one approaching down the hallway outside her room. Now sooner had she thought it that a presence appeared.
"Good morning, beautiful, yeah," the blonde haired Akatsuki greeted with a smile gracing his sun kissed features. In his arms, he carried a tray towards her that smelled heavenly to Sakura's senses, her hunger hitting her full force. "How are you feeling?"
"As well as a girl in my situation can feel," she responded quietly as she watched the blonde deposit the tray at the edge of her bed. Her tone was unwavering and bland. She meant to give none of her true feelings away in the presence of another.
"You must be hungry, yeah!" He knew she was, just as well as he knew that she knew. He could tell buy the sickly color that had hued her usually beautifully milky white skin. He noticed when he had observed her sleeping the day before how her skin thinned around her ribs slightly as he could make out the contours of her bones. He did not ask the question he wanted to, because he already had his answer. So he pushed the food closer to her still form as she stared blankly ahead of herself, hoping she would eat sooner rather than later.
He knew she was hungry. He could tell all the signs. He watched as she would subtly glance at the food as its aroma filled her nostrils. The movement in the pale column of her neck did not go unnoticed as she swallowed. Her posture was tense as he watched the rustle of fabric across her stomach move; her muscles were clenching. She was tortured for two days and he was sure she wasn't fed at all during that time, then she had been in and out of consciousness when they had retrieved her so she was unable to eat during that time. It had been at least three days without food, and the toll it was taking on her was heartbreaking.
"Sakura," his voice called out to her in a low tone. He watched as her glazed over green eyes watched him warily. "You have to eat something."
As an agent who has seen her fair share of hostage cases since she started at the bureau, she knew the inner workings of each case. She knew it was very typical for hostages to be poisoned through the intake of food. She had interviewed so many people who contested to that case, so her feelings towards taking what Deidara offered were justifiable in her mind. She knew of each man's past transgressions and she would not put it past them to do the same to her. She knew each held her on a pedestal of their own, but to what extent? She'd rather not find out.
"Sakura," Deidara tried once more as she sat next to the food that was continuously moving closer to her.
"I can't," she told him quietly.
"Sakura, you need to eat. We're not going to hurt you, yeah," he tried pleading, but that only allowed for the agent's anxiety to increase.
"But you are hurting me," she protested, suddenly turning her full attention to the pyrotechnic expert. "You're keeping me locked up and away from my life!"
Sakura knew a lot about these men. More than she would care to admit. It was her job, after all. She knew about their pasts, the worst possible things about them, but she also knew what made them tick in certain ways. She knew what would rise a reaction. She knew that Hidan loved when she allowed the foulest language to spill from her lips. She knew that Kakuzu loved when she sprung her wit on him. She knew that Itachi loved when her fear would never show. She knew that Kisame loved the fiery spirit she openly possessed. She knew that Sasori loved when she used her beauty against him. She knew that Pein loved to have any sort of control over her. And she knew Deidara, more than anything, loved to please her. She could use these advantages against them, and she planned too.
"We're doing it to protect you, yeah!" Deidara tried to object in return as his azure eyes swelled with emotion. "After what happened to you, all we want to do is keep you safe. You have to understand that."
"And who is going to keep me safe from you?!" Agent Haruno demanded her eyes brightening with her fiery spirt once again, her hunger forgotten as she was lost in the moment. Normally captives would bend to the wishes of their captors, but Sakura knew she just couldn't sit idly and let these men think that she would willing accept her new place among their ranks. Not if she wanted to keep her sanity.
She noticed the slight pain that made way through Deidara's bright eyes as he hesitated slightly at her comment. "The safest place for you right now is with us!" he tried to reason as his fists clenched tightly in his lap.
"Living life in a cage is no way to live," Sakura shot back to one of her captors. "I would rather take my chances with the rest of the world."
"You're in danger in the rest of the world, yeah. Don't you understand that you can't just get away with what you've done to the sound organization?" He didn't give her the chance to answer as he continued. "You don't have the luxury to take someone like Orochimaru so lightly in your situation. If he finds you, he will kill you."
"In case you are unaware, he is not the only person who wishes me dead. So, like I said, I'll-"
"Who else wants you dead?" his voice cut off her own, but his tone changed. His speech impediment was no longer present as he spoke. She realized she should have chosen her words more carefully, once again.
"It's nothing-" she tried to retort, but was once again stopped.
"Who?"
She could feel his sanity leaving his body with every second that ticked by. "Deidara-"
"Tell me, Sakura." His tone was demanding and not at all of the playful nature he usually held. His posture had gone rigid where he sat so closely to her own form. She felt that if she touched him, he would shatter. He looked up at her through his long blonde tresses. His eyes a steely blue in color. "Who else wants you dead?"
The pure venom in his tone made her throat tighten and with what she had just been through, her bodies automatic reaction was to retract from the threat placing itself before her. Her back pressed further into her headboard while her hands clenched her bedsheets. She tried calling out to him again, but his hand shot out to grip her wrist tightly. She winced and his fingers clamped around her bruised flesh.
"Tell me!"
"You're hurting me, Deidara!"
"Sakura-"
"Deidara," a firm voice called out from the doorway of her room. The two occupants were so caught up in their own world that they had not noticed him, and this factor was something that was hard to do. Not noticing the leaders of the Akatsuki was just as likely as not noticing someone wrapping their hands around your throat. "Leave."
The voice sobered Deidara enough to realize what he was doing. His blue eyes took in the panic ebbing around Sakura's features just before he understood just how tightly he now held her wrist. He quickly released the agent's wrist as if it was hot enough to burn through his flesh. Dread overtook his features.
"Agent Haruno, I'm so sor-"
"Deidara, leave. Now," Pein's voice demanded once more, with more force behind his tone. It was evident that the pyrotechnic did not want to leave, but the strict tone coming from the pierced man now occupying the doorway was nonnegotiable. Deidara's inner struggle was more than evident, but Sakura found that she was soon to be faced with bigger problems. The blonde left wordlessly and left Sakura with the devil in the flesh.
"Angel," he called out in a short greeting.
"Don't," she shot back, as she refused to look into her grey storm eyes. Instead she chose to focus on the blank wall in front of her with fingers clenched into her bed sheets to distract from the panic brewing within her. "I refuse to play this coy little game with you. This is not a game. This is my life."
"Nor is this a game to me, my dear. You jump to a conclusion that it is something so casually categorized." There was not much in this world that Sakura feared. She was well trained in many different areas that made her a confident person in a field that was more than frightening. But the man before her, put her on edge. His voice alone was enough to raise chills down the length of her spinal cord. This man was dangerous at an entirely new level. He had killed hundreds and gotten away with it, but he was not like most killers. He was careful, precise, collected. It was as if he had no worries of being caught. Everything was always carefully planned out to the point where he became untraceable. His kills had a purpose. A purpose to make the world into his ideal image. He would kill whomever he had to in order to get what he wanted.
"This conclusion is one I have evidence enough to support. There is no real reason that you want me here. This is purely for sport," her words were full of such animosity and hatred as they spewed from her mouth. "I am a prey that provides a challenge, which is why you decided to chase. This is a game to you, and you cannot deny that to me."
She expected him to run circles around her with his own words once more. She had not expected him to show a tilt of amusement across his pierced lips. "You underwhelm your importance, angel. I will not deny that I see you as a prize rightfully earned, but you are not just to be some trophy that collects dust on a shelf. You are to be so much more."
"I will be nothing more to you. I don't want to be anything to you," she whispered back harshly as her fingers clenched tighter in her bed sheets.
"Whether you accept it or not, you will always be something to this organization. There is no way out of it," Pein uttered in his low tone, as if there was no room for discussion on the matter. He took cautious steps towards the wounded girl as she laid stiffly amongst her bedsheets. "The choice is yours whether you intend to blossom from the opportunities set forth for you."
She scoffed bitterly at his words. Choice. As if she had one. He was playing her like an animal backed into a corner. The entire situation resembled the many criminals she interviewed who claimed insanity or forced involvement. Each putting the blame on something other than themselves. His intent was to lock her away until she agreed upon the dangerous offer he laid before her. "Careful, Pein," she spat venomously, her previous nerves repressed by her disdain, "Your ambitions are slipping through the cracks of your hollow shell. You wouldn't dare show that you care for anyone but yourself."
His strides stopped as he met with the edge of her bed. His tall form was overpowering as it stood only a few feet away from her lowered form. "Perhaps I should clarify something to you, angel. Though you have been made aware of my ambitions, your importance has not been so unambiguous."
His words peaked her interest, if they held to be sincere. Her harsh emerald eyes looked up at his taller form, waiting for him to continue. "You want the world to be a safe place for all whom inhabit it, am I correct?"
"Of course."
"I am here to give you the chance to make that dream into a reality." His words were too good to be true. She knew that. And either way the topic was sliced, the man before was still a psychopath of epic proportions. His means to an end were surely different than her own. His most likely included blood that could fill an entire ocean.
"Though you think our dreams to be the same, you have an odd way of pursuing yours," Sakura shot back. "My dream does not include killing innocents to create this world. My dream requires me to stop people like you so you can't ruin the ideal world."
"Ah, but that is exactly what I am doing to pursue this share dream," Pein explained as he decided to daringly seat himself on the edge of her bed. Sakura's own form tensed, but showed now further movement as she waited for his explanation. "You are under the impression that I kill anyone I like. The reality of that situation is that I kill those who pollute this society. I kill those who would stop this world from reaching its full potential."
She let his words sink into her brain as she thought back to his case file. Though it was brief in terms of information on himself as a criminal, there was plentiful information about the people he had killed. Businessmen, politicians, even some lower level criminals that had ranked through the bureau's system. Some of the businessmen he had killed were later discovered to have been less than savory in their conduct of business. The politicians has secrets buried deep beneath their taxpaying rugs that took longer to surface until after their death. And the criminals each had their own story, but each broke serious laws. It started to click with his ideals, and though their crimes were terrible and seedy, they did not amount to murder.
"You are a walking contradiction, Pein," she whispered after her brief silence. "You think that you kill these people to better the rest of the world. To create this sense of peace. Yet you gallivant around with some of the most heinous criminals this world has ever seen and let them live? It's an oxymoron to your true ideals."
He did not respond, so she continued. "Then, you have the audacity to kidnap me and assume our ideals are the same and through your means to an end, I can achieve my dream of a peaceful world by joining you in your quest. But what would I do? Would I murder the lives of innocents? Stain the streets with their blood to quell the insatiable need within you to see death to get what you want? I refuse. I will not be a part of some fucked up dream that requires the deaths of thousands, maybe even millions until you're satisfied. If you want everyone who has wronged this world dead before it can start anew, you should take a look in a mirror and start there. There will never be enough to clean the blood that stains your own hands and the hands of those you associate yourself with. You-"
Her rant never continued as she was silenced with the heavy pressure of his lips against her own. She felt the cold metal of his piercings press against her skin as one of his hands had appeared behind her to cup the back of her neck. Her eyes widened as her mind blanked. Her body seemed to have also turned to stone as she could not force her limbs to move. The entire action was unexpected. She had just been insulting the psychopath in her midst and now he was kissing her. The last man she had ever expected to kiss her. The Akatsuki leader. Pein. A murderer.
The last name seemed to knock enough sense in her to regain control over her body enough to jerk away from him and push a hand to his chest. He allowed the movement, not forcing his own action to continue as his molten silver eyes took in her frightened viridian ones. "Everything you say about me may be true, Agent Haruno, but I will pursue my goals until they are met. You have the opportunity to contribute to reach this great cause, or sit back and watch as it happens right before your eyes. Regardless of your choice, you will still remain a prize rightfully earned to make my dreams a reality."
She remained silent, eyes glued to her white sheets as he left the room, closing the door behind him. His words were absolute. Whether she liked it or not, she was stuck here, wherever here was, for as long as Pein deemed it fit. The man was still unpredictable even if she did understand more of his motives now. He was still just as dangerous, if not more so. His path was still stained in blood as he would continue it until he was satisfied.
Who knew when that would be.
-xxx-
A plan needed to be hatched. Agent Haruno refused to be cooped up with psychopaths for the remainder of her life. She was sure her mental stability would not be able to handle the pressure. But she needed to first find a way out of the whitewashed room she had been confined to. Though they had removed the ankle restraint form her person, she was unsure of whether they had locked the door to her room or not. Regardless, she was sure they would have a Sakura sense that would alert them to any sudden movements on her person.
The agent was smart enough to realize she would be unable to waltz out to freedom. Nothing could ever be that simple when it came to the Akatsuki. They had been fighting tooth and nail to acquire her since she first joined the force. Now that they had her, they'd do whatever it took to keep her. The state of her condition also needed to be taken into consideration in any plan made. She had finally decided to consume the food Deidara had brought her earlier in the day, and she begrudgingly admitted to herself that she felt better. She also had not been feeling any sluggish aftereffects, so she safely assumed that they had not intended to drug her meals. A small victory in her mind, but not one that would help much in her escape.
Her injuries were another story completely. Most of her effected areas graced the upper half of her body. The ones taking most president being her broken ribs and fingers. Those she could work around. The most troublesome injury sustained was her ankle that Kisame had reset the previous day. If Tsunade were here, she would pester her to stay on bed rest until it was more stable, but it was not a luxury that she could afford. Escape meant the use of her feet as transportation. A sinister part of her wished that she could return the favor to Kin's ankle, but the realistic side of her told her that the sound operative probably had not survived the blood bath curtesy of the Akatsuki.
She didn't know whether to be thankful or disgusted, and for what reasons. Welling in so much tragedy and devastation left her body and mind exposed to the darkness that seemed to be seeping through each seem of her prison. The woman let out a sigh as she raked a hand through her dirty tresses, feeling the flecks of blood that still seemed to cake to her head from previous injuries. The memories of each moment of torture surfaced back into her mind and see wished to could peel the entire first layer of skin away from her body. The memory of Kimimaro's skin crawling across her own felt as though it would never dispense. She needed a shower. Now. And she would not consent to wait until one of the Akatsuki decided to rear their heads again, though knowing them she assumed it would be soon rather than later.
Throwing the white sheet off her in a haste, she intended to test out some of her own theories in search of a place to scrub her skin raw until she was satisfied. Her hands planted on the mattress, supporting most of her body as she moved to face herself towards one side of her bed. She felt the dull throb in her broken fingers and stinging as her skin pulled across her multiple stab wounds. A breath was harshly sucked in through her chapped lips as she rotated her body, slowly pulling her legs over one side of her bed. Her ribs ached. She was sure if they had been condensed any further they would have punctured one of her lungs.
Once she had finally pushed herself into a sitting position along the side of her bed, she glanced down at her damaged ankle. Kisame had rolled up the leg of the sweatpants she had pulled on so they wouldn't restrict against the swelling that was still showing in full force. It looked as though tennis balls had made a home around the radius of her ankle while hues of purple and green complimented its monstrosity.
"Shit," she cursed under her breath as the pain shot through her body at the attempt of rotation. Walking on it would not pose a possibility for quite some time. She would need crutches, or the ability to walk on her hands for prolonged periods of time. Either option seemed unlikely.
Scooting towards the front of her bed that was intersected against the nearest wall, she pushed herself off the bed and placed her good foot on the floor, bracing her other hand against the wall. She let out a pained gasp as her momentum shifted, bringing along more pain she didn't know she had. Taking in a deep breath, she hopped on her foot slowly as her hand trailed along the cinderblock wall to support the rest of the wait her other ankle couldn't. The motion proved to be quite taxing as she rounded the sharp corner of the room connecting to the wall the housed the door. Sweat broke across her forehead and her breathing became laborious. She could do this. She had survived training at the bureau. She survived torture at the hands of Kimimaro. She could do this.
The moment of truth arrived when her hand gripped the metal knob of the door. Giving it a quick jerk, she found that luck was on her side in the moment. They had left the door unlocked. Assuming she would not try and leave her bed was a safe bet if she were anyone but herself. She pulled the heavy door open with what little strength she could muster. Another pained gasp left her lips as she scaled the wall of the hallway just outside her room. It seemed that there was no one around. No real sense of security around her room. A good piece of information to keep away for later purposes.
She made the trek another couple feet down the hallway before her pained abdomen started to pose a problem. Her breathing could not be contained as her intakes were even becoming painful as time went by. "Damn it," she cursed again as her head started to spin. Her back pressed against the cool wall of cement behind her as she tilted her head back, trying to alleviate some of the spinning coursing through her vision.
"How far did you think you were going to get in your state, princess?"
The voice broke her concentration at sanity as she tilted her head in the direction of the voice, already knowing who it was. She found Kisame standing a few feet away with Itachi in toe. Both watching her with intrigued expressions. She let out a huff of breath. She supposed it could not have been helped. Someone would have found her eventually.
"Though I am impressed that you got as far as you did," Kisame's voice sounded like it was trying to compliment her, but she would not look too much into it. "It was still pretty stupid of you, don't you think?"
She scoffed in reply as she tried to reply, but only found a wave of dizziness taking over her sense as she felt herself losing her grip she had on the wall. She felt herself falling, but noted that she was caught in a pair of arms before she could grace the floor with her presence. When she opened her eyes again, she was met with Itachi's powerful gaze, seemingly scrutinizing her appearance.
"See what I mean?" Kisame teased lightly as he stood behind Itachi's crouched form as he held her.
If she had the energy, she would have shot back a snarky comment and rolled her eyes. Instead, she settled on a short breathy answer. "I want a shower."
"That may not be in your best interest with your current condition, Agent Haruno," Itachi commented as it seemed he had finished assessing her physical state for the time being. "With the amount of blood loss you sustained and the inability to stand on your own two feet, you could end up causing more harm to yourself."
"I…I need…to," she croaked back as she turned her head to meet Itachi's gaze, lightly supporting her head against his shoulder. "It's like…I can still feel him. It's…suffocating. I need to get him-it off."
Her voice was breathy as she tried to relay her thoughts, but her eyes spoke more volume than her words. They were desperate. Frantic. Pleading. She needed to wash away what still remained from her torture. Though the injuries would not fade immediately, the blood still caked to her skin and the remnants of Kimimaro's hands would be cleaned away. She needed it. She needed to feel clean again. Almost as if she were the same as she used to be.
"We shall see if we can draw a bath for you," Itachi replied lowly as he turned towards his partner. "Take her to the kitchen and get her something to eat while I make the necessary preparations." Normally Itachi would have taken every path needed to handle everything for Sakura himself, but seeing the anxiety in her eyes outweighed his selfishness in this instance.
"Will do," Kisame responded as he moved to delicately scoop the agent from Itachi's grasp, minding her injuries in the process. "Let's go, princess."
She said nothing as Kisame manhandled her delicate form, but felt inwardly thankful that Itachi chose to comply with her request. It was an instance that she swore he had a shred of compassion somewhere in the depths of his being. She watched as Sasuke's brother disappeared down the hall opposite of the direction Kisame was taking her. As they walked, she took in what she could see around her. Dark hallways, doors to unknown areas. Finally they reached what could have been deciphered as some type of living space connected to a kitchen. There was a long island type counter that had a few barstools pulled against it. Kisame kicked one out with his foot before gently depositing her form onto the seat.
"Hold tight. I'll grab you something to chow on," he told her as he went rummaging through cabinets and drawers. He didn't ask what she wanted, but she wasn't going to request something specific. She didn't need it seeming as if she was adjusting to their lifestyle in any way.
Leaning her elbows against the cool surface of the counter, she let her head fall into her hands to quell the remaining light headedness she felt after her dizzy spell. She listened to the sounds Kisame made as he moved around the kitchen, but there were no other sounds to be heard. No street traffic, outside noise, nothing. As Kisame carried her over, she didn't see any windows either. It either meant they were in a building with absolutely no windows, which would be rare, or underground. She assumed the later. It would explain why tracking the organization was always so difficult.
This bit of information put a block in her plan of escape. If they were underground, there would be limited means of escape. The lack of windows gave her less points of entry to work with. It was an annoyance that would have to be worked around.
A plain but welcome smell invaded her nostrils as she heard the clink of a dish set before her. Looking up, she noted that Kisame had steamed some simple white rice, and she was thankful. Her recent thoughts of torture had not given her a wide palate to tolerate in the moment. She gave him a nod before she lightly picked at the food, knowing that if she was going to build enough strength to escape, she'd need to run on something.
"How's the ankle?" Kisame questioned, obviously not taking the silence well.
"As good as it can be after being painfully stomped on by a spiteful sound bitch then cracked back into place," Sakura muttered lowly as she continued to graze among the food Kisame had given her.
"So that's how it happen," the shark-like man commented back to no one in particular. She didn't mind slipping that little detail. It was of little importance compared to the rest of her injuries, although it would be the one taking the longest to heal, after her mental state.
"That's how it happened," Sakura repeated, her voice almost light and mocking as the food before her began to lose her interest and more sickening thoughts took its place.
"Care to indulge what else happened?" a new voice questioned as its owner entered the kitchen. Sakura's gaze turned to Sasori as he moved to lean against the side of the island counter opposite of her own. His expression still looking bored, but somewhat interested in the same instance.
"No," she answered back blankly as she went back to playing with her food.
"It would help in the grieving process," Sasori countered, his voice starting to set off an annoying tick at the corner of her eye. "It is the first step to accepting what has happened."
"Coming from a criminal who has committed crimes just as heinous, if not more so," she spat, still avoiding his gaze that she was sure would set her over the edge. "That's rich. Grieving implies that I've lost something. I haven't lost anything. Only my time."
"And your skin, blood, and some of your sanity. If not more. It would be pointless to argue otherwise," the puppeteer disputed as Kisame was inwardly agreeing with member before him as he watched Sakura. Though he would not have been so brutal in relaying his thoughts like Sasori had.
"You have this repulsive way of getting under people's skin, and I do not mean that in a positive light, though you may be taking it that way."
He ignored her comment as his continued to pressure her into divulging her dark secrets. "You are well aware that what I say is correct, Agent Haruno. You use that same line on some of the victims you interview after the most traumatic of experiences. This is the pot calling the kettle black."
"And this is me telling you to shut your fucking mouth," Sakura hissed venomously as she tried to keep her temper in check. Exploding now would only cause more damage to herself. The spike in her heartrate was already not helping.
"Sasori, I suggest you retract your intruding behavior as it is doing nothing to improve Agent Haruno's condition," Itachi's voice instructed as he joined the room as well as the conversation. The Uchiha turned his attention towards Sakura as he ignored the annoyed glare the red head was sending in his direction. "Are you ready, Agent Haruno?"
She nodded mutely in reply as Itachi moved forward to collect her in his arms, removing her from the hostile environment Sasori had created in the kitchen. Sakura was again, thankful. Itachi's strong arms held one under her knees as the other held her upper back, pulling her close to his chest. They maneuvered through the halls silently until he arrived at a door. Pushing it open, it revealed a bathroom with a large tub with tiled steps leading to its surface which looked to be already filled with water, warm steam already rolling off the top.
Itachi carried her to the tub and seated her along the fiberglass edge. His voice was silent, but his eyes were conveying his thoughts as she looked into them. "You are not saying in here while I bathe, your conscious be damned," she retorted as her eyes narrowed slightly in his direction. "I will be fine. You can stand outside the door if you really feel the need, but you will not come in here unless I ask you to. But don't hold your breath on that request."
"You're quite demanding for a woman in your position, Agent Haruno," he commented in return as he stepped away from the tub, seeming that he was actually going to comply with her requests. "There are towels within your reach. Everything else you will need is located on the shelf next to the tub. When you are finished I will have new clothes for you to change into."
She nodded but said nothing as her fingers gripped the edge of the tub, surfacing her to the world as another wave of vertigo rolled over. It passed quicker than the last, but she felt a hand pulling her face to meet the harsh light of the room. Her glazy eyes opened to see Itachi once again assessing her form. "I will be right outside the door."
"Fine," she told him in a short huff as he backed away towards the door. Her grip went to one of the bandages that covered her fingers, pulling it away from the damaged limb. Bandages would be pointless in the bath as they would only create more of a mess. She went from one to the next, assessing that she had three injured fingers in total. Her grip went towards the very familiar bandage on her forearm, but a hand over her own stopped her. Before she could question his motive, he was already unwrapping the bandage.
His process was delicate as he made sure he did not use too much force or bump any of the tender wounds that covered her body. Once he finished with one, he moved to the next. When he ran out of wounds in view, he glanced up into her eyes quizzically. For him to remove any more bandages, she would need to remove her pants so that her upper thighs could reached, exposing the bandages that covered even more knife wounds, or remove her shirt, exposing the one wound she wanted no one to see. Though he had already seen it, it made no difference. She was ashamed of it. And now she would have it forever pressed into her flesh.
"I could help you with that if only you'd ask," Itachi's voice echoed off the tile walls of the bathroom. His intentions were serious, but his tone was borderline teasing. She assumed the tone was meant to alleviate the anxiety creeping into her senses.
"You're not seeing me naked," Sakura shot back, the amusement Itachi felt not mirroring through her own system as she scowled at the comment.
"I promise not to remove all of it," Itachi replied as he knelt down on the tiled step just below her, his eyes shining bright with an emotion she chose not to read. "Only what is necessary in the moment."
"I can do it myself." Her voice told him quietly as she averted her gaze from him, finding a more interesting spot to watch on the wall.
"I only offer my help, Agent Haruno. If you will allow it."
Her attention snapped back to the Uchiha before her, sparks flying behind her green eyes as her glare procured emotion within his chest. His words set her off. "I don't want your help. I never fucking asked for it!"
"It's rude to turn away assistance when it is offered," Itachi added, his voice lowering slightly as he watch her anger continued to blaze through her viridian eyes. "You should accept my help."
"Or what?" she spat as her eyes darkened with her next words, a tense aura overtaking her presence. "You'll force your help on me? You'll rip the rest of my clothes off and convince yourself it was for the greater good? For my own sake?"
It didn't take much for Itachi to understand what she insinuated. It was obvious her wounds cut farther than just skin deep. Not only would she carry physical scars, but mental ones that could never be healed. He watched as she sank deeper within herself. Her own walls closing around her, cutting her off from the world. It was common for patients who suffered high trauma to develop a safe place for themselves, typically inside their own head. But once this place was developed, it was hard to leave. If she sunk now, she would lose herself.
His hands shot forward, gripping the sides of her arms, minding her injuries. The action was enough to catch her attention briefly, but he watched her eyes begin to glaze over. She needed to snap out of it before it was too late. "Agent Haruno." He called out, but she did not respond.
He leaned forward enough to rest his forehead on her own, letting their noses brush. "Sakura." He called her name with so much emotion that it was enough to watch her dull eyes flicker to meet his gaze. He had her attention now.
"I will never, ever, hurt you the way he did. Ever. But now, you need to trust me enough to help you. Let me help you, Sakura."
"I don't want your help," she whispered so quietly that he almost didn't hear her words. Her eyes began to collect tears, an action he never thought he would see from the agent that had always proved herself to be so strong when in the face of an enemy. She was now breaking apart in front of him. He only wished he was able to help her sooner. He watched her heavy green eyes glance up into his dark ones, tears brimming their edges. "I want forget. I want to go home."
Her voice was raw with emotion as she whispered her deepest desires aloud. It was painful to watch such a strong woman crumble under the abuse she had received. But he would not let her leave so easily. She was now under his care and he would be sure that he restored her to her former glory. One way or another.
His hand trailed up from her arm to cup her cheek with such painful gentleness that it made her choke back a sob. It was the same thing Sasuke would have done. But he wasn't Sasuke. Though the resemblance always tore at her heart. He seemed to notice her distraught, wiping away one of the tears that had escaped down her cheek.
"I'm going to assist you with the rest of your bandages," Itachi spoke up breaking away the silence and moving a hand to the small of her waist. "If you would like me to stop, just say the word. I only mean to help you in this moment, Sakura. I do not mean you any harm."
She stayed silent, but his words were comprehended. Her eyes floated down to her lap where her hands were clenched together before they gripped the edge of the large t-shirt she had been offered. Itachi helped pull the loose fabric over her head, being sure to hinder the cloth from irritating any wounds. Once it was off, she was clad in baggy sweatpants and her simple bra that was stained red in a few placed from blood that had ran down to meet it from other wounds. Her abdomen was bruised around her rips showing where some where the damaged lied. The gauze that covered her brand still present as it hide the most heinous mark from view. Itachi moved to remove the covering from the wound, but her hand placed itself on top of his, effectively stopping his movements.
His eyes glanced up into her own with question, but she would not look at him. She just shook her head. She didn't want him to see it. Not again.
"Sakura," he tried, but she shook her head again.
"Not that one," she replied simply, giving nothing else from him to go on. He nodded, replying to her request.
He moved one hand to her waist while the other moved to the edge of the loose pants hanging on her hips. "May I?"
She said nothing, but also did not protest in anyway, so he moved forward with his assistance, supporting some of her own weight on himself as he removed the clothing, one leg at a time. Her exposed skin showed small cuts that went untreated and a few wrapped wounds atop her thighs. He minded her damaged ankle as he finished pulling away the makeshift bottoms. He found that although he craved to see her body, this was not what he wanted. Not when she was covered in bruises, cuts, and mentally damaged. His nimble fingers slowly unwrapped each bandage that held around her upper thighs, showing the amateur stick job Kakuzu had performed on the previously open wounds.
"I can do the rest myself," her voice interrupted his thoughts as he averted his attention to her face once more.
"I could help with the rest, if you desired me to do so." His words were true, but his tone was light and made Sakura roll her eyes as she felt herself anchoring back to the world. His play at humor seemed to help with that, even for a moment.
"You're not seeing me naked," she shot back as his amusement played through his dark eyes. "Get out."
If it were any other person, she was sure they would have chuckled at the teasing antics. But it was nice not to have to hear it from the Uchiha at the moment. Once he left, shutting the door behind him, Sakura slowly peeled away the rest of the clothes that covered her injuries until there was nothing left. As she sat at the edge of the tub, staring at the full vision she had not wanted to witness, she felt tears well up in her eyes. Here fingers traced the last bandage that covered her body. She didn't want anyone to see it, let alone look at it herself. But she knew it would be with her until she died. All thanks to Kimimaro.
She could have asked the generic question, why me? But she knew why. It was her own fault. She dove too deep. She pushed too hard. She could only blame herself for what happened, and she did. Sure, she hadn't been the one to physically abuse herself, it was a two-way street, but it was like taunting a rattlesnake. She had prodded on too many times and the snake had lashed out. She was not a snake charmer, and that much she should have known.
Slowly, she let her feet break the hot surface of the water, her ankle slightly recoiling as the harshness of the water brimmed past the point of simple sensitivity. Her hands supported her weight as much as they could while she lowered herself fully into the tub, sighing in part pain and pleasure as the water relaxed and burned her tender skin. Most of her wounds had been cleaned out by Kakuzu when she first arrived, but there was still blood that stained other part of her body that had not been taken care of. The water almost immediately started to turn pink in hued as caked on blood slid away from her skin.
Holding her breath, she submerged herself completely in the water. The warm liquid was relaxing as it brushed against her aching temples and flowed through her rose colored locks. A part of her wished that she could live underwater forever. Peacefully unaware of the tragedies life had in store. But she knew in order to reach her dream it would be impossible to do so.
She reached for a bottle of shampoo resting at the edge of the tub, lathering the substance through her hair. She noted that when she rinsed it out, the bubbles had been tinted pink from the blood removed. Her hand reached for a small towel as she dipped it through the water, moving it against the stains that seemed to be more extreme across her body. The more she scrubbed, the darker the water became.
She tried to mind her wounds, but when Kimimaro's face resurfaced through her memories an overpowering need to rub her skin raw flashed through her mind. She needed him off. He was all over her. Still. She needed to be clean. As she viciously rubbed against her skin, the soap she used burning some of her open wounds, she swore she could hear the sound assailant's dark laughter echoing through the walls closing her in.
It was as if he was whispering in her ear. Dark and terrible things that could tear her apart.
"Try as hard as you can, my little agent, you will never be rid of me."
"The FBI has no use for things so broken. You're broken."
"Shut up," she whispered as she hugged her knees to her naked chest.
"You're tarnished. Ruined. I ruined you."
"I'll be the death of you, Agent Haruno. I will take everything you are and destroy it."
"Shut up!" she screamed as she threw the towel clenched in her fist across the bathroom. Tears gathered in her eyes while her hands went to her hair, clenching her head. He was inside of her head. That bastard. He was dead. There's no way he could be in her head. He was gone. Gone. Buried so far underground that he could never come back for her.
Her breathing came out in harsh pants as her fingers gripped her hair. She needed to calm down. He was gone. She needed to move past this. She was stronger than this.
She heard knocking coming from the door, more like pounding, as shouts emitted from the other side. It could not have been Itachi. "Move, you little fucking bitch," Hidan's cursing was evident from the other side of the door, no matter how much the barrier tried to muffle it. "I heard her fucking screaming from down the hall. I'm fucking checking on her."
Obviously she should have been quieter. Hidan was the last person she needed barging in on her right now, sitting in a tub tainted with her blood. Naked. Letting out a breath to steady her racing thoughts, she lifted herself from the tub, reaching for a towel that was placed at its side. She wrapped the cloth around herself, carefully drying off her body.
Noting that Itachi had yet to bring in clothes for her to change into, she gave a sigh, ringing out her wet hair. "Itachi, I'm finished. Hidan, make yourself useful and go tell Pein that I have a request I'd like to make."
"I'd rather fucking see you naked, you fine ass bitch."
"Fucking disgusting," she scowled as she heard the door open and close in swift motions, bringing Itachi closer to her covered form. He had a pile of clothes in his hands, setting them down on the edge of the tub. She watched as his eyes were no longer fixated on her as they met the sight of the red bath water she had just emerged from.
"I can dress myself," she called out to break his thoughts.
"I will return when you are finished. Then we will redress your wounds."
She nodded as the Uchiha departed once more. She noted that he had brought completely new clothes, including a new bra and underwear. Wonderful. She pulled on the new clothes slowly, noticing that she was given a loose pair of shorts this time around as opposed to sweat pants. Most likely so that her ankle was easily accessible.
A few moments later she heard another knock at her door. They didn't wait for her reply as Itachi waltzed in, Kakuzu trailing shortly behind him with a first aid kit in hand. "Agent Haruno," Kakuzu's deep voice greeted as he moved to stand before her seated position along the edge of the bathtub she had just drained.
"Kakuzu," her voice replied as she sized up his figure. She knew he was here to dress her wounds. He was the one with the most experience in the area. His crimes had always had mainly been centered around money, embezzlement, fraud; but he had some crimes that could rival Kabuto's in the medical variety. He was well versed how to cut and how to identify a cut. It made him knowledgeable enough to fix his fellow criminals when the time arose. Which is why they could never be found, even after being severely wounded after a run in with the law.
"I'm going to redress your wounds," he told her, leaving no room for discussion as he kneeled before her, placing the kit on one of the steps and pulling out the supplies he required. Itachi supervised from afar, leaning against open of the nearby walls with his arms crossed over his chest.
"As if I could refuse," she mused, earning both of their eyes but keeping their silence. Kakuzu moved to her fingers first, splinting the ones that required the attention. He then moved to her arms, applying antibiotics to that that were worse for the wear. When he reached the familiar wound on her upper arm, his touch seemed to be lighter, gentler as he applied the medication before.
"Why even bother?" Sakura mused aloud as stared off into the empty space before her, ignoring that Kakuzu's own green eyes fluttered to meet her face. "We all know that without the proper care, my wounds will fester and I could lose feeling in my limbs, or worst case scenario, lose my limb completely. You're no doctor, Kakuzu."
"Though that may be true, Agent Haruno, I am the best option you have at the moment," the tanned criminal retorted as he watched her attention move from the blank space to his face.
"I would have better if you took me to a hospital," she shot back as he tied off the bandage around her arm before moving to the stab wounds around her upper thighs. The rough pads of his fingers ran up her leg from her knee, pushing the loose fabric of her shorts up in the process to better inspect her wounds. The skin of her legs was smooth, and though they should have matched the fair skin he was used to, there were tinted with hues of purple and blue as more skin was exposed.
He took a sanitized gauze pad and placed it over her wounds before wrapping bandages around her upper thigh to keep the protective cloth in place. "Say what you will, Agent Haruno, we are as likely to let you go as Hidan is to giving up his religion."
"So, unlikely then," Sakura mused as she averted her attention away from the smuggler dressing her wounds and chose to stare off into space once more. Once Kakuzu had finished her other leg, wrapping her recently set ankle in the process, his hands moved to the hem of her shirt and she felt a shock through her system. Her body startled in the process, jumping back slightly to avoid his contact with her body.
Her alarm warranted the attention of the two men in the room. They watched as her green eyes widened, moving herself farther away from Kakuzu's grasp. "Agent Haruno," Kakuzu called out as he reached for her again, only to have the same response from the pink haired woman. "I need to redress the abrasions across your abdomen."
"No, its fine," she tried to reassure, but he moved closer to her again. She tried to swat his hands away and move further across the ledge of the bathtub, but he seemed to follow her, calling out her name. Trying to call her back to him.
"Back off, Kakuzu," she growled lowly in her throat as he still advanced further on her person. Her back met the wall around the surface of the tub, blocking the path she intended to take to further her space from the stitched embezzler.
"Sakura." Itachi had tried calling out to her this time, but she wanted none of it. She didn't want them to see it. She didn't want anyone to see it.
"I'm fine. Now back the fuck off," she protested as her hand scaled the wall behind her, giving her leverage is she needed to move from the ledge. She knew she wouldn't get far, but the idea of having another escape route was slightly comforting.
"Sakura, let him dress your wound," Itachi implored as he pushed his form from the wall and took a few steps closer. They were caging her like an animal. She knew their intent.
Before she could protest again, they moved so quickly that her delayed state could not comprehend it. Itachi scooped her from the edge of the tub and into his lap while Kakuzu pulled up the hem of her shirt. Sakura struggled and cursed in Itachi's grip, but his hold was unrelenting as was Kakuzu's determination. The stitched man pulled the previously spoiled bandage away from her body, exposing her most regrettable wound to the world.
Sakura continued to protest in Itachi's hold, but he whispered sweet nothings in her ear in attempts to calm her down. It was not working. She didn't want them anywhere near her in the moment, let alone toying with the wound that festered so much hatred and despair within its depths. She felt Kakuzu's hands spread ointment over the wound, causing her to convulse in pain. The skin was so sensitive and the wound so fresh that the thing that was meant to help her caused her so much more pain. She just wanted it all to stop.
A fresh gauze was placed over her wound, and once it was secure, Kakuzu backed away collecting his kit. "Get your fucking hands off me, Uchiha!" Sakura spat as she still struggled against him. This time it was out of resentment and displeasure. She hated that he had overpowered her so simply and thought nothing of it.
Her protests seemed to have drawn back a familiar presence to the doorway of the bathroom. He watched the scene before moving towards the agent that was arguing with the Uchiha, a hateful spite so clear across her features. Sakura seemed to notice his approach.
"Royally fuck off, Uchiha," Hidan spat in a low tone as he did not appreciate the man's hands securing Sakura against his body. The Jashinist swiftly scooped Sakura from his hold, carrying her the exact same style in which he had picked her up at the Sound base. His attention turned down to the distressed woman in his arms. "Pein wants to talk to fucking everyone. Your hot ass included."
-xxx-
She was brought back to the main living quarters, finding that the rest of the members had joined the space. She wished she had proper use of her limbs so that each of them could receive a swift kick to the jaw. A kick so rightfully deserved. Especially Itachi and Kakuzu who had just royally pissed her off.
"Agent Haruno," Pein greeted so formally that it procured a risen brow in return as she stared into his stormy eyes. "It seems you have made a request that all of us meet. Care to indulge?"
"I have a proposition, I suppose you could call it," she responded plainly as she tried to keep her breathing as regular as possible. The words seemed to amuse Pein as she watched his devilish smirk grace his lips, allowing one of his piercings to move with it. He waited for her to continue.
"I will share with you the details of my torture. All of them. On one condition."
"Just one condition?" Kakuzu questioned from his position against a nearby wall, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the agent before him. It was just one condition, which may have been too cheap in Kakuzu's opinion, hers as well, but she justified that she would reap the proper benefits from it in the end. If it was granted to her.
"We will not release you as your condition," Pein retorted as he watched her from her seated position on one of the kitchen barstools.
"Nor did I expect you," she shot back as she watched curiosity peak through the features around her. "I want to call my agents."
She watched as multiple protests pressed at the lips of the criminals around her, but she silenced them before they could speak. "Shut up," she shot back, truly aiming for the curses that begged to be spilled from Hidan's mouth. "I'm not finished. You may monitor the call. You may provide a line that you are sure is secured and cannot be traced. The call will not exceed two minutes, which would make it impossible to track regardless. I will not reveal any detail about my whereabouts, because I can't. I have no idea where we are at the moment."
Though the last comment was mostly true, as much as she hated to admit, she chose to share that fact. She had a few hunches that mulled through her thoughts, but it was not enough to go off of. If she had a computer, or Shikamaru, at her disposal, she would have known where she was in a matter of minutes. She continued with the final part of her request. "But after I speak to them, they are to be left out of this. All of it. Do not think I am stupid enough to believe that even now that you have me that you'll be leaving them alone. They are not to be involved in anything further you have planned."
"I don't think that's such a great idea, yeah," Deidara's voice mused from his seat a few feet away from her. She smirked at his protest, and leaned her body in his direction.
"Don't forget that your criminal ass was given a call back when you were detained," Sakura argued as she spiked a testing brow in his direction, begging him to debate against her words.
"Your request will be taken into consideration," Pein voice as his eyes never left her being.
"Fine," she replied back, unaffected by the lack of an ultimate decision. She knew, regardless of the storm eyed leader's aloof attitude, he was too curious to let the opportunity pass by. "In the meantime, I'd like to see whatever information you have on Orochimaru and his gang."
"You never stop working, do you?" Kisame questioned with a pointed smile in her direction.
"Of course not. And being stuck with you imbeciles won't change that fact."
-xxx-
Author's Note: Hello, lovelies. Sorry this took me longer than expected. It took a different turn than I was expecting, but I think I like it. I hope you do as well. I wanted to show that Sakura's not just some block of ice that is unaffected by what happened to her. Like most victims of severe trauma, she'll be a bit messed up. A few pretty serious moments between Sakura and several of the Akatsuki members. Pein gave her a little gift. And Itachi took her clothes off. What more could you want? Granted, both of those instances were a little dark and not so romantic.
What do you think of Sakura's request? Think she's got some crazy plan brewed up in her mind? Or is it just for sentimental reasons? And what of Orochimaru? Dun, dun, dun. The plot thickens. Please let me know what you think of this chapter because I'm not exactly sure on my own feelings towards it at the moment. If there is anything you'd specifically like to see in this story, feel free to throw your requests my way. I appreciate all of your continued support through the course of this story. See you in the next chapter!