So, the last chapter for now. We are writing the next chapter now, but it could take some time! Hope you are patient and can wait for it^^

Itachi's POV

'No', my mind screamed. 'You stupid woman!'

"Trying out? You know that in a few days the others will come and take you away?" I whispered the question.

"I know that, but I can't do that anymore. Pein is getting impatient and it... it is killing me to know that I will marry him in a week. I can't go on with this." Her voice was strong, but began to tremble at the end.

"Sakura, you won't marry him. I will not let this happen." I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her. The last weeks we became friends or so I thought. I knew that she was in love with me, but in a few days she would leave and I would never see her again. Only because of that I allowed me to be nice to her.

"Thanks."

I heard footsteps and let her go. Never should see us like this. I stood up and became another shadow in the room.

Sasori appeared in the door. He had always stayed away from Sakura, so it was surprising that he was here.

"Did he finally tell you?" It sounded everything but friendly.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Sakura stood up and hid her injured hand behind her back.

"I am talking about Itachi. He has something to tell you, but he just can't say it."

'The thing Sasori told me about not saying what I am feeling was about Sakura? What am I feeling what I am not telling her?' I didn't move, but watched Sasoris every move.

"Ehm... I still have no clue what you are talking about." Sakura shifted uncomfortable from one foot to another.

"I think he will tell you, if he want to, am I right Itachi?" He looked me directly in the eyes and I walked out of the shadow.

"I, too, have no idea what your intentions are."

"If you didn't realized it by now, then it's useless." He turned around and wanted to leave, but hesitated. "You should go now. Itachi is coming here." With these words he disappeared.

"But he was here a few minutes before you came," Sakura protested, but I silenced her with my glare.

"It's no use. I will go with Kisame on a mission now."

"What?" She grabbed my sleeve and looked at me pleading. "You can't! What am I doing then? You can't let me alone like that! You are the only reason, I am not already dead."

I sighed. "Sakura, I will be back tomorrow. And," I grabbed her shoulders and looked her deep in the eyes. "You will be fine. Pein won't do anything to you, okay?"

She nodded. I sighed again. She looked so hopeless, that I hugged her tight, before I left the room quickly and went to the mainentrance to meet a impatient Kisame.

"You are taking too long," he nagged and I sighed again. Why couldn't everyone just be normal?

Sakura's POV

'Why was he here? Why was he bothering me again?' My body still glowed from Itachi's touch. He was so gentle … but he had no feelings for me. That's a thing that I can really good, falling in love with people who hate me.

I watched nervously how Pein walked through the room.

"I smell blood. What happened?"

"I cut me by accident. Nothing serious." And Itachi saved my life. Once again. But that was just important for me. Just for me.

"Okay." He took another turn in the room.

I backed away, slowly and sat down on the chair by the table, where my stuff covered the plate. All sorts of smells filled my nose, they came from the herbs and flowers. I started to grow little plants by myself so I didn't had to buy them. Because still everyone came to me with all sorts of wounds. From little scratches to broken ribs. And I healed everything. It made me feel at ease and calm. The feelings I needed in this place, where I usually had to be on guard.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, playing with a pen in my hands.

He looks at me. Stayed quiet.

"You were here just a few minutes ago. What it the reason for your visit?" I couldn't stand those eyes and lowered my gaze. My heartbeat quickened without reason. 'Stress' my mind told me. 'Stress and fear. It's a physical reaction to his appearance.

"Can't I visit my bride when I want to?" he asked, a smile in his voice.

"We aren't married" I corrected him sharply. This was a mistake it would not get him through with.

"What matters a week." His voice had cooled down. "I thought I spend the night with you. You are always sleeping alone, I hoped you would like some company." I followed his gaze to the bed. I hadn't made it, when I woke up the morning – too depressed -, the blanket was laying messy over the bed.

"I do appreciate being alone. The silence. It's making it easier to study. Sorry, Pein, but not tonight." And not tomorrow. Never. Get it? I bit my lip. If I say that out loud now, he would definitely stay. And that was the least thing I wanted.

He came closer, his fist hit the table. "Are you playing with me, Sakura?" he hissed, spicy hate filing the space between us.

Always. "Never." I hoped it sounded truthfully enough.

"Good, because I would win." His hand touched my cheek and followed the way down my neck to my collarbone. I shivered, but not from pleasure.

"The rest is outside now. We are alone. I thought you would like to." The atmosphere changed.

'No. No. Please, don't let him take me. I would … no.' "Well, you're wrong. I had not the intention of … making those kind of signs."

"But you did, my dear. Clearly enough." With those words, he pulled me up from the chair and took me to the bed. I restrained, but he was far more stronger than me. I landed on my blanket. He laid down next to me.

I tensed. 'What would happen down?'

I felt his fingers trailing over my body. His grip on my waist. Breath on my neck. Lips touching my skin.

I whined. Tears filled my eyes. If he'd break me now, I would be nothing more then a shadow of myself. The rest of me. Or maybe even less.

His other hand touched the fabric of my shirt. "Take it off" he ordered with a voice that is used to be followed.

I shook my head, speaking was impossible.

His grip was gone, before he pulled me out of my clothes. Just bra and slip left.

It was ice cold in the room. 'No feelings of love and joy, no heat, no emotion, nothing. Just like how I am feeling down.'

"When I say something, you obey. Is that clear?" I felt his lips scratching hard on my skin.

I screamed. And stopped only a second after. His hand on my hip. Tremors shook my body, tears where flowing down my face, I was whimpering in pain.

He didn't stop until I was completely naked.

I was resisting. Cutting with my finger nails scratches everywhere I reached him through the skin to the flesh. Finally – finally - he let go. "You stupid – Don't you ever dare to do that again. And I will come again." He left, slamming the door so hard close that I tensed.

I spent the night crying, trembling, screaming. Sleepless. I felt dirty.

Broken.

I couldn't sleep and waited outside for somebody to come. Anybody. It was cold, the air was pure, and when the sun came do drench the world in golden colours, I heard footsteps.

It were Itachi and Kisame. I was so relived. The shame vanished and made emptiness space.

"Where back" Itachi said. "And quite early."

I smiled weakly. "You're too late. No matter how early you might be, it's too late." My mind brought me back to the night. His touch, his breath, his lips. His voice.

I trembled.

Itachi's POV

Something was wrong.

I could see it and I felt it. I reached out for her and pulled her in a consoling hug. She dug her fingers in my cloak and trembled more.

"What happened?"

She shook her head and pressed her face against my chest. I didn't really know what to do, so I looked to Kisame who just waved grinning and disappeared in the headquarter.

"First, let us go into the hideout." I wanted to go in the direction, but her head flung up and she stared at me with a expression I couldn't describe, but also would call it hopeless and self-hatred. I froze, couldn't look away.

"What happened?" I accentuated every word.

"It... was horrible," she began and trembled harder. "Pein... he came, after you went out. He wanted... he..." She cried and buried her face in her hands and I pulled her close.

"Shhh," I whispered in her ear. "Everything is alright now." I dandled us forth and back and after a while she spoke again.

"He wanted to sleep with me." It was barely a whisper and I froze.

"He did what?" I pushed her a bit away from me and looked in her face. Hot anger flowed through my veins and the lowered look of her, let me explode.

"I will kill him." I shoved her away and wanted to go in the headquarter, but Sakura hold me back and looked at me pleading.

"Please, don't. You only will be hurt. Please, just come with me. Run away with me. Anywhere, except here."

"Sakura, I can't and you know that. I betrayed Konoha, killed my whole clan and my best friend. I have no place to go. Actually, Sasuke will kill me the next time."

"What?" She looked at me shocked. "But he never beat you in anything and you excaped a fight every time."

"That's true, but I promised him a fight, when I am healed and I am now."

"You don't have to die because of that!" She pulled on my sleeve. In her eyes were tears. I smiled one of my really rare small smiles and stroked her hair.

"Either he will kill me and he had his revenge, or I will fight now with Pein and he will hurt me so badly that I will bleed to death. Choose one."

She looked sad and a little bit angry. "I will not choose! I rescued your life once before and I won't approve that you just throw it away, just because you can! And even if you don't want to live anymore, dying is no answer."

"I don't want throw my life away. I would do it for a reason!"

"For what reason? I don't see one single reason behind being killed by other persons!" She put her hands on her hips.

"Well, see. If my little brother kills me, then he would have his revenge and he could live for other things. When I fight Pein, I could die in honour and would definitely injure him."

She didn't say anything, just opened her mouth and closed it again.

"Okay, what should I do now?"

"Kiss me?"

I blinked surprised and wanted to tell her again that I didn't love her, but I couldn't. She went through so much, so I just leant down and kissed her.

Sakura's POV

The first thing that went well the last 24 hours. He was kissing me, soft, hot lips touched my frozen ones. It was like heaven, passionately, but still filled with warmth. His kiss went deep inside me and healed what had been broken. Not all, but it was enough to calm me down. Scars would be left, more to the others. It was okay like that. I could deal with scars. But not with open wounds.

I went on my toes for more touch. He backed away a bit, enough to make me stop.

"No?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

"No, not here."

I sighed. So hope was still there for me.

"You told me I had to choose, right?" I asked.

"Yes. But if you don't, I will. And then you might not like how it will end."

I leant against him, taking a deep breath. I needed this touch now, needed the warmth.

This was going to be hard. But there was only one way for him to survive.

"I want you to take me home. Tonight." My voice was a whisper.

"Are you sure?" He understood what it meant for him. Fight his brother.

I hesitated. No. "… yes."

"Okay then. I will be outside at the hideout at eleven. Be there."

"I will." Promise. There was no one who could keep me away. Not even Pein.

Another tremor shook my body. Itachi had felt it, his hand caressed my back.

Though my whole body screamed against it, I made one step away.

"I will go and … gather my stuff."

He nodded.

I lowered my gaze, and left him. My heart ached with every step. But I made it into my room, somehow.

I didn't took long for me to pack up my things. Only the important stuff. The flowers would stay, also some medical instruments. But others like the book would definitely go with me.

I spent the rest of the day, going around in my room. Nervous, afraid and self-confident at the same time, I took my turns in the dark. I hadn't eaten, but my body wouldn't accept anything now.

It was ten fifty. Time to go.

The door opened.

"What?" I asked, not looking up.

"I wanted to continue where we stopped yesterday." This voice. This ugly, freezing, hard voice. "And now that the others are here, you can't scream."

I tensed. No. NO.

His hand touched my back. Right there where Itachi had caressed me. And ice spread over my whole body, right under my skin and made me numb; deaf. Emotionless. I wouldn't bear it another time. To much. To much for me to handle.

I let him drag myself to the bed. He looked pleased, known he had won this time.

Lips touching lips. Hand rubbing over skin. Cloths landing on floor.

He was so close. To close. Though I was so far away.

A little hope came into my blank mind. Flight. Itachi. Home. Rescue. Life.

I would be healed. Save and guarded. Not alone.

Resist.

Do something.

"Hands off." Barely a whisper. But he heard.

"No, you're mine to take."

I screamed. Within seconds I had thrown him off my bed. I grabbed my things, my cloths and ran out of the door. I was still half dressed, but the ice cold wind made me shiver. So cold.

It took my no minute to arrive at the hideout. Itachi was already there. When he saw me, he took his Akatsuki robe and wrapped it around me.

I was so relieved he didn't ask. I couldn't use a break down now. To early. And to frightening.

He looked at me for a second, then turned toward the black forest, that glowed silver in the moonlight.

"Let's go."

Itachi's POV

It was time. High time. I knew it. I could see it, when I looked at her. If we wouldn't do it now, it would be too late.

I looked forward, jumped over the branches and slowed down so that she could keep up with me.

She looked deep in thoughts so I thought about the impending meeting with my brother.

'We will fight', I thought. 'I promised him and I never get back at my promises. He will kill me, that's for sure too, but what will happen to Sakura then? I am sure, Kakashi can protect her to some point, but it won't always be that way.' I looked in front of me again and could see the features of a city. I furrowed my brows.

How could that be? We weren't running that long for a city to appear. It was not normal.

"It was me."

I stood still, grabbed Sakuras arm to hold her back. She gasped and dug her fingers in my arm. I ignored it.

"How did you do it?"

"I did a jutsu that activated when you two walked over it. It teleported you here. It is faster." The copy-ninja shrugged and walked in the direction of the city. Sakura stayed silent the whole time. I laid a hand on her back and guided her. She didn't protest.

We arrived in Konoha and walked through the streets to Tsunades office. It was the middle of the night, but it was enough people outside to stare at us. It was uncomfortable, but I kept a straight face and ignored them. My heart thumped loud in my chest and I was scared. I didn't know why.

Sakura's POV

Something was wrong. This whole thing was going wrong.

My feelings were running wild. There was happiness, but not for returning home. For coming here with Itachi. And this was wrong.

I still was unstable, feeling like I was taped together. But somehow it didn't really mattered.

I wanted to bury me somewhere and drown in this shameful, yet beautiful feeling.

Warily, I clenched the bag in my hands, nervous looking at the staring people. Most of them didn't notice, but some did. Staring in disbelief and anger and shock they followed us. Kakashi didn't seem to notice. And I was glad that we all stayed quiet.

When we entered Tsunade's office:

"Hello, Sakura. It's good to see you save" she greeted me with a warm smile.

"Yes, it feels good to be home again. Oh, and here is the book I borrowed." I took it out of my bag and gave it to her.

"Did it help?" In her voice I heard the subtle interest of a medic.

The memory of Deidara burned through my mind, tears welled up before I could hold them back.

"Yes, it was a useful help. Though one died." Actually, there were too. But only one died of physical matters. I died from a mental breakdown.

"And you brought Itachi with you."

I nodded, not knowing what to say.

"You really were a help for us, Itachi" she said. "We own you a 'thank you'. It was very honorable, and that is why I have a question for you, and I would be glad if you would answer with 'yes'."

"And would that question be?" Itachi was on guard.

Tsunade took a deep breath. "Would you like to stay?"

Hope you enjoyed and I await the reviews! :D