Chapter Nine

Barriers

With or without the Sharingan, he saw this coming from miles away, beyond the mountains.

He was lingering in the area again when Leader did not call for him and Kisame again, instead chose Deidara and Sasori for his next assignment, which left him and Kisame in the same village between the Leaf and Sound. However, Itachi wished there was one such mission he and his partner could have been given, involving a certain snake who turned his little brother into the monster he was now.

Orochimaru is not the only one to blame.

He wasn't surprised that Sasuke's ever devoted - or should he say, obsessed? - friends decided to finally come. They couldn't have left their village on their own; their Hokage had to have given permission. And they were not alone: ANBU Black Ops was also on Sasuke's trail. No doubt to kill my brother if he tried anything, or restrain him, and take him back in a cage. I highly doubt they will kill him, but Sasuke's Kyuubi friend will do everything in his passionate loyalty to beg for his life to be spared...and the petal-haired girl will no doubt fall on her knees with her heart through her lips.

It made Itachi reach a conclusion: given Naruto failed, let's see if Sakura Haruno can try a second time. I believe she failed the night he abandoned her and the village...but who's to say a night with my brother can attempt now? He tried to smile but failed ultimately. Sasuke was proud and willful as ever, so confident - but he remained in the same place all these years. He had his own path, but what good had it given him?

Uncontrollable, animalistic appetites of the flesh...murdering those victims in the end...and nothing but brawling petty criminals. He couldn't even best Orochimaru, the genius of the legendary Sannin, if he wanted to...

...but this better be the resort. Sakura should be the one if Naruto couldn't. The boy is too reckless, too obsessed and fixated...but he's very loyal to Sasuke. He swore to bring him back with whatever it took. This made Itachi smile now.

"Foolish little brother," he said softly as he stood in the forest, waiting for the arrival of Naruto whom he sensed was coming - or perhaps a shadow clone, at least. He'd seen it all happen from start to finish, and he had to say he was pleased that Haruno-chan had improved, had her will to go up against the one she loved with her Shinobi way. He heard it all: she told Sasuke she would kill him if it was what it took, if he wouldn't come back. She'd asked him why he didn't kill Naruto, and he'd responded that it was all on a whim: his friend wasn't the one he wanted to kill, a mistake he regretted.

"...I spared his life on a whim. Just to see if Konoha's number one hyper, knuckleheaded ninja could get stronger before I kill him."

Itachi snorted, baring his teeth. "You never could do it," he said under his breath, "and you never will." What had he been thinking to believe the brother he spared that night would ever come up to him...? Sasuke could never catch up to anyone. It seems I must be the big brother once again and step in.

The opportunity had arisen when Sasuke took the wounded Sakura away from Naruto who had arrived, begrudgingly agreed to go back to his team - but if he knew the Nine-Tails vessel the Akatsuki wanted, then he would stay here as long as it took to talk him out of going back for the girl; Kisame was more than happy to take care of the ANBU warriors who would dare to interfere with tonight's matters. And to think I was once one of them... He closed his eyes on the past, cursing Danzo and the rest of the Elders for this. But he was caught in the middle of their side and his family. He was so young when he was brought into the Third Great War, being only eight years old when he watched those he loved die before his eyes, having to accept ANBU Root when he was only thirteen years of age and reaching puberty. He was never innocent before the starting stages of internal physical adulthood.

Just as Sasuke had been forced to grow up, by his own hands. He'd been protected, given dreams and happiness...but it was butchered by Itachi and the Elders. Danzo wanted him to kill his beloved baby brother, but he had to trade one important part of himself just to protect Sasuke.

He would do the same now, now that he stood before Naruto whom he would not waste precious battle strength on just for the sake of the two people he cared about - and he was indeed talking about the blond young man whom he was pleased physically matured but was disappointed his ideals remained after all these years. Yet he had to trust Naruto Uzumaki with the small fact that he wasn't completely at fault, that Orochimaru was the monster to take away Sasuke from them both...but he had to stay away this time.

Let Sakura Haruno handle this. She was strong enough; she had the Will of Fire. And if anything, Naruto would only make it worse.

"Why should I listen to you, you bastard?" he snarled at the Uchiha, who sighed at the waste of questions and precious breath.

"Because it is logical. You have never cared to look deeper because of orders, while I had time on my hands to observe Sasuke from the shadows. You don't believe me because you don't understand completely, no matter how hard you try to. Take this rationally, like I said, and believe in them both. Whatever the outcome is will be entirely out of your hands. So, if you value that precious ideal of yours, you will take your shadow clones back and allow the night to drone on, and leave me to keep both of my watchful Sharingan eyes on them," Itachi ordered coldly, booking no refusal if the boy wanted to face the wrath of his genjutsu.

He smiled when the clone vanished in a puff of smoke. "Wise decision," he mused when he turned back and headed in the direction where his brother took the wounded woman into flight.

Sharingan ablaze, he saw it all: Sasuke tending to Sakura briefly before leaving her upon her awakening to awareness and allowing her to heal the rest of the majority of her wounds while he tended to the fire and fed her a little. Itachi had to admit he was amused by what he witnessed in the heated arguments ablaze. Sakura Haruno wasn't the girl his foolish brother remembered, the "annoying" kunoichi who fawned over him and protected him the best she could - but she couldn't protect him from Orochimaru and his promise of power and revenge. Just as Naruto could not...but look at such determination and commitment.

Sakura really would not let all of this be; she was determined on her part to protect him now despite orders. She would have to eventually be forced to choose between Sasuke and her ninja code. Itachi had been forced to do the same when it came to his duty and his baby brother.

He felt his heart split when he detected Sasuke telling her about his ordeal in Orochimaru's experiments, his pain and the anguish of the mating side effects of the Curse Mark. Then he heard what he remembered as well as Sasuke the blunt, harsh manner in which he told his brother what a hideous wretch he was, how he was still too weak, and condemning him worse than he already was. It was then that Itachi felt the corner of his eye burn, but he refused to let the tear fall.

I still have a duty to owe the Lead Village. I must ensure Sasuke does not know the truth; he cannot become involved in my life. He is supposed to get stronger...but look what the snake and I have done to him.

What transpired between Sasuke and Sakura made him chuckle - yet it also worried him as much as he hated to admit it. That position after yet another heated outburst and a strike to the woman's face, their bodies so close together, and finally her pushing him away and running with her life depended on...she intended to lead him on. The elder Uchiha knew why: she wanted to see how far Sasuke would go to prove he wasn't the monster he was made to be. Ten years is long enough to harden the soul, mind and heart, he mused, rubbing the ring on his finger with his other thumb out of habit, but with these two together again, I am curious to see if he will do to her what he has done to the others...

Sakura put up a good chase and grand finale at the waterfall Sasuke loved to bathe, and it ended with steam that could have evaporated the spring and fall. Itachi narrowed his eyes, pursing his lips as he watched the wild, ravishing, blood-letting - the markings on the female rather than the dominant beastly male - intercourse between the one he abandoned to a life of darkness, hate and anger as well as the one who balanced with light, love and passion.

It's stronger than I thought - than they both think. But...I see something stirring from this. The situation has only gotten more complicated, unless I act.

~o~

He was the one to awake just before the sun began to peek over the horizon. His wings were sensitive as his natural awareness that dawn was coming. Opening them and stretching, Sasuke yawned and then sighed when he felt his bones pop from this position. Tension eased when he assessed the circumstances. He had...been with Sakura during the night. He had never coupled with someone and let them live afterwards.

Why do I feel so...content? I felt like this before, but I never let them...

His train of thought ended when he looked down at her body against his, her bare backside against his groin, but there was no stirring. Her face against his breastbone, her arms crossed over her chest and snuggling further into him in a silent question for protection. He did not know what to make of this. He found himself looking over the dried blood and the scratches on her back as well as her hips, and a faint trail of blood down one of her thighs, proof that he WAS her first. None of the other women had been virgins; he didn't even care to pay attention to that knowledge regarding Karin, never told the difference if her first cries were pain or pleasure, or the two combined...

Sasuke bared his teeth, but no sound came out. Why was he comparing Karin to this one in his arms? Sakura wasn't her. He'd known her when they were barely entering preteen years. And here she was, in his arms just as the morning light was starting to come.

He had no time to dwell. They had an agreement that she spent the night with him to heal, they had enough time to "catch up" - to a degree - but now they would part ways. He would return her to her team and then gather whatever he could of his belongings here, and take off. Only he did not know where to go now...

Standing, Sasuke continued to hold Sakura in his arms bridal style and spread his wings for flight. There was some mild disappointment that he lost some contact with her skin against his. He was unable to stop thinking about the memory of her lips on his most intimate part, which he never allowed the other girls to do...no one has ever done that to me before. I can't even describe it. She had a talent for that tongue, which I never thought I'd get from her...she caressed certain parts on my body I never allow another...

...and she has such strength to resist the pain my hands gave her. Pain and pleasure...the taste of her, the smell and feel of her...her inner muscles around me... That last part was no different than before, but seeing Sakura writhe beneath him and spill herself around him was enough to drive him over an edge that wasn't the dangerous pitfall of the sacrificial rites. It was a fall, but with a shorter landing that erupted with an impact of bliss, turning them both into mush. He was in deep with the aftermath of the rapture to think about anything else. He didn't want to go back to the cave after that, instead settled on pulling her bleeding, slightly maimed body close to his and closed his wings around them.

Sakura was still asleep when they arrived, his feet landing on the gravel without trouble. He walked over and laid her down on his makeshift bed. She slumped to her side and moaned, stirred but didn't wake. Sasuke regarded her for one more moment before leaving her there and going to retrieve their drying garments.

This will not happen again, his mind was telling him from the moment he acted out and then returned to her, seeing her now sitting up and stretching. He stayed where he was, watching as her muscles and small breasts heaved with each movement. The yawn that left her was soft like a spring bird's call. How had he not noticed this in her before? She ran her hands through her hair, combing it the best she could before realizing she wasn't alone - or should he say, she noticed HE wasn't against her anymore? He cleared his throat to get her attention.

She only looked at him but didn't say anything. He couldn't detect anything even remotely shy about her now that they... "Have I hurt you?" he asked, the question utterly stupid. He took in the scratches and winced now. By my hands. But she doesn't seem to mind.

"No," she answered, then looked at their clothes in his arms. "Before you go...do you know where you're heading now?"

"You'll never hear from me when I make my decision." It was for the best, he tried to tell himself. "ANBU can't follow my trail again, and since this is bound to get back to the Hokage, I doubt she'll send you and Naruto back after me."

She took her clothes from him with a frown. "I don't like the idea of you going someplace cold, if that's what you're thinking. I don't know how you manage like that..." She nodded over his form as he wrapped his worn cloth around his waist and secured it with the purple rope, at the same time she was standing and pulling her knee-length skirt up. Sakura's undergarments were shattered beyond repair during their animalistic coupling last night. He couldn't help but snicker to himself at how fun it had been to destroy her underpants just to get to those parts...and she enjoyed it, too.

Sasuke looked at her with irritation. She was frazzling his nerves already again. "I've handled it before," he told her, watching as she pulled her shirt over and sealed it in the front, bottom to up. "I find suitable garments to my liking, depending which villages surround. But I don't intend a frigid environment at this time of year."

Sakura walked over to him, after securing her weapons back on herself, and it made him remember his beloved katana blade which he had to put back together because she broke it in half getting it out of herself. She was bold to pull it out of herself - or attempt to. She bled...for me.

"You can always come back with us. We can even hunt down Orochimaru, capture him and bring him in, force him to find the cure you want."

~o~

So, Naruto definitely had himself and Sakura in a pickle when the rest of Team Seven caught on, and how could he even lie to them all? At least they knew where Sasuke was, and he would gladly lead them to him and Sakura. He'd better hold onto his word and not kill her...or whatever he could be doing to her besides treating her like she would treat her patients.

I told you, I doubt he will, the fox replied half-heartily, rumbling behind his cage. I won't be surprised if she got what she dreamed of all those years...

Naruto cringed. I don't want to know; keep those images out of my head! He had them a long time ago about her, but they were childish, and he had the wonderful, soft-hearted Hinata who would gladly have his children.

Neither of the men around him were pleased with what he'd told them, because in the end, a lie would blow up. He never lied to any of his friends or comrades for whatever reason - okay, he did dance around a bit, but never completely lied to their faces.

"Leaving your comrades like this in the middle of the night - and Sakura got hurt, but you let him take her away," Yamato had stated bluntly, shaking his head. "We could have tracked him together and surprised him, called in ANBU, but instead we find out that he knew we were on his tail!"

Kakashi had exhaled sharply and ran his fingers through his silver hair, looking down at the ground. "Boy, we got a Plan B on our hands now. Naruto, you take us to where you found him, and then I send my ninja hounds to sniff out the mountain from there. Sai, you contact ANBU and inform them at once," he ordered the young artist, former lackey of Danzo, who was more than happy to comply. Naruto lowered his eyes to the ground, but not out of shame. This wasn't the first time he was in a bit of a mess, but this time felt worse because two of his best friends...

It was then and there, afterwards, that they got the word back from Sai's inked beasts: the ANBU guards assigned were all dead. Drained of chakra. There was no way Sasuke could have done this, which meant that...

"Akatsuki," Kakashi declared through his teeth. "They are here in the country. Which means we have two problems to face."

Maybe Naruto should regret not telling them about Itachi, but he had his reasons for keeping that information to himself and the Nine-Tails. Itachi knew more than he did - but didn't the bastard realize that NARUTO knew Sakura's feelings for Sasuke...

...or was the elder Uchiha responsible for Sasuke's pain have something up his sleeve that the Kyuubi vessel didn't know? He did say he'd watch over them for me...does that mean he CARES more than I thought? I don't even understand that bastard like I still can't understand his brother...

~o~

Was there a way to describe how she felt when she awoke to the tingling of marks on her back and hips, in her sensitive feminine parts and other places that she had to try and figure out - before she noticed she was alone. What was she thinking, wishing he'd be here when she opened her eyes...and she saw they were no longer outside. She remembered how wild it had been, raw with blood, heated with pleasure, and a climax she couldn't put a good name to.

Sakura winced a little when she felt IT between her legs: the little dribble of blood down her thigh which was the proof she wasn't a virgin anymore, which was short-lived bliss at its finest. This was going to happen only one time, but it was...wonderful while it lasted.

Sasuke returned with their clothes which had dried overnight. She bolted when she noticed her undergarments were missing before remembering he'd torn them apart beyond repair, which humored and irritated her at the same time. If he had money, I'd force him to buy me a new set, she thought, just to make herself laugh.

She wouldn't be surprised if Naruto hadn't been able to come up with a suitable answer for the others. In the end, what was there to say? Lying to your comrades never boded well, and what waited for them when they went back to Lady Hokage? She needed to know what Sasuke said, if they could change the mission to hunting Orochimaru himself no matter how difficult it was, but that also meant a continual manhunt for him, or worse:

Label him as a rogue ninja. He's already a monster in their eyes, but I've seen otherwise...

On top of that, he wouldn't tell her where he was going now that his location was discovered. He was purposefully doing this, having so much more low self-esteem that cut so deep to the bone - and she was tired of it. Just as she was tired of him putting her off like this, especially when she had to be concerned if he would go someplace cold; he must have done that in the past, when going place to place, so how did he keep himself warm in such climates?

She was relieved when he said he had no intentions of going anywhere cold, but that would not stop her there. "You can always come back with us," Sakura had to say, even if it took all her breath like Naruto. "We can even hunt down Orochimaru, capture him and bring him in, force him to find the cure you want." His eyes flashed when they met with hers, and his fangs were bared. She'd hit a wrong button again, and it was on purpose.

"And what would happen if I DID come back, hmm?" he hissed. "I told you that there is no cure for me..."

"There is ALWAYS a chance!" Sakura countered heatedly, clenching her fists. "Kami damn it all, Sasuke, why and how can you be so stubborn and lost of hope?! If anyone can find the antidote or not, it's Orochimaru by force -"

"Which is implausible! It also means keeping me locked up as an animal, which is exactly what they will do, and you know that!" Sasuke roared. "High chances are they will prevent me from ever leaving the village again! They'll never let me get my revenge on Itachi! No one understands my depths as well as you have!" His eyes bulged then as soon as the words slipped through his mouth. She felt her own do the same. A heavy silence washed over them both which felt like an uncomfortable eternity.

He said that I understand him...is he admitting it?

Before she could ask, he shook his head, closed his eyes and turned halfway from her. "Forget I said anything." Like HELL I will!

"So, I guess this ends it all." She had another trick up her sleeve that might stay in his mind - if his dense, barrier-filled brain would allow it. "Revenge is all you care about in the end." Her mind decided it best to leave Itachi's name out of the mix, because it would only make him lash again, which only made things worse instead of better. But there was one more thing to add.

"But when that day does come and you meet him again...what will you get out of it?"

Oh, boy, we got him there! Look at his face!

Sasuke's eyes opened as his features softened, like he was calculating what she said. For a moment, hope arose in her, before it fell flat when he looked at her and stalked over, picking her up just like that and making way towards the entrance. "Sasuke!" she yelled angrily, struggling in his hold. "Are you going to answer me, you bastard?!"

"Be quiet. I've said enough, you know enough...our time is up, Sakura."

Man, oh man. (shakes head) Sasuke really is dense as a rock. Slowly his barriers ARE being broken down, but we know he won't give in that easily. Itachi's gonna definitely step his game up, and it also begs what Orochimaru is up to nowadays besides his usual. He's the majority of our beloved characters' problems after all.

And now Sasuke returns Sakura to the team he once had. Their affair ends - for now. This isn't the last of the story. How can it be? ;)