Loophole

Chapter 10: Rescission

The wet night air seemed to stick to Sakura's skin as she fought to stay conscious. Itachi's warm body felt glorious under her as he carried her on his back while expertly navigating the forest. Hoisting her from where her body lay limp on the wet ground, Itachi had pushed her arms through the armholes of his robe and fastened it closed at the top. When she was carried, the Akatsuki cloak dangled open behind her with the exception of the top button. Sadly, they were both wet through with the rain.

Even with the long garment over her body, Sakura felt the chill inside every pore of her skin. But where her front lay on him, she was warm, hot even. Her head fell heavily on the back of his right shoulder, her legs were pressed at his hips and his rough hands held her calves tightly. He was bearing her full weight, and never slowing. Had she been more coherent, she might have been impressed with his chivalry and strength. For now, the only thoughts revolving around her semi-conscious mind were anger and betrayal between bouts of unwanted darkness.

There was no way to know how long they'd been traveling, but when the stone walls around the familiar courtyard came into view, Sakura felt almost safe. Almost.

Itachi continued on into the grassy nook, and then proceeded through the door with a limp Sakura still lying against his back.

He walked calmly along the inner hallway and Sakura managed to feebly count the doors as they passed, fully expecting to stop at the room she occupied previously. She was surprised when his feet continued to move along, drawing her to somewhere she hadn't been before.

In her time there, she had only been in four rooms. The first was her cell, a place she had no interest to return to. The second was her bedroom, and even now she still considered it her own. The last two were the kitchen and dining room, which were nothing to write home about. But Itachi had passed them all and turned into another hallway through a closed door.

When he pushed through the last door to his destination, Sakura managed to lift her head slightly as the grasp on her legs loosened.

She had expected a torture chamber or to be back in her bedroom at the very best of circumstances, but she didn't expect this. It was a large room, much larger than her bedroom. The walls were stone as was the rest of the building. There was a tall set of shelves filled with scrolls and books from floor to ceiling and spanning the entire wall. A low futon covered in what could be nothing but a large goose down duvet, navy blue if the dim lighting wasn't lying, sat against another wall. On the wall opposite the door, there stood an iron wood burning stove with a stack of wood beside it.

Her perusal of the room ended quickly though as Itachi began to put her down. From the position her legs were in, she didn't really want to test her own strength at the moment. But he slowly lowered himself and let one of her legs go to stretch towards the floor.

Sakura winced with the pain of tight muscles that had strained in the cold night air with such a firmly bended positioning for so long. Getting both feet on the floor, she shook and grasped onto his wet black and mesh shirt for fear of falling to the hard floor.

Itachi turned quickly and slipped an arm around her back to hold her against him. It was then that their eyes finally met, the red of his penetrating her as if she were fog, as if she were the air itself. But still, she returned his gaze.

"Why?" she whispered, trying desperately to keep her eyes open. The question had been in her mind since she first saw his cold face staring down at her at Orochimaru's, the wet blood sliding down his cheek. But the question pertained to so many things. When she said it, she wasn't sure which part of her ordeal she wanted him to answer to.

Hate and betrayal filled her mind as his sharingan mocked her lack of a bloodline limit, mocked her absence of chakra. She wanted to scream and make him answer her, but even the flaring thoughts were making her tired. What the hell did he want? He'd left her there to die. He had no right to bring her here.

He had no right to be holding her so closely.

Her breathing became more rapid as she forced herself to focus on him.

His skin was slick with rain, and his hair had come loose to dangle around his shoulders during the run back. His drenched shirt hugged him, and Sakura stared for a moment at the delicate necklace he wore. It looked like small flowers-- a tiny lie of softness clasped around the neck of cruelty.

Using the hand he wasn't holding her with, Itachi slid his fingers inside and up along the edge of the cloak, making Sakura tremble with the feather light touches along her front. Releasing the button that held the garment on her, he seemed purposefully gentle as he peeled the wet fabric away from her shoulders and then relinquished his hold to allow it to fall to the floor. As it pooled in a wet heap, his gaze went back to hers as his arm wrapped back around her. All this time, he hadn't said anything.

There were a lot of things Sakura wanted to say, but her own words had failed. Feelings seemed to take over, but sadly, there was no strength to fuel them. With no adrenaline and no chakra, she was running on empty and her emotions seemed to be dangling on the outside, lying among the beaded rain on her wet skin.

Teetering back a little with euphoria but still in his firm hold, Sakura did something she had wanted to do from the moment she awoke from the tsukiyomi at Orochimaru's.

And damned be the consequences.

Cocking her hand back, she swung with all the strength she had left. Her open hand slapped hard against Itachi's face; the satisfying smack of wet skin seemed so loud. Her palm hurt from the contact.

She didn't think she'd be able to do it, mostly because he could have easily stopped her.

But he didn't.

He didn't even move.

With that one last effort, she fell forward against his chest and felt the darkness coming. Itachi held her there for her last few moments of consciousness.

Kakashi sighed as he looked at the dark night through the windows of the hospital room. They'd sat with Sasuke for a while now and it seemed that his story was finally getting somewhere. For the young Uchiha to be so forthcoming, Kakashi was taken aback, but he supposed in his weakened state, the young man was lacking a lot of the anger he burned with at twelve.

Naruto still seemed skeptical, but it was obvious that his feelings were mixed between happiness and anger. The barrage of emotions seemed to confuse the blonde and so for the last little while, he'd been lost for words.

"Go on, Sasuke," Kakashi began, "We won't interrupt."

Sasuke took a deep breath and sighed. He didn't really want to relive his mistakes, but making himself understood was the only way to find some peace. A lot of long days and nights in that cell had taught him some humility and broken him of a lot of fight. For now, he wanted to regroup and make amends.

"Alright….Sensei," he said. He hoped Kakashi wouldn't object. "I spent a year just training with the Sound-nins and learning how to control the cursed seal, but after a while I felt that I was not the one in control. It was controlling me. I knew Orochimaru wanted me so that he could take me over in the end, but I had never planned to let it get that far. It's not common knowledge, but Orochimaru's arms are useless. Seems the Sandaime had used a sealing technique to ruin them. Kabuto keeps trying to heal him, but it's impossible. They say only Tsunade could heal him, and she refused."

Kakashi seemed to sit up when he heard this, but didn't interrupt Sasuke.

"Anyway, It seemed that Orochimaru sensed that I was not truthful with him about our deal. Kabuto came one day and said that Orochimaru wanted to see me. Orochimaru had found a way to speed up the transfer process and decided that it was time."

"Why would he even think that you'd give him your body?" Kakashi asked. His head cocked in confusion.

"Well, I told him I would if he gave me enough power to kill Itachi. But I was becoming too powerful. It was true that Orochimaru could have taken another body early and it became obvious that I had no intention of going along with it. Unfortunately, they believed beforehand that I wouldn't make good on my part in the deal and planned for it. They drugged me. I don't even know how they did it, but my chakra was almost gone, not completely, but almost. The only thing that saved me was your seal, Kakashi-sensei. When Orochimaru tried to take me over I had enough chakra to use my sharingan to see what his body was doing. Using the principal from your seal, I was able to prevent Orochimaru from entering my body."

"I don't know how that's possible." Kakashi continued to sound incredulous.

"It's simple. I exploited the idea of using chakra and my will to seal my body against an invader as your seal did. It ended up injuring him and saved me. Over the next few tries, I continued to use the technique. It took surprisingly little chakra, which was all I had left. In the end, he felt defeated and gave up. They didn't realize I was sealing against him, they just believed that there was something about an Uchiha that might make it impossible. Anyway, I was able to see how he did the body transfer. I'll write out everything I know. From then on, to stop me from coming back and telling where his base was, I was chained in a cell. Kabuto promised Orochimaru he'd find a way to take me over. Until then, I was their prisoner."

"Why are you being so cooperative now, Sasuke?" Naruto spat. "It's not like last time when you punched a hole in my chest to kill me. Remember?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto. If I could take it all back, I would," Sasuke looked at the windows with a vague distant expression, his jaw clenched tightly.

Naruto was a little surprised at the apology, and the room fell to silence. Only the sound of the crickets outside managed to close out the discomfort.

"Unfortunately, Sasuke, our objective now is to get Sakura back. I can't believe that you escaping and her disappearing isn't related."

"How could it be?" Naruto turned to Kakashi.

"Well, Sakura disappears with Itachi, and Sasuke shows up soon after. But where she is now is a mystery. I can only guess she's either with Itachi, or with Orochimaru. It's more likely the latter." Kakashi looked at Naruto now, his brow creased with something he really didn't want to consider. "Her medical skills are almost on par with Tsunade and both men have a need for it."

Slowly opening her tired eyes, Sakura breathed in the dry air and the smell of fire. Thirst was becoming something desperate, but her strange surroundings managed to quell her needs for the moment. The sounds and cracks of wood burning filled the room and she felt warm, warmer than she had in days.

The world seemed to begin to return to her in that instant as the room became clearer, as did the body spooned against her. Strange as it sounded, she didn't expect to be lying there alone when she awoke. For some reason, perhaps it was the constant warmth tickling her wrist or the extra heat of another body that gave it away, but she wasn't surprised.

The soft glow of the fire lit the room as the reflection of the flames licked the walls and made the atmosphere relaxing. It might have been nice to pretend that this was another time and place, and that she wanted to be there, lying in his arms; an impossible fantasy. There was no way to forget being poisoned, or beaten, or betrayed.

Even now, as Itachi shifted onto his back with her slight movements, she felt a mix of emotions from having him so close again.

Sakura took a moment to think, just a small moment to collect her thoughts and make her plans, but nothing seemed to come. Death was three days away, her body hurt, and the man who caused it all was lying asleep next to her. His soft breathing filled the space between them and she was sure her own breathing was coming in time with his.

Sakura shifted again and because the futon had very little give, Itachi didn't stir. She took stock in the fact that she was clad in the black silky shirt she had worn the first time she was given clothes there, and only her underwear. Just the idea that he had stripped her clothes off and dressed her in something else infuriated her. Knowing he took such liberties when she was unconscious made her wonder what else he had done.

She watched him for another moment, his bare chest rising and falling with gentle fluidity. His dark lashes cast shadows on his face in the orange glow of the firelight. He was so oblivious to suffering that Sakura wanted to show him how it felt.

Her face grew hot and her fists clenched. She hated Itachi more than she could ever say. Shifting one last time and trying to draw as much strength as she could, Sakura pushed her body up from the mattress and straddled him, slipping her fingers around his neck.

Of course, it was no surprise when he opened his eyes and looked at her. Strangely though, his breath never sped up; he seemed quite calm with the whole situation of having a woman's fingers clasped around his throat.

They looked at each other for a long moment.

Slowly, Itachi brought his hands up and placed them on Sakura's hips. He seemed amused, like he was enjoying the strange matter of his impending death. Certainly, Sakura knew she couldn't kill him. It would only take a split second for him to change those beautiful dark eyes to blood red and whisk her free thought away. But for now, to have her fingers clenching his windpipe felt morbidly satisfying, even if it cost her life a few days sooner than expected.

"I had imagined other circumstances while in this position," Itachi said quietly, that slight tone of cold amusement to his voice.

"Damn you. I want to kill you and you make jokes. I hate you, Itachi," Sakura growled out as tears began to blur her vision. Her grip was tight on his neck, but not enough to hurt him. He'd never allow her to hurt him. There really wasn't enough strength left for her to do any damage even if she really did want to.

"Hate is a strong word," Itachi said quietly as his fingertips slid down to her thighs to gently knead her firm skin.

"So is betrayal," she hissed back with all the malice she could put in her voice.

Itachi's eyes seemed to narrow just slightly.

"You undressed me," she spat.

"Your clothes were wet," he responded evenly.

"What else did you do?"

"That's very uncomplimentary, Sakura. Do you think I need to take advantage of unconscious women?" His eyebrows rose slightly.

"I think you'll do whatever you please if it suits you. I think you don't give a shit about any human being on this planet who isn't named Uchiha Itachi."

"And you expect me to deny this?" He almost smirked.

"I wish I could kill you. At least then I could die with some satisfaction." Trembling with increased fatigue from her efforts, and anger and sadness, Sakura's grip loosened.

In a sudden movement that she should have expected but didn't, Itachi spun her body to the bed and held her down. His lightning fast speed ensured that he was able to pin an arm to the firm mattress before she even knew he had a grip on it, but at that same time, her hand had shot up in reaction and grabbed a fistful of his hair. They were locked together, anger and furious intention swelling in the space between them.

"You throw your words so easily. You don't you value your life anymore, Sakura?" Itachi said softly as he hovered just above her. His body lay on top of hers, holding her in place. He really didn't need to; she was completely exhausted from the effort of her feeble attempt on his life.

"I have no life. You ensured that when you traded me to that snake," she whispered as she tried to stifle the need to sob. Everything was pouring out. The long days and nights of fear, pain and emotional roller coaster rides were seeping their way through any façade she had hoped to keep.

"Explain this to me," he said sharply, sensing that something had happened that he hadn't expected.

"They poisoned me, you bastard. I have no chakra to counter it, and the sample I had on my skirt was destroyed in the rain and mud. I have no life now. You gave it away. I guess you could say I'm feeling pretty free with my words today." The tears continued though she gritted her teeth in anger while turning her face away from his. Her fingers began to loosen from the stands they were twisting in.

Itachi remained hovering above Sakura for a moment, and then slowly released his grip on her wrist without lifting himself off of her. Sakura's shaking hand hastily wiped the tears away as the other slid down from his hair to his shoulder. For a reason she couldn't quite say, she kept her hand on his skin, feeling the warmth on her palm.

"I was promised that you would be unharmed," Itachi said coldly. "I can't be blamed for their lack of obligation to agreements that they make."

"Seems that their word is as good as yours," Sakura said, finally finding some composure.

"I never lied to you." His voice had a tinge of anger.

"But you were never truthful either," she whispered.

"I did as you asked. Sasuke is in Konoha. You gave me free reign to do as I pleased to free him. I chose the easiest route," he defended with no hint of remorse.

Sakura hissed in anger, "You left me there to die. I gave you your sight back and now you've killed me."

"Had I known they would poison you, I would have returned sooner."

Sakura's face turned back to his. His admission seemed almost repentant. Almost. That impassive look crawled over his face, blanking him of emotion and substance. Itachi the clean slate, she thought minutely. If only he had been born understanding regret and love as normal people did. If only he could have been more of the man she glimpsed in those very few quiet moments when he kissed her. He was her ultimate betrayer now, how could she forgive that?

"Why did you do this to me?" she asked, her face pleading for understanding.

Itachi seemed unable to answer.

"I thought that you…felt something for me. I thought that I was more to you than a simple tool for bartering. I wanted to be more to you." Sakura felt freedom to say anything now. Death was certainly a way to unshackle emotions. It seemed she could admit things to herself now as well.

Such a twist of feelings crawled through her. His body against hers, and the hate she tried to hold onto as his intense gaze broke her to pieces. Why did she have to fight to hate him? Had his tsukiyomi broken her mind? Had it created feelings in her that she could never give up? Even as she wanted to kill him, her fingers ached to slide back into the dark hair that fell over his shoulders and to memorize its soft texture. She wanted to feel his lips on hers just as she had dreamed of for hours and hours making her wake to want more. But from now on with Itachi, it would always teeter between love and hate. It could never just be one or the other.

Sakura still waited for an answer that she figured he couldn't give. When Itachi had asked her to stay with him, maybe he was caught up in something he hadn't expected either.

"There's a chemical lab on the lower level. Can you create the antidote?" He became more clinical, despite having his warmth pressed against her on the bed.

"I have no sample. I have no chakra to get a sample. I have no more options. Even now, I feel my body hurting and failing from what the poison is doing. In three days or so, it will finish me." A soft sigh of resignation finally fell from her lips as the crying ended and her eyes felt heavy.

Itachi hesitated once again. She wondered if he was calculating a way out of the situation, and it made her curious.

"Why, Itachi? Why did you come back for me? Why only leave a kunai beside me?" she whispered as she finally gave into temptation and ran her hand up his chest to touch his dark hair more gently. At this point, holding back on things she wanted to do seemed redundant.

"Kisame suggested that they might have killed you. I merely needed to make sure they hadn't." His voice was matter of fact. "I only left the kunai so I wouldn't break my end of the deal I made with them. Had you not been able to free yourself, you wouldn't have been worth saving. As I said, I just needed to ensure that you were still alive."

"Why?" she reiterated.

Another pause. Itachi was never hasty.

"It would not suit me to have you killed," he said as tonelessly as possible, and Sakura wondered if he was having trouble trying to find vague enough words to hold his secrets in.

"Because you need me, correct?" she whispered his own words back to him.

"Correct," he whispered his reply, the soft deep tone of his voice making her want to cry again. His hand drew up and ran along her forearm as her fingers continued to caress the ends of his hair. The animosity had died away, and the quiet between them felt so much more natural.

Sakura's eyes blinked slowly, getting harder and harder to open each time. When they finally fell closed and were unable to reopen, her hand slid away from Itachi's hair.

"Itachi," she whispered, barely audibly. Her body slackened from the tenseness she hadn't realized she was holding.

He bent lower, turning his head so that his ear was near her lips.

Breathily, she told him, "I'll never forgive you."

A/N: I was planning for it to end in this chapter but it stretched out so there is at least one more. Thanks roark28 again for the beta. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm overwhelmed and very appreciative. Thanks.

Leafy