I apologize for the immensely long wait, but I just typed up some new chapters, so they'll be up soon. Please review (everyone needs a little encouragement ;])! I hope oyu all enjoy and please forgive me for the long delay!

I raised my arm, but the attack came low, much lower. I stumbled back, gripping my broken hip. I spat out blood from the first miscalculation. The one to my hip was my sixth. This wasn't working. I couldn't do this. I had to stop.

"How much longer do you plan on standing there?"

I jumped, his lips whispering against my ear. I hadn't even felt the air change around me. He steadied me, the light pressure from his hand warming my shoulder. It had been like this for weeks. Ever since he had fought Shakkri, I had little rest and plenty of training. I was forbidden, yes forbidden, to see Suigetsu at all, which didn't bother me considering he was having a mighty fine time with Karin. A hit to my jaw jolted me out of my thoughts. I stumbled back, licking the blood absently.

"You cannot afford to think," Sasuke said, "unless you want to end up dead."

"Do I have a choice?" I spat.

"You already chose."

I shook my head. "I need to rest, Sasuke. I'm too tired."

He sighed. "We might as well eat."

"You brought food?"

"You'd know this if you paid more attention to your surroundings."

I stopped, curling my fists. "Would you stop reminding me? I know I'm not good with my surroundings, I get that, but that doesn't mean I actually need to. I mean, this is only temporary. As soon as my eyes heal, I'll be fine. I'll be able to see again and I'll be able to kick your ass."

"You're sure of that?"

"Damn right I am," I growled. "I can easily kick your ass."

"I didn't mean that," he said, handing me a box of rice, "I meant, are you sure that your eyes will heal?"

The box was warm in my hands, but the air around me was cold. My skin froze, my heart stopped. "What?" I whispered. "What are you talking about?"

"Your eyes suffered an immense amount of damage during the fight," he explained. "By the looks of it, I do not think that they will be able to heal."

"But, that can't be. I need to see! I need my eyes! What happened? What did you do to them? Why can't I see?" I screamed, shaking in rage. I threw the box across the room and it shattered. I felt wetness on my bandage, but I was unsure if it was tears or blood since my eyes still bled from time to time. I clawed at the bandages, sobbing erratically. The soaked cloth close to my eyes felt heavy in my hands as I yanked it off. I screamed in rage, that rage turning into pain and sorrow.

This couldn't be happening.

"You're being ridiculous."

"Me? I'm being ridiculous? Shut the fuck up, Sasuke! I just lost my eyes! I just lost everything! And why? Because you wanted to fight a battle that was unnecessary! This is all your fault!"

"Stop being so dramatic," he said. His fingers gripped my wrist and pulled me down. Another box got shoved into my hands followed by a harsh one word order to eat. I did so slowly. At the same time, Sasuke unwrapped my bandages. He was silent, as usual, and surprisingly gentle.

"Open your eyes."

The hand holding the chopsticks froze. He had told me to try to open my eyes since the fight with Shakkri, but I had ignored him. I figured that once my eyes healed, I'd be able to see. But they hadn't healed. The bandages Sasuke had taken off had been soaked in blood, not sweat. Sasuke didn't need to tell me that. I already knew. Slowly and judging my own tolerance, my vision came back to me. My eyes opened slowly, very slowly and my lashes stuck together from the ointment, blood, and sweat. At first, the visions I saw were just blobs of color, a black object here and a blue object there.

"I can see somewhat," I told him. I lifted my hand, reaching out to the blue object in the distance. "But only colors and it's blurry."

I jumped at his hot touch. "Relax. The power is new to you."

"Power?"

"The reason your eyes needed to be bandaged was because Shakkri used a power not yet developed. My family's power."

I had forgotten about that. It had been a good while since the Sharingan had burned at my eyes. How could I have let that slip my memory? The emergence of the Sharingan was the reason why I had come here in the first place. Images of Heni and Cara flashed. Were they safe? Were they alive? How could I have forgotten?

"Shakkri used the Sharingan," I said, "while my eyes weren't ready."

I saw him nod. "Yes. The training I put you through was designed to allow you to not only control Shakkri, but the Sharingan as well. However, it seems that the power has receded into your mind like before. It shouldn't emerge unless you or Shakkri force it to."

I nodded. "Okay. And…can I ask you something?"

"Hm?"

"Should I tell Suigetsu the truth?" It was completely random, but the question had been eating at me the entire time Sasuke had locked me in here. I couldn't find the answer myself and I figured he could help me. Him and Suigetsu were friends.

His eyes were black now, but when he looked at me, fires burned. My vision was sharpening. "The truth?"

I didn't look away from him. I had let go of my fear. "I don't feel the same way about him anymore. Something's missing. Or maybe it left. I don't know, but I keep sleeping with him and saying things I shouldn't."

"If you shouldn't say them, then you know the answer."

I blinked. "Okay. Can I get a new room too? I highly doubt Suigetsu will want me to stay in his room after I tell him."

"I have a better idea," Sasuke told me. With a tilt of his head, he turned and left. I followed, intrigued. The night air cooled my skin, the darkness sharpening my eyesight. I followed Sasuke, but lost him behind the thick foliage. I continued straight, seeing the slightly bent branches and fallen leaves. The moonlight glittered through, a seductive scene. My bare feet pushed against the moist Earth as I slowed my steps, suddenly afraid. The branches and leaves were perfectly intact. I had lost Sasuke and now I was lost myself.

"Fuck," I breathed.

I didn't have much on, just a thin cloth shirt and equally thin skirt with bandages around my upper thighs, left wrist, and right ankle. Nothing else. The cool air blew through the cotton, an oddly sensual feeling. I shivered, my skin tightening and bumps forming instantly and all over. When the breeze blew, an erratic shiver plagued my body, but ended quickly once the wind stilled.

"Where are you?" I asked, my voice soft.

"Follow me," I heard him whisper in front of me.

I took one step forward, pushing a branch away from me and walked over a fallen log. The forest opened up somewhat, but I still couldn't find Sasuke. Was this another test? Hadn't I proved myself already? What was the point in testing me even more?

A wave of heat blew over me from behind. I whirled around, Sasuke's open kimono staring me in the face. I raised my eyes to his, asking him what this was all about. He didn't answer. He probably didn't know I was asking him a question.

"Why are we out here?"

"I want to see something."

"Out here?" I looked around, not seeing anything very interesting. "It's just trees and damp soil."

I jumped when his lips touched the skin on my neck. His breath was hot on my cold skin. His arm pulled me to him, warmth running over my skin. For a moment, I just stood there in his arms, not sure what to do. I still felt a loyalty to Suigetsu, though I knew deep inside that ship had sailed. But Sasuke and Suigetsu were friends. I couldn't mess around with both of them. It was against some moral code or something like that. I sucked in my breath when his hot, moist tongue lapped my skin. My legs collapsed. He knew they would and he pulled me against him before I could fall to the dirt floor. He moved up my neck, leaving a trail of saliva that turned cold as soon as the air touched it. He nibbled on the bottom of my jaw before pulling away. I shivered at the sudden lack of heat, but he came back, his lips covering mine. Feeling foolish at being stationary, my hands moved up his chest and rested on his neck, keeping him to me. His tongue explored my mouth and mine his. My fingertips dug into his muscled neck. I became more savage and so did he. The need burned in me and his touch set me on fire. If I stayed close, the cold would never reach me. Darkness would stay away and I'd bask in the glow of Light. Never before had I felt like this. Never before had I wanted this as much as I did. Sasuke attracted me like a fly to a light. I wasn't too sure, but I didn't completely dismiss the fact that the fly circling the light usually got killed.

ZAP! Oops, the bug died...

Hmmm, did you like? I left a bit of foreshadow there, so any predictions?? Comments?? Review, ya?!

Next one up by the end of the week!