So evil I am... I hope you enjoy. Special thanks to:
White Eye Lover: Here you go. ^^
Takara Mokoto: Mhm... It makes you feel bad, but it the only way that scars can actually be healed.
MiserysNightmare: Thanks. ^_^ And their good questions, but they make spoilers... But here is the next chapter.
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Her steps thudded against the stone flooring, her emerald eyes hard. She easily kept pace beside the three men. Something was growing in her a hardness that was nearly driving her to a seething anger. But yet, she had no tightness within her, more of a stiff flexibility, a reserved grace that was strikingly forbidden. The fear they would expect from a woman was not to be found in her eyes.
Flicking her hair over her shoulder irritably as she listened to the quiet conversation passing between the three, she shot a cool look at Itachi, showing her words with her eyes. It was disconcerting that he had not mentioned this before they reached the city; he was usually quick to brief her on what would occur on these trips. His eyes showed little, a muted concern with a hint of warning in their coal depths. Nodding in response, she watched as the three stopped at a door, parting.
"The leader is through those doors," the Masquer replied, motioning with his head. His hazel eyes held scorn beneath the messy red hair that hung over them. He seemed indifferent to this while Hell seemed grim.
She folded her arms. "You are not going to enter?"
"Only you were invited. Therefore, only you enter." The Masquer replied, folding his arms. "It is not wise to make him wait."
With a single glare at him, she nods and then opened the large door stepping inside the blackness that awaited. The door clicked shut behind her. Spining on her heel, she turned the viridian eyes through the blackness, falling on a small area of sun light. No one appeared to be in the room, but she could feel the hair on the back of her neck tingling. Someone was watching her. "It is considered improper to enter without knocking." A rich baritone said coldly.
"It is considered rude to hide from guests," she shot back, her feet walking cautiously around as she attempted to pin point the voice. The dark stone made lighting dim, and his voice carried well, creating a near echo throughout the large room.
"I am in plain sight. Are you so blind?" the voice replied, unchanging, though a hint of amusement carried in its undertone, a challenge.
Sweeping the room with her eyes, she looked each direction as she pivoted. And then her gaze turned upward, to the large wall. A ledge stood out above it. Shifting quickly, she found holds in the seemingly smooth surface and began to haul her body upwards. It took less than three minutes for her body to reach the top. Stepping to the ledge, she stared at the man before her. His hair was the brightest flaming orange, his eyes the darkest pearl. Street pierces covered much of his face. "Well done, Sakura," he praised, his eyes never turning to her. "I would expect so much from Itachi's apprentice."
She steadied her temper, wondering why this place had suddenly fired it. The man's words were unreadable; they could be either a complement or rebuttle. Her lips tighten as she stares at him. "He taught me what I needed, showed me where I was wrong. Why do you expect less of me?"
He ignored the question. "It matters not. You belong to me."
"What the hell do you mean?" she breathed, her muscles tightening at his words. Her eyes flashed to the rafters as she saw a flicker of movement. Itachi shook his head, affirming the words in her mind that had to be insane. There was a price for everything. This was what it had taken to save her from the darkness.
"The Guardians, more commonly known as the Akatsuki, are lead by me. You were rescued due to our intervention. Therefore there is a debt that you must pay. Or you do not leave our city." His words were cold, exact. Each was like a shaft piercing her, driving the breath from her body. She tried to clear them from her head, tried to get her mind around them.
"What must I do?"
"It is quite simple actually. You must beat me in a game of chess in the highest tower of this complex. You must be there by six. You must leave no later than midnight the next day. If you succeed, you are free of your debt. If you fail… your life has a much greater price," he replied staring at her.
Her eyes whipped to the window, studying the sun. That gave her approximately six hours to get to the highest tower. And her mind had no doubts that it was likely to be completely trapped. Her lips tightened. "Very well." Walking over to the balcony, Sakura seemed to pause. And then she stepped off and over.
The leader's eyes seemed to narrow as the other members stared in shock. With a deep, dark chuckle, Pain turned his gaze to Itachi. "She has a flare for dramatics."
With a mere 'hn' Itachi, turned his gaze to the streak of black that was now making its way over the rooftops. His coal eyes were darkly thoughtful as his gaze flicked to the leader of the Guardians. "You failed to mention the consequences of this chess game," he stated bluntly. "She would not have agreed otherwise. And you knew that."
"Of course… she must learn to read the fine print."
Just like you will have to learn more about her, Itachi thought. It would be interesting to see how the master Manipulator of the Guardians faired against her. For she had a wit that was not to be denied. He questioned her at times, wondering how she could so easily switch personalities from sweet and scared to a hard headed bitch.
Pain would be in for a run for his money.
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Her feet took her across the rooftops with ease of a hawk. She knew the stone. The walls of his inner chambers had proved her theory. The walls had areas that stuck out. Meaning they could be climbed. Ducking the occasional wire, Sakura stared at the tower before her. That was indeed the tallest tower. The easiest route would be to use the wires to haul herself up. But that would also put her in range for any traps, which would make it hard to escape. No… she knew better than to expect it to be a clear route. And so she settled for the cold rock face.
Three of four holds had to be stable. That was any thief's rule. For one such as a Guardian, however, it was two and a finger or toe grip. Her body wove across the face of the rocks, allowing her legs to push as her arms pulled her up the towers surface. It took strength combined with an odd sense of flexibility, for often she found herself straddling the rough stone while pushing up with her legs.
Progress was slow as the rain lashed her figure. But she ignored its freezing touch as she forced her body to continue upward. Two feet below the window, Sakura reached up to touch one of the bricks only to find that it had retracted. Her lips thinned. So he's even booby trapped the walls… great. She thought as she took a deep breath. And then she sought for another hold, testing the bricks with her fingertips, but nothing held. Cursing, she side stepped onto a balcony that rested close, careful to rest only on the rail as her fingers moved along that steady row that was just in her reach. They seemed solid, but she could feel the slight give in them. It would be dangerous to climb, any misstep could trigger something beyond her ability to handle… and send her falling to her death.
Ok…she thought, so what now? The answer, however, was just as frustrating as the question it posed. For time was running out.
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"She truly is a curiosity," Pain mused, watching her. "A contradiction if you will. The noble who chose to become poor. A hot head that can still reason… a child who has had to grow. She is like nothing I have seen."
"And it is for that reason you desire she join us?" the Masquer replied, his eyes narrowing scornfully. "She is weak. Itachi should not have wasted his time on one who is broken."
Pain's eyes turned to him curiously, studying the red hair manipulator with interest. "You do not think Itachi can bring her up to level?"
"I do not. She has a woman's heart and for that reason is a liability to us," he stated. "More so, she still holds fear with in her. Those who caught her before could easily exploit that fact to bring her under their control once more. And she weakens Itachi with their attatchment."
The snowy eyes considered the thought as he turned his gaze once more to the struggling girl. His gaze narrowed. "I have noticed his recent reluctance. That will have to be dealt with. Do not worry, Masquer. No one has ever completed this challenge. If her instructor could not, what hope does she have?" The lips curved into a cruel smile as he rose, vanishing up the stairs. "And when she fails… then I will have them both."
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Drawing back the cord, Sakura took aim once more. Her balance was precarious as she tossed the loop up once more, aiming for a small bar that protruded from above the window. With a small smile as it cinched around, she tested her weight on the rope. It was sturdy, enough so that she would be able to ship rat it up. Clenching her knees around it edge as she leaned back, she used her arms to steadily haul her body upwards until her feet rested a mere three feet above the window. Ever so carefully, she allowed her hands to detach from the cable as she leaned back, her knees supporting her weight as she used her hands to slowly, gradually release the window's catch.
Easing it open as she curled up to latch her hands on the wire, she carefully swung her legs down. Back and forth she moved, gaining momentum until in a split second decision, she releases the cable. For a moment and a half she was flying. And then her body struck the ground, rolling clear of the head wire trap by luck. Skidding across the floor, she haulted as she struck the far wall.
Her breath came in short gasps as she lay there, resting for a moment as she permitted her eyes to scan the room. It really was quite simple, she noted with a small smile, decorated in such a way to be comfortable but tasteful. Leaning up slowly, she froze as something caught on her arm. A thin wire, nearly a thread was pressed into her skin. If she moved up it would snap. If she allowed it to ease back down, she would be stuck on the floor. She mentally swore. She should have realized it was there.
Biting her lip, she slowly lay back down, bringing her arm towards her side, only to find another wire touching her inner arm. Damn it… their everywhere. I can't move without touching another. Unless… she shifted her torso, allowing her arms to dangle back behind her as she eased upwards cautiously. Drawing her ankles strait towards her upper thighs, she bent her knees before rocking her torso up ever so slowly.
Easing bit by bit, she stood to survey the room once more. The chess board sat in the middle of the next room over, she could easily see it. And according to the sun, she had a little less than half an hour to reach it. If she had been in her normal finesse, the task would have been simple. But stretching to avoid the rafters was much more difficult with her scars on fire from Itachi's treatment. Each movement would be agony. But she knew she had no choice.
Her steps were sure, sound as she moved through each set, bending, twisting her body. She ignored the burning sensations, biting her lip as she shifted through awkward poses towards the game. The mind knew where she needed and she allowed it to direct her body by instinct, though she often grit her teeth against the fire running through her marks. But finally, she reached the end of the wire. And she sat in the chair.
"Very good Sakura," Pain mused from where he was seated. The chess set gleamed before them, made of marble, the black and white distinguished from each other. Her side was white, the opening color, glowing with the sun. He was the darkness, the dark shine of which seemed to eat the light from the board.
She merely inclined her head in reply, studying the board. It, like the pieces was formed of carved stone, a neutral board of light and dark silver. Along its sides sat two boxes, each with sixteen slots. One for each enemy piece. Her eyes flicked up to him as she studied the small indents in it. Why would he challenge me to a mere game of chess? It seems so trivial considering the debt I seem to owe him. So what is going to make the game different? She thought. Itachi always told me to look beyond a person's actions to see what their motives could be. But this… I don't understand it. But it might have something to do with those boxes.
"As the controller of the Light set, you will open the game," Pain stated, interrupting her thoughts. "Are you ready for a game of chess, Sakura?"
What choice do I have? "Yes."
R&R. Next chapter is their chess game. Probably will be up in a week or less now that I am out of school.