Wow. When I posted the last chapter I was expecting a barrage of insults for moving things too fast. Thank you all so much. Remember, if you like the fic – review, and recommend to friends! (Shameless plug) :D

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Mmm…I'm warm…where am I?

Sakura's mind was still groggy with sleep and she just lay there for a while trying to figure out what was going on. She wasn't in her cell, nor was she in her room in Konoha. There was no light source other than a candle that was burnt down to the last inch.

After this, she noticed the arm locked around her waist.

She peered over her shoulder and saw black hair spilling over the pillow.

The night before came rushing back.

Every muscle in Sakura's body locked in horror. An impulse, a stupid, reckless impulse had led to this…and now everything was going to go wrong. The previous night, Itachi had told her straight that he would probably take her with him when he moved on. That should have been a threat and yet she took it as a compliment. She was his captive! Hell…now she was his slave. His chakra circulated inside her and although he had only taken advantage of it once, she had no doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to use it again if she delayed him.

Desperately scrabbling for reasons, she tried to tell herself that her mind had been swayed by that jutsu, her body forced to react to him. But she knew her mind had been her own. She could have pulled away, fought him. It might not have stopped him but she would have been absolved of her part in it.

Instead…

Sakura looked over at Itachi again who seemed to be genuinely sleeping for the first time. She felt blood rush to her cheeks as her memory saw fit to provide her with some of the more graphic details of the event. Itachi's talented fingers dancing across her body and the sounds they had made together. The way she'd felt…the way he seemed to find perfection in every part of her and always let her know. Not one part of her criticised as weak or useless. It was new and it was good. And now they lay together with Sakura fretting and panicking and Itachi…

Fast asleep.

Inner Sakura could not be suppressed from muttering, Typical man.

What do I do, what do I do now?

Gingerly, her hands went to the arm around her. Annoyingly, she was lying on his fingers.

He's not going to be able to feel anything after I've been on them all night!

Was it morning, though? She didn't know if Itachi's jutsu was still in place. She tried lifting herself upwards so begin peeling his arm from around her when his grip tightened, drawing her closer to him.

"Ohiyo, Sakura-san." She felt him placing a kiss on one shoulder.

"O-Ohiyo, Itachi-san."

"Oh? I'm not Itachi-sama anymore?"

Sakura looked over him with horror. Surely I didn't call him…

He smirked.

Did Uchiha Itachi just make a joke?

She supposed it wasn't out of the realms of possibility considering the inhuman killing machine had successfully got her into his bed only a few hours before.

"You were regretting it, weren't you?" He muttered into her ear, brushing away some of her hair. Her silence was enough to answer him and his grip on her loosened. Sakura didn't take the opportunity to bolt, however. She just lay there.

"Did you plan this?" Itachi's fingers were idly playing with a pink lock.

"No. I planned to kiss you for the sake of torturing Sasuke. I had no idea that I would desire kissing you again, or anything more." Sakura relaxed a bit. If it had been part of Itachi's scheme to seduce her then she might have committed hara-kiri in shame. As it was, they had both been caught off guard.

That didn't mean she was entirely comfortable with the situation. Itachi hadn't planned it but he was still a malicious man and she had little doubt that if he could twist the events to his advantage and further destroy Sasuke he would.

"How long is it until Sasuke gets here?"

"Two more days."

Sakura sat up and shifted to the edge of the bed. It was all too fast…she wasn't sure how she was going to react when she saw Sasuke. She knew she didn't love Itachi. He didn't love her. He had been drawn to her out of curiosity and it would have been hard for any woman to resist him. Yet, she doubted Sasuke would see it that way. He would think if she slept with Itachi, then she must love him. If she loved Itachi, she was automatically Sasuke's enemy. And she didn't even want to think about what might happen if Kakashi and Naruto picked up on it.

I fraternized with the enemy…

She would certainly be punished. Shinobi should be hardened enough not to fall prey to wild impulses. Itachi's actions had at least had precedent. He had kissed her before, albeit in disguise, and had since left small indications that he would like to do it again. She had woken up hating him and fallen asleep next to him.

Itachi folded his hands under his head and looked up at the ceiling. Sakura's eyes were drawn to a large scar across his chest. Who gave him that?

Without thinking about it Sakura traced a finger over the scar. She missed Itachi's smirk. There was silence for a while as Sakura let herself mentally replay the scenes from the previous night. Her cheeks turned red. Itachi idly lifted a hand and brushed a thumb along her jaw.

"No regrets," he murmured. Sakura nearly cricked her neck looking around at him. "You wanted it. You were not drunk or under my control. Don't punish yourself for it."

No, because my team-mates will do that for me, she thought wryly. Itachi shifted upright, moving into a sitting position, the sheet barely keeping him decent. Sakura felt her eyes drifting downwards and looked away. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"You understand that I will mostly likely use this to my advantage." There was nothing apologetic in his tone, or any malicious joy. It was a flat statement and Sakura accepted it. He had always had the upper hand anyway and she had gone and given him extra ammunition.

"Will you make me fight him?"

"In all probability, if he fails to show affection for you. If he just yells about revenge I will immediately activate my chakra in you and set you on him. As you do so I will goad him with details from last night. He will look into your eyes and see the truth. You will not be able to beat him but his spirit will be crushed. I will then have you visibly by my side when I kill him. The last thing he will see is us with our lips together again."

Sakura felt like a princess who had gone to bed with the prince only to find he'd turned back into a frog by the next morning.

She shouldn't have thought anything different. Itachi was the master of mind games and even if Sasuke didn't care for her it would utterly break him to see a former comrade apparently in league with the traitor and murderer of his clan.

Kami…make him show some affection for me…just a little…

She didn't want to go with Itachi. He was interesting and good-looking, but the facts could not be denied. A psychopath, sociopath, cold-blooded murderer and torturer, she would constantly be at odds with who he was. He was not a tender lover as she had discovered. If she went with him, she would never be truly happy again. Yet he had told her clearly what he had planned. He could make her go with him, and make her come to him at night. The world would see her walking in step with him, happy and uncaring of his past. She would be his prisoner until he tired of her, and then…

She doubted he would just let her walk away. She believed she had seen too much of Itachi's methods and if he grew bored she would not live another day. He couldn't kill her with Mangekyo because of her Inner, but he could use his chakra to force her to her knees and make her wait for the kunai to pierce the back of her neck. Or he could place her in a genjutsu so strong and terrifying that it left her a gibbering, useless wreck for the rest of her days.

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Itachi was watching her face when he told her of his plans for Sasuke's demise. Pain flittered across it and she started chewing her lip. She turned away again and even though he could now only see her back, he knew she was worrying. She would not go with him willingly, now. Itachi had been certain of one thing, the night before. He wanted her to know his true colours before they left together. He did not want to travel around with someone who believed they had reformed him, only to be permanently and bitterly disappointed.

He wondered briefly if he did still want to take her. It would be akin to dragging a reluctant dog around on a short leash. Something inside him murmured, yes…she's yours now…Sasuke forfeited all right to her and you want more of her. Sakura had given him her body. He had wormed his way into her mind. The last challenge, which he might never be able to achieve, was to have her heart. Her whole being, the very essence of Haruno Sakura, bound to him and no other. He wanted to see if he could possess her in such depth that she broke the bonds with her former village and her best friends.

He strongly doubted if she would ever gain his love in return. However, she still presented a challenge to him, and Itachi would not just kill her when there were so many questions left unanswered. He was fairly certain that Sasuke would tell Itachi he wanted revenge. To survive, and for Sakura to go free, he had to have his mind on Sakura alone. And not to be on a mission to gain revenge for Itachi stealing Sakura from under his nose, but a mission to rescue Sakura against all odds. The chances of that were low.

Initially, Itachi had only needed Sasuke to declare an expression of sentiment for Sakura and the fight would be conceded. Now, he was making it more specific. He knew he was just looking for excuses, trying to tie up the loopholes so that he could have the twisted joy of having Sakura next to him while watching his brother cough up his own blood in the dust. There was still so much to discover about her, and he was certain that deeper secrets lay within her mind, that were his for the plucking if he could gain enough trust. It would be a long process. After making her fight Sasuke and taking her away she would not be comfortable around him for a long time.

But Itachi was well-bred and knew how to express kindness – he just didn't practice it. He would be the perfect travelling companion and they would travel together under a henge, in the guise of lovers. She would come to see the false, gentle side he developed, and in time…

Sakura got up and left the room. Itachi switched his Sharingan on and followed every step of her movement, noting hesitation. He did not try to stop her. One way or another, she would be back in his bed that night.

1

Naruto felt a strong, familiar scent fill his nose. Sasuke was only a few hundred yards ahead, moving full pelt. The trail was now running in a straight line, right on top of Itachi's, which was surrounded now by broken branches and faded footprints. Naruto grunted and strained himself further, pushing himself ever faster, looking for the grey against the green…

There!

"SASUKE!"

The Uchiha genius was obviously startled, and in his tired state his foot slipped. Naruto plunged forward and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. Both shinobi came to rest on a branch, gasping for air. Sasuke had not let himself rest in a while and his speed had been such that his chakra was greatly depleted. Naruto stared at the ground, sweat running down his face.

"Naruto…why did Kakashi…?"

"Itachi arranged to split us up," Naruto said shortly. "He is prepared for you. He is not prepared for me. Above all else we need to get Sakura-chan out of there as fast as possible." Sasuke nodded.

"I must rest. I cannot face Itachi like this." Naruto gritted his teeth in impatience, but didn't push the subject of hurrying. Itachi was waiting. So they had a little time. Sasuke began to set up camp and Naruto offered to scout ahead half an hour to try to work out how much longer it would take. The trail was fairly fresh and so they could not be too far.

Just as he was preparing to turn around at the end of his recon, Naruto noticed a gap in the trees. He moved towards it and gasped.

In front of him was a vast sea of perfectly flat rock. He could see a blotch on the far horizon but couldn't make out what it was. Itachi's scent was strong here and Naruto knew he and Sasuke would have no cover at all. The elder Uchiha would be able to see them coming from miles away.

"Kuso…"

They had banked on the element of surprise, but it was out of the question. They would have to cover the rocky wilderness as fast as they could, extract Sakura, and get out again. There was no shelter at all. They could be there within a day but Itachi could not be bypassed. He would see them and then there would be nowhere to hide. Naruto's mind locked onto one thing. Sakura-chan is our goal. Above all else, she must leave this place alive.

He turned and headed back towards camp to inform Sasuke of what he had found.

1

Sakura had never been especially religious. It didn't feature strongly in the shinobi world as scriptures damning the action of theft and murder were basically preaching against the ninja livelihood. Yet now she was in her room, praying like never before.

Kami, please…get me out of here, keep me safe, let Sasuke and me escape alive! I'll never be cruel to Naruto again and I'll make peace with Ino. Anything…I'll do anything…please…

She stood up sharply as Itachi flared his chakra outside the door before entering.

"Sakura-san."

She didn't deign to reply, but simply looked at him.

Itachi made a motion with his fingers and suddenly Sakura knelt and bowed to him. Damn it, he's using it for little things like this?

"That's much better, Sakura. Now, what do you say?"

"Itachi-san."

"Good."

Sakura was beginning to sweat. Itachi had got her to press her forehead to the floor, arms out in front, a picture of complete submission. She could not look up at him and she felt him moving around. She desperately wanted to get up, to present less of a target. She felt him sitting next to her, and then a hand running along her back. It felt like the most tender gesture in the world.

"Why are you in here?"

"I wanted to spend some time with you."

Silence.

"You've got me prostate on the floor like a slave. I'm not inclined to talk."

"I didn't say I wished to talk."

Sakura felt her muscles lock in terror.

"You are not just going to have me whenever you feel like it."

"Even if you want it?"

"I don't want...it…" Sakura's voice trailed off as Itachi's hand stilled on her back. There was a rushing noise as all the chakra inside her suddenly rushed to one point and made her scream.

Not with pain.

Itachi withdrew and relaxed his grip. Sakura flopped out on the floor.

"There is food ready, Sakura-san. You need your strength." With no effort he picked her up in his arms and carried her through to the main room, depositing her on a cushion. "When you have eaten, you must bathe."

Sakura hadn't really thought about it before, but now it occurred to her that she was a mess. Her clothes were torn and dirty and her skin felt grimy.

Itachi kept a respectful distance away while Sakura cleaned herself up. She emerged feeling a lot better physically, but still somehow…grubby. The Uchiha left her be for a while, to think about what was going to happen soon. They had one more day together and then, one way or another, their respective fates would be decided. The worst part was that Sakura now knew that however things turned out she would walk away alive, provided Sasuke didn't kill her in a blind rage. She was going to see somebody die a horrible, bloody death the day after tomorrow.

She suddenly remembered her first time taking the Chuunin exam, watching the preliminaries. Neji had told Hinata she was not suited to be a shinobi because she was too kind, too soft. Sakura felt that way herself. She was not adverse to a little cruelty under the right circumstances, but she could not be cavalier about killing and maiming people like some shinobi. It was one of the reasons she had chosen to specialise in healing instead of assassination or espionage when she joined the ANBU. Her chakra could be used as an invisible weapon, severing internal organs but leaving no trace of an entry point, but she did not wish to be used that way.

She knew Itachi deserved to suffer. But if it happened and Sasuke did beat him, she would take no joy in seeing it. She might have done before all this. She was certain that she would have felt a brief, savage happiness if she had simply heard that Itachi had suffered and died for everything he had done. But something about the elder Uchiha had worked its way into her head. Possibly now because she knew why he had killed his clan but not Sasuke.

She would be used as a tool to fight Sasuke. But she couldn't help but wonder what she would have done if she was present at the battle but not entirely under Itachi's control. Would she have stood on the sidelines shaking, a parallel to her Genin days? Or sided with Sasuke?

She would never had fought willingly alongside Itachi. The concept of betrayal to her village and to Naruto and Sasuke was revolting to her. Yet Sasuke would see it as a betrayal anyway that she had not only allowed herself to see a gentler, less malicious side of Itachi, but had slept with him. He would know, somehow. He might not tell anyone else but if they both got out of this alive Sakura had little doubt that the indifferent way he had treated her before would be intimate compared to what was to come.

She growled angrily.

How had she been so stupid?! She had known what the effects would be and she had damned them, ignored them in favour of her own pleasure. Selfish, stupid, short-sighted…

Inner Sakura addressed a more pressing question right then.

What if Itachi was lying to you?

She left the main room and began to walk along the hall just as Itachi came out. Their eyes met and for the first time Sakura stared into the Sharingan without fear, trying to interpret the look behind them. What if he had seduced her for his own purposes, but to keep her docile he had pretended otherwise?

Itachi kept walking and the moment passed. Sakura felt his hand brush along her side and knew, suddenly, that he was going to have her visit him again that night. And she would not resist.

You've tasted forbidden fruit and now you want more.

Really, how much more damage could she do?

Inner Sakura wailed in her head as Sakura let her resolve melt.

1

"How far was it?" Sasuke grunted.

"One more mile and we'll see it."

The boys were pushing themselves so hard that the veins stood out on their temples. One mile passed in a flash and then they were standing on the edge of the plain. They had one plan for approaching undetected.

"Henge!"

Both transformed into themselves, but completely grey – the same shade as the rock all around. They masked their chakra, and began to walk towards the house on the horizon.

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I guess you can tell what is coming next chapter. R&R please! Good reviews make me happy.

-Genjutsu-Dragon-