Authoress Note: Well, since you've all been such sports, here is another chapter. I'm feeling terribly nice today... its scaring the neighbours :D

Who can draw? Not that I'm hinting at anything, of course lol

Story Fact: Although OC's annoy me, I don't want to make your imagination's lazy by keeping the same characters. So I'm feeding you new personalities and images :D I'm nice like that –snort-

Also because sometimes I can't bring myself to make a Naruto character bad (unless they're already an ass!)

11 The Unfaithful

It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe,

that lures him to evil ways.
Buddha

Something was wrong.

Unlike the previous night, Sakura could not settle and sleep in her luxurious room, courtesy of the King. She had tried to blame the alcohol in her system the previous night, but sleep still didn't come.

Perhaps it was because she had accepted a room in the King's home. This was her first, unaffected (as in, she wasn't currently inebriated) night in the past, in a proper bed. And she knew without a doubt she wouldn't delude herself, like she had done the first night, into thinking she'd wake up in her own finding everything had been a dream.

It seemed the most logical reason.

She pushed herself up and threw the covers away from her. The sight made her pause. When she had returned to her room to sleep, she found a nightdress harmlessly lying on the covers of her bed, beckoning her to wear it.

She had discarded it, cursing whoever put it there along with the person who instructed it to be there, and dug around in her bag for her shorts and tank top. It took a moment before hysteria took over; she hadn't packed them.

During the nights travelling, she didn't want to wear them should they get dirty, and sleeping in dirty clothes when she did manage to find a bed would be uncomfortable. It didn't help her when she wanted to relax. And the night before she hadn't bothered changing because she passed out on the bed the moment she hit the deliciously soft covers and sank into them.

Once more, she blamed the alcohol.

Her feet hit the cold floor when she jumped out of the bed, and eyed herself in the large mirror by the window, which overlooked all of Konoha's streets. After a little modification (namely her cutting hell into the long fabric which made her look like a floating spectre) the dress had been rid of its sleeves, its neckline and most of its lower half. The edges became a little frayed, yet they were unnoticeable unless you were up close and personal.

Flecks of fire caught her eye, and she turned her sights on the scene outside of the window.

Hundreds of illuminated lights reigned down over the wall of the castle, somewhere from the other side. She was puzzled at first, and blamed her unquenchable fatigue; until one of them flew and embedded itself into the stone wall beside her. The light, now identified as a flame, extinguished when the pointed tip took an unrelenting grip on the wall.

Arrows.

The scene seemed less awestricken and more deadly when Sakura looked out once more and down to where guards piled up against the gates, which were being forced open from the other side.

Wasting no time, she turned for the door and yanked it open.

Wait a minute! She paused and looked down at her nightdress. The only comfort she received from wearing it was the fact nobody would see the embarrassing moment. Was she really going to run around the hallways screaming attack in a butchered night dress?

What was she thinking?! And at such a critical time?!

She snatched the light cream shorts from the deep brown dresser and tugged them up her legs as she ran out of the room. They were barely visible from under her nightwear.

Running along the corridors lined with paintings of scenery and unfamiliar faces, Sakura dodged the long tables holding flower vases and strange ornaments. When she reached the entrance, where the two grand staircases dipped into, she looked through the large windows in horror and found the siege had made it to the courtyard.

Through the windows, the men spread out across the expanse of the grand, stone courtyard. The guards were unprepared and fewer in numbers; a fair amount of the invaders charged for the door and opened it with little effort.

Sakura leaned over the balcony of the second floor in time to spot a few of the maids running out to see what the ruckus was.

"Run! Get away!" She yelled at them quickly.

They looked up in alarm, but nodded obediently and scurried off towards the servant quarters.

With them out of the way, she immediately scoured the walls, hoping beyond hope there was some form of mounted weapon she stereotyped the past to possess. Her luck was in, and down the staircase she spotted two elegant sword hanging on the wall for inspection. They made quite the beautiful piece, but she forced the thought from her mind as she descended the stairs.

Before she even made it halfway, the doors burst open and a few thuggish men ran inside and spotted her immediately.

She froze on the steps and looked at them in alarm. She didn't bother with a head count; the surprise wouldn't last long and they'd quickly jump to action in seconds. Rebels; they had to be. A whole array of young punks, armed with a variety of different swords. They were dressed brightly; in red and even blue tops. Some didn't even bother covering up; it all added to their intimidation and Sakura would be a sucker if she didn't admit it worked.

"No need to welcome us!" One of them taunted, pushing to the front of the crowd and heading for her with frantic steps. Shit, he looked hungry!

She sent one last, parting glance down at the swords and decided quickly she wouldn't make it. She turned and fled back up the stairs, away from the approaching, red-headed punk with a whiney voice.

When she made it to the top step, her waist was seized, and she fell to the carpeted, red floor under the momentum of his strike. Beneath the weight of the man who tackled her, she was quickly rendered immobile. His hands enveloped her wrists and pinned her down to the floor ruthlessly, regardless of her struggles.

He glanced over his shoulder and yelled at the men behind him very much like some crazed man. His eyes bulged excitedly. "Kill everyone! Do what you like to the maids!"

The men laughed and cheered, and from the corner of her eye, she spotted them splitting up and veering down different corridors. From the servant quarters, several women began squealing and crying loudly. Her stomach quickly tightened; it was the maids she had shouted at.

"Bastards!" She spat, much to their mirth.

Another quickly joined her side, and helped the man sitting on top of her flip her over. She glared up at him and began struggling and pulling against his hold. When one of her wrists was pried free, she threw her fist out and punched the red-head square in the face.

"Bitch!" He cursed, grabbing a fistful of her hair. "Hold her down!"

In that moment, Sakura was assaulted with the vision of being grabbed in the dead end alley and pinned to the wall. She panicked, and began bucking to try and throw the men off her. She wouldn't let that happen again! She wouldn't let them!

The louse behind her knelt and grabbed both of her hands, pinning them behind her back so she was defenceless. She kicked her legs out and even tried sending her head back into the man behind her. He was much taller, so she only managed to hit his chest with dull thuds while he laughed viciously.

She needed to do something; anything! But what? They had her tied down! She turned her head and looked longingly down the empty corridor. Was no one awake? The ruckus all around them was beginning to grow louder and out of control.

A tall man walked past their scuffle. "What is this? No one to protect you? No threats? Nothing?"

She clenched her teeth until it stung her gums. "Traitor"

A very smug Julian scoffed but didn't stop to squabble with her. He simply kept walking. "I'll be back to finish you off myself, until then... I'll have them keep you company." He paused mid-step and glanced back at the grinning men pinning him down.

Sakura felt goose bumps rise on her skin, and all too quickly, her body began to freeze up and shake. She looked back into the eyes of the maddened thug holding her down.

Then, she screamed loudly; loud enough to wake everyone down the corridor Captain Julian had disappeared down. Not for her own sake, but for the royal who Julian hunted down; whether it was Sasuke or his father.

* * *

He'd been pacing the room, expecting to waste some of the energy keeping him from sleeping. He'd been doing it for a while now.

If he were shifted, he was sure his fur would be rising, warning him prematurely of something he had no idea about. Something didn't feel right.

Sasuke looked out over the lake streaming past the eastern wall of Konoha. It was a peaceful scene, away from the noisy front of the building, which was plagued with the sounds of Konoha and its people. It was the reason he had chosen this room.

He stopped walking and calmed himself until he could hear everything around him. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, or rather listening for, but he closed his eyes nevertheless, just as a strange crash sounded from downstairs. Puzzled, he grabbed his boots and tugged them over the edges of his black pants.

Just as he yanked up the last and stood up, a piercing scream rang aloud down the halls, echoing until it reached every room and awoke every slumbering occupant.

What the hell was happening?

Finding himself suddenly furious for being unaware of whatever commotion was happening downstairs, he threw open the door and took hold of Saiber; his darkened sword. With every step he took down the ornate corridors of his home, his fingers tightened around the smooth, black sheath in his hand.

The sounds from below were getting louder; namely screams and dull crashes. How had he remained oblivious to this? When he was able to see the top of the staircase, he quickly stopped and looked at the sight in front of him.

Sakura lay sprawled out on the floor between himself and the stairs, one arm restrained over her head awkwardly, and her foot raised and planted in the face of some ginger punk, who held a knife in one hand and grabbed her ankle with the other. The guy behind her had a chunk out of his ear, which had bled down the side of his face and left a trail on his shirt. Sakura's other hand had reached behind her, where she grabbed hold of something precious which made the large man's eyes cross.

They all froze and looked over at him. Sakura had to wonder if they looked like some warped game of twister.

"What are you doing?" He had to ask before he could help himself. Crossly, she narrowed her eyes at him. Was now any time for his bizarre sense of humour?

The men jumped into action; in particular the thin one holding the pathetically sized knife. He leapt to his feet and charged at Sasuke, who twisted out of his way and smacked him in the head with his sheath.

The man trying (and failing) to tame Sakura released a high pitched squeal and pushed her away, where she staggered to grab hold of the ornately polished banister protecting the balcony. Sasuke sent the handle of his blade into the back of the man's neck then turned to Sakura, who leaned over her knees and sighed in relief.

"What's happening?" He demanded angrily, walking up to her and peering over the banister to the crowds below. The men running around below looked like thugs, bandits and common criminals. They scurried everywhere like rats, and their mere body odour seemed to have tainted the air. Sasuke sniffed, and then spotted one shirtless man in particular who ran for the exit, balancing a blue vase in his arms.

Surely they weren't stupid enough to rob the castle?

"I'm not sure; Julian led them and stormed the castle! He might be after your dad!"

Sasuke quickly yanked her behind him before he could ask what a dad was and raised his sword to block the lowering wooden pole which had almost struck them.

He didn't bother fighting her when she tore away from the arm which had held her back and ran down the corridor. Perhaps she was seeking cover. It would certainly help if he didn't have to protect her (an honoured guest, his father had described).

* * *

The night had been a quiet, calm one before the rebels attacked.

He had been lounging around the castle's West wing, in front of the stables, where the horses rested. They weren't disturbed by his presence; unlike the first few months he had decided to sleep outside. They had driven him insane with their insistent neighing and stomping.

They weren't the only ones who found themselves having to get used to him.

The night patrols too had been uneasy with him lying there. Although he wasn't in the way, they weren't used to seeing one of the royal family in full form. That didn't mean they didn't adapt. They didn't glance over as much as they used to.

So when the attack happened, he was very much aware and very much in the frontline.

The idiots had rushed inside screaming wildly, adrenaline clearly taking over their ability to think. What a waste; they'd had the perfect opportunity for a stealthy attack, but chose to rush in like squealing pigs.

They found themselves quickly frozen when they searched around back and found him lazily watching them.

The bristling black fur stood on end, and merged him with the night around him. It wasn't until he opened his eyes and stared at them that they spotted and realised exactly who it was. His elongated snout only defined his narrowed, irritated eyes; which glowed a vibrant shade of blood red. His pointed claws would soon match.

When he stood up from his nap, some of the men turned and ran back the way they'd come. They flooded through the gate, storming the few guards wondering the grounds and breaking into the castle. But the few men solely focused on him were still and steady and waiting.

The fools who rushed him were quickly swiped out of the way with the back of his paw, so he could pound into the midst of their soldiers and take out a good many. If his claws hadn't crushed them first, then the snout with dived into them and tore them apart did. A delightful shiver coursed through him when he felt the bodies breaking beneath his feet.

By the time the soldiers kept on standby reached the gates, half of the rebels had been crushed or torn through.

The rest of the invaders were quickly tied up with soldiers, so he ran around back and let his muscles retort back into their human form. When he shrunk down to his meagre human height, he snatched up his pants and grabbed his sword, which he carried with him everywhere.

Something hot drifted over the skin of his back with the wind. Chaos began to brew behind him, and he turned to find large flames slowly engulfing the stables, where the horses began panicking.

Another wave of Konoha soldiers ran onto the scene, who had been behind the castle in the armoury. He marched in front of them, making them stand to his attention, and bellowed out his instructions to fetch water and put out the fire.

When they dispersed, Itachi headed back for the stable and began kicking down the wooden frame. The fire cackled, and a loud creak warned him to step back in time to avoid the front part of the building collapsing. When the smoke and debris finally drifted, one by one all of the horses began leaping over the mound of dirt to their freedom. They ran over the field, past the fighting soldiers and those carrying the water.

"When I heard there was an Uchiha dog already on the scene, I got curious"

Uchiha Itachi looked towards the sound of the obnoxious voice. Archer Remsen; the foolish man leading troops against gods. He smirked wickedly and withdrew his heavy blade.

Archer threw the hood from his head and jumped down from the dark brown horse he sat atop. With a firm slap, he sent the horse galloping towards Itachi, who moved out the way and managed to defend against the surprise blow from Archer.

"Worried you won't win?" Itachi taunted him darkly when his attack failed. He replied by kicking the rebel leader away and onto his back.

They heard much talk about the worm that was Archer Remsen. The black haired, well built man seemed physically capable in a fight, but it didn't derive from training. Once upon a time, he was a simple farm-boy. He relied on random blows and head-strong frontal assaults. There was no logic behind any move.

So when he was sent onto his back, falling into two of his own men, who had ran to his aid, his eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he pushed to his feet and sprinted through the thick crowds of fighting men.

Itachi tailed after him through the entrance to his home.

Yanking back the sword from the chest of a rebel, Sasuke stood back to realise most of the men inside had been slew, including the idiot who attempted stealing the vase. The floor was now slippery with their spilt blood. As he was about to head outside to join the crowds, he spotted his brother racing up the staircase to his right, after the rebel leader himself.

Knowing his brother was personally on the case lifted the weight from his shoulders. He ran outside and began defending his men in the heat of battle.

* * *

Julian must have told the leader about the castle. It was the only logical explanation as to how Archer navigated his way through his home and found the entrance to the roof so easily. Either that or he had ran blindly and picked a door. The last seemed least likely and Itachi's mind didn't run on flukes.

He moved slowly through the oak door, and began ascending the stone staircase, which spiralled upwards, straight towards the roof. The icy air hit his bare chest immediately, yet he paid it no mind and didn't let it distract him.

Especially when Archer appeared and tried to slash him with his sword. He defended against it quickly, and strong enough to make Archer stumble backwards up the stairs. Just as Itachi drove his sword down to finish it, Archer kicked him back against the circular wall and continued to run up the stairs.

Itachi growled and chased after him like a mad man. When they broke through the doorway to the roof, Archer didn't stop until he reached the wall overlooking the courtyard below. He gripped it tightly with both hands and then whirled around to find Itachi watching him calmly.

Itachi raised his weapon and pointed it at Archer, who was enraged enough to strike it with a vicious blow.

"Why won't you just die?!"

The blows kept coming left, right and centre. They were sporadic and powerful, but slow and easy to dodge. Archer was furious to find Itachi just kept twisting out of the way and striking back the blow with ease. His teeth clenched painfully, and his brows deepened with frustration. He kept attacking harder and faster.

Finally, Itachi had had enough. Archer too seemed impatient, so he yanked the red bandana from his messy black hair and launched it at Itachi, whose instincts got the better of him. He caught the material, momentarily distracted, and found Archer had closed the distance quickly and was prepared to strike.

Very much like he had caught the bandana, he reacted instantly. His blade met the force, but it sent both weapons to the ground some distance away, where they skidded to a stop. Itachi spun, and sent his foot into Archer's stomach.

A shifter's strength was often thought of as phenomenal, should they use it. The eldest Prince was pissed off enough to throw a fair share of power behind the kick and it proved to be enough when Archer was sent back into the half-wall surrounding the stone rooftops.

The force emitted a loud crack when his spine connected with the wall. When the stone slabs he leaned against shuddered and moved, Itachi briefly wondered if it had been the stone making the sound or Archer himself.

Whatever the case, he didn't have enough time to react when the wall broke away, and Archer's weight sent him hurtling to the courtyard below.

He walked to and peered over the top, catching his brother's eye amidst the fight, who looked up and acknowledge the defeat of their leader. The rebels who noticed quickly spread words, crying out loud enough that their leader was dead and those closest to the door quickly ran out into the awakened city, which had been watching from a distance in terror.

The guards let the rest run; they'd been taught better than to strike those who retreated and acknowledged defeat. Their main concern was for their friends and comrades that lay around them.

* * *

About half way down the corridor, Sakura realised she had no clue where she was going. She began randomly throwing open the doors to different rooms, hoping to find an occupant, yet most of the rooms were either spare guest rooms, empty with signs of a struggle, or weren't rooms at all, but closets.

A lucky feeling built inside her when she noticed a large set of double doors, beautifully varnished and engraved with odd symbols she was sure were the forgotten language. She listened for only a second, and heard a familiar voice from inside.

It was all the confirmation she needed, so she pushed open the door.

Inside the enormous room, standing upon the expensive looking rug, was Julian. His arms were wide, and almost inviting. The only other occupant of the room took a frightened step away from him and clung to the bed post unsurely. Her hands became tangled in the curtains surrounding the King's bed when as she tried to pull away and create more distance from the Captain.

"A woman such as yourself should never have been handed over so willingly to that vile dog! I'll spare your life, seeing how you were forced into this unorthodox marriage. Come with me... or else you'll have to die..."

Sakura didn't bother letting him finish. She dashed across the room, her mind replaying images of football players readying for a tackle. When her arms enclosed around his chest, and she successfully threw him to the floor, with her sitting on top, she looked up to the beautiful woman.

For a striking moment, Sakura thought she was looking at Sasuke, only with a feminine bone structure. The woman flattened herself against the wall by her bed, her long, elegant nightdress whipping around her feet in a flurry of midnight blue. Her eyes were wide and weary and of the deepest black she'd ever seen.

When Sakura looked back down, Julian had retrieved a knife from somewhere, and he slashed out at her angrily. Sakura yelped and kicked herself away from the man in pain. A large, red gash bled through the torn, white nightdress across her stomach.

God it stung! She'd never been attacked before, even while guarding Tsunade at the excavation sites! She usually had other men to back her up, hired from the university Tsunade worked for. It momentarily paralysed her.

Her arm reflexively held onto the wound, which shot through her body and made her eyes water. When she willed herself to look up, Julian was standing above her, a victorious glint to his eyes.

"How good it feels to finally see you on the ground below me," he taunted, slowly retrieved his blade from its sheath. The gentle swipe it made rang clear and warningly in Sakura's ears, so she fumbled to her feet and staggered out the doorway.

Julian's laugh followed her along the corridor.

"Where are you running to?" He laughed madly, leaving the room and the scared woman, who Sakura suspected was Sasuke's mother.

She stumbled into the wall weakly, cursing her wobbling knees and peered down at the slash. With each new step she took, however, shock began to numb the sting, and she managed to pick up her pace.

It wasn't enough; Julian was just toying with her.

"If you want to play cat and mouse, you'll lose!"

She ignored him and turned the corner, taking a moment to rest against the wall before she pushed to jog again. Her breaths were coming out as gasps, and when her legs finally refused to move, she slid down the wall and looked to the corner Julian had rounded.

"Ah, giving up?"

She bit her lip, looking around wildly for anything that might help. The walls were bare of any weapon, and there were no tables in sight with expensive vases; she'd imagine one would come in useful right now. When he reached the spot in front of her and raised his sword for the final time, she caught sight of movement behind him. Before he could swing his sword down, she raised both feet and kicked him hard in the stomach, praying whoever stood behind him was on her side.

The force was enough to make him stumble into the opposite wall, where a large, gleaming axe swung out and impaled him. He jerked and looked down in disbelief. The blood gushed from him all too quickly, and poured over the length of the weapon which had pinned him to a particularly ugly tapestry.

His eyes bulged, and the arms which had risen above his head to strike her fell, just like the slackened weapon in his hand. When the metal chimed out, hitting the floor, he fell forward limply, yet still hung like a decoration.

Sakura took a shaky, terrified breath and looked up to her saviour.

"Y-You," she blurted. She didn't know his name, after all.

Her drinking competitor smiled victoriously and crossed his bulky arms. The axe alone, which he somehow managed to balance in one arm despite its obvious weight, spoke volumes for his strength. She was glad he was on her side (sort of). He was huge! Perhaps more so than she had even realised.

"Never did introduce myself; the name's Raven."

She laughed, feeling the moment of fear catch up with her, then let herself breath properly. "Sakura"

He nodded, though she suspected he already knew her name when the men had begun chanting it while they hovered around her drinking game. Awkwardly looking her over, and wondering why she was still leaning against the wall frightened to move, he revealed the situation.

"The men are retreating. Prince Itachi killed their leader"

To Be Continued

Hand 'em over... what you say? Oho! You know what...

V