Sasuke's POV

I had joined Karin in going to town to extract information about Madara's whereabouts, while Karin retrieved the groceries. I made sure to cover my face with a large cloak so as to conceal my identity, along with protecting myself from the rain.

It was dark and gloomy outside. Luckily, because of the rain people will keep to themselves and not bring attention to myself.

I had just left a dingy bar, sitting in the back corner trying to listen on people's conversations about whereabouts of Madara. If what Itachi had said about Madara was true, then it was best to strike him first before he came to us.

So far, I was not able to find out much and as soon as Karin had finished we headed back to the base.

We entered the dark building secretly; making sure no one was following us.

Jugo was in the living room, looking out the opened window, feeding some sparrows that had come under the roof as shelter to avoid the rain. He greeted us as we entered into the kitchen. Suigetsu emerged from the bathroom hallway and announced, "Hazuki's finally up. She's taking a bath right now. She'll be out in a few minutes."

Relief showered over me but I made no signs of it. She was finally awake.

"Oh, Karin?" Suigetsu addressed to the red head, "Do you have some clothes for Hazuki? I mean they might be too big for her, seeing that you're a little bigger–" but he was cut off with her screaming.

"Suigetsu! You prick! What are you trying to say?!"

Now Suigetsu's done it. I mentally rolled my eyes.

"Nothing, nothing. There's nothing wrong with being chunky -"

"You idiot! I am at the perfect weight! Stupid Suigetsu, always running your mouth." She stormed out of the kitchen to her room, but not before she punched him in the face.

Suigetsu was rubbing his nose in pain as a result. I started to unload the groceries when Karin came back and threw her clothes at Suigetsu's face. "Here, you baka! Give these to her."

He thanked her and disappeared down the hallway. Karin stomped back into the kitchen fuming and muttering more curses about Suigetsu while helping me unload things from the bag.

I wanted to ask Suigetsu about Hazuki, seeing that he was the first one to see her awake. "Karin, would you mind getting started on dinner?" I asked her.

As soon as I asked her, all her anger seemed to have disappeared, "Sure, Sasuke-kun." Her voice rose ten octaves.

I sped down the hallway to catch up with Suigetsu. "Hey," I called out to him.

He turned around in response.

"How is she?"

"She seems fine, but it's just that she's seriously losing a lot of weight. I helped her go to the bathroom and she literally weighed nothing. This isn't good for her or the baby, Sasuke." Concern was etched all over his face as he told me this.

I felt my brows furrow deeply as I considered what Suigetsu had just told me.

"You know, she wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for you." He blamed me. Suigetsu was never the one to hide his thoughts, but this trait of his was becoming annoying, fast.

Even though he had a legitimate reason I couldn't help but glare at him, "Don't speak as if you know the whole situation." I threatened.

"Whatever, I'll just let you know now: if you harm her again," he was dead serious now, "I won't be sitting on the sidelines next time."

I clenched my fists in fury, desperately trying to conceal my desire to punch him in the face. But luckily, the bathroom door creaked open that had distracted me from this thought.

"Er, Suigetsu?" Hazuki's soft voice emanated from behind the door. "I was wondering if you got those clothes from Karin." She stepped out of the bathroom, her long black hair wet and splayed down her back. Her face, pale as snow but now her cheekbones jutted out, leaving a deep concave space where her cheeks should have been. Her frail legs and arms that weren't covered by the white towel wrapped around her showed just how breakable she really was. The scars she received from the Akatsuki were far from healed. A constant reminder of my goal to destroy every last remaining member of that horrendous group. She seemed to be dying in front of me.

"Oh… sorry, did I interrupt something?" She asked as she noticed me from behind Suigetsu.

"Oh, naw. We were just discussing what to eat for dinner." Suigetsu covered up nicely. "Here's the clothes, I was just about to drop them off. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, just come out to the kitchen when you're done." He handed the clothing to Hazuki.

She thanked him and returned back into the bathroom, but not before meeting my gaze. There was that same look of fear in her eyes that I caused her. But then she was gone.

It nearly killed me looking at her. At her hateful and fearful eyes.

Suigetsu left to go back into the kitchen without a word, probably to leave me alone to see the damages of what I had caused for Hazuki. The result of her pain was because of me…

Hazuki's POV

I closed the bathroom door behind, back into the steamy bathroom and held my back against the door. After eavesdropping onto Sasuke's conversation with Itachi, I couldn't help but look at him in a completely new perspective.

What am I supposed to do now? Was I starting to have feelings for him?

I vehemently shook my head. This is Sasuke for heaven's sake. The man I hated the most.

I shook my head again to clear my thoughts and immediately put on the clothes Suigetsu had given me. The loose fitted shirt and black slacks did nothing to hide my thinness or my fresh scars.

I then cautiously stepped out into the hallway. Not seeing Sasuke or Suigetsu anywhere, I slowly made my way to the kitchen.

The first person I saw was, to my surprise, Jugo. I wondered why on earth he would be here. Karin and I experimented on him back when we were still with Orochimaru.

"J-Jugo…?" I asked cautiously. I remembered that he was extremely unstable whenever he goes into his murderous rampages. I especially didn't want to trigger that.

He looked up from the little sparrows and gave a warm smile, "Ah, Hazuki. It's a relief to see you up."

"Oh, sorry. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble."

"Not at all." He answered.

He then gave a small chuckle, "Who knew we would all end up together again under such circumstances?" He continued.

I was struck by this revelation. I now realized that we were all under Orochimaru and to have suddenly come to together at a time like this…

"Hazuki, are you feeling better?" Suigetsu asked from the kitchen. Him, along with Karin, were both making dinner from the looks of it. Karin, however, looked annoyed.

I wondered if Suigetsu was making fun of her again or if it was the sight of me that she was annoyed with. Suigetsu always did seem to tease Karin a lot but then again Karin and I weren't always on the best of terms.

"I'm fine thank you." I answered.

"We just finished up dinner. Come sit down at the table." Suigetsu offered.

"I'll go get Sasuke." With this, Karin seemed to perk up.

I had forgotten her borderline obsession with Sasuke. Hopefully she can take him off my hands.

Suigetsu just rolled his eyes to the ceiling as she dashed down the dark hallway, which I assumed to Sasuke's living quarters.

I walked to the kitchen and sat down at the table. The food had already been lain out. There were five bowls of rice in place for each person. The rest of the dishes were very simple but nutritious: miso soup, fish, chicken, and rice.

Suigetsu had sat next to me and Jugo took the next seat, at the edge of the table.

There were footsteps coming down the hallway, indicating that Sasuke and Karin were returning. Sasuke was ahead of Karin, her face was positively beaming with joy.

I could never understand her.

They had sat down across from Suigetsu and I. Sasuke, as usual, was taciturn and his face was as always: unreadable.

"Well then, let's eat." Suigetsu said.

At his words there were the sounds of clinking of spoons and chopsticks hitting against the tableware.

As we ate Suigetsu kept on teasing Karin, "Wow, who knew Karin actually had a woman's touch? Maybe you finally found your calling in the kitchen?"

"Suigetsu!" I could see the veins popping out of her forehead as Karin growled in frustration and threw her spoon at his head.

The rest of us just let the two quarrel it out and resumed eating.

After the meal, I had excused myself to wash my hands in the bathroom.

After I was done in the bathroom and as I silently came down the hall, I heard Suigetsu's voice emanate from the kitchen.

"Ah, that reminds me, where will she be sleeping? Well, seeing that there aren't any single rooms left. Jugo and I are sharing one while you and Karin have their own. But maybe Hazuki could share with Kari-"

Suigetsu was cut off by Sasuke. "She'll be sleeping with me."

I paused in the hallway, concealing my presence.

Sounds of indignation escaped from both Karin's and Suigetsu's lips.

"Sasuke-kun!" Karin's voice suddenly became sugary sweet, like a child wanting an explanation. "Sasuke-kun, how could you say that? Aren't I good enough for you?"

Sasuke merely ignored Karin and probably brushed her off. "Hazuki's life is in danger and she must be within my sights 24/7."

"Tch." Suigetsu scoffed.

I then emerged from the dark shadow of the hallway, "Why… is my life in danger?" I asked, feeling out of the loop. I remembered the warning Itachi had given me about my life being in danger but I still didn't know the reason. But because it was my life, I should have been the first one to know.

All four of them looked at me in surprise and then quickly averted their gaze, clearly uncomfortable with guilt.

"Well… that is… It's that…" Suigetsu faltered, scratching the back of his head at the same time.

"It's not only your life, but the baby's life as well." Sasuke suddenly said. He looked at me with sad eyes, knowing that he didn't want me to figure out this way.

But as he told me everything, I just couldn't believe my ears. There was no way. Absolutely no way that somehow fate had decided my child would be the gateway to the end of the world. And the shinobi named Uchiha Madara, the one who Itachi had warned me about, was going to take my child away from me.

For a moment it was as if I was thrown into a tornado that made me feel light headed and nauseated. Everything in my field of vision was blurred until I couldn't make out anything. I felt my knees give out beneath me, but I managed to catch myself on the wall.

"Hazuki!" I heard voices of concern, but whose it was I didn't know.

Now I realized what my dream was trying to tell me. This man named Madara was truly going to kill my baby.

I felt the acid rise up my throat. I needed fresh air. Now.

And as quickly as I could, I ran past them all towards the door outside.

Sasuke's POV

I suddenly saw her fall forward but not before she caught herself on the wall.

"Hazuki!" Suigetsu and I called out at the same time.

I was about to go to her when she suddenly ran past us to go outside.

"Oy!" Suigetsu yelled after her.

"It's okay, I'll get her." I said as I ran after her. As I slammed the door open, the misty and salty air hit me like ice, making my skin moist.

I ran outside and called her name out again. After a short jog I had found her.

She was standing near the cliffs as still as a statue, watching the waves come and go as if in a trance. Her hair, which was dark as twilight, blew in the winds, hypnotizing me and drawing me to her.

She was calm and her beautiful dark eyes looked beyond the horizon, as if lost in thought.

I wanted her so much that I ached with it, so much that if the intensity of my wanting did not wane soon… I didn't want to think of it.

But I just couldn't stop imagining what it would be like to take Hazuki to bed, with her willing of course.

I needed to get my clear my mind.

I had no right to ever touch her again...

I walked next up to her and stood to her right as we both looked out into the horizon. The last glimmer of the sun was just about the set, casting an orange and red shade over the land.

"So, it's true?" Her voice was thin and high. "Madara wants my child dead?"

I didn't want to say anything that would cause her more grief. I looked down at her as her eyes met my gaze, reading sorrow and fear.

"Please tell me, I need to know." I couldn't ignore her plea.

"Yes. It's all true. Madara wants the child's eye in order to gain the strongest sharingan and control the world," I glanced back to the ocean, unable to look at her sadness in her eyes anymore.

There was a long moment of silence where only the crashing sounds of the waves spoke for us. After a while I asked, "What are you thinking about?"

She didn't even turn as she kept looking beyond what I was seeing. She slowly inhaled and let out a deep sigh before she answered, "I had a dream."

I turned my head slightly, intrigued by what she had to say.

"I had a dream that I bore a son." The softest of smiles rose on her lips. I would do anything to see her smile more often.

"He was so beautiful and so full of life that I was in physical pain when I woke up, realizing that it wasn't reality." She continued.

Her smile deepened, but this time it seemed pained. "He looked exactly like you, Sasuke."

I was thrown back in surprise. I was lost for words. I just merely stared at the majestic ocean, not being able to think. But she continued on telling me what had happened in her dream. How our son had wet the bed. It almost seemed surreal that I was a father now. And that Hazuki was the mother of our son.

"But then something or someone was hiding in his closet and was waiting for a chance to…" her voice suddenly croaked.

I turned to see there were tears slowly dripping down her face. "He… he killed him, he killed my son." The way she has spoken tore my chest apart.

"And now you're telling me that this man, Madara, wants to kill our son for world domination… I just can't help but feel… what if this dream was a premonition?" She covered face with her hands and continued to cry, her tears adding to the never ending cycles of the waves.

With great effort, I prevented myself from giving her physical comfort. I, of all people, had no right to touch her. But my heart ached and yearned to hold her in my arms and protect her. I wanted to promise her that I would never let anyone else touch her or our son. And that she was safe.

"I'm sure it was just a dream, that's all." I pathetically said. "Itachi and I will make sure that bastard Madara won't be able to achieve his plans. The child will live. That I promise you."

I stared at the now dark horizon that was now glittered with stars in the sky.

Tonight, I had made a promise. It wasn't a promise to not only Hazuki, but to the heavens.

Never will I let our child die by the hands of Uchiha Madara.

Madara's POV

In utter fury I sweeped everything off my desk as all the objects cluttered to the floor.

I was infuriated beyond belief by the news Sasori had brought me. Itachi had betrayed the Akatsuki and me to save that girl. The girl who I desperately needed in order to gain the strongest sharingan.

I should have seen this coming. Itachi has always been attached to anything that was involved with his little brother, Sasuke.

I stormed back and forth inside my office as Sasori stood in front of me.

"Are you sure that everyone else is dead?" I asked him once more.

"Quite positive. Hidan, however by definition, is still technically alive but without Kakuzu's threads we can't bring him back to life. He's too shred up to fix anyways."

I was infuriated at how easily the members were beaten. How could our numbers have dwindled so easily?

Itachi and his little brother seem to be worthy adversaries if they were able to kill Kakuzu and Deidara in one shot. Hidan, I was told, was killed by a companion of Sasuke. Suigetsu Hozuki. If I recall he is the little brother of one of the Legendary Seven Swordsmen. Another worthy adversary.

I gave another shout of fury. "With that sneaky bastard Itachi, we'll probably never be able to find him now. If he doesn't want to be followed, he'll make sure of that."

'I need that woman and her child.'

I clenched my teeth. I was definitely not expecting this. Because of Itachi's backstabbing, my plan has been set back all the way to square one.

With only one member left and no girl or child, I would have to round up the remaining Tailed Beasts if I can't find the child by the time it reaches the age of five. If the child is over five, its eyes may mature past its ripeness.

And if I were to capture all the Tailed Beasts again, then I would need to recruit more members, which is another thing to worry about.

I gasped in sudden revelation that had stopped my train of thinking.

"Sasori." I addressed to the standing figure in front of me.

"Yes?"

"When you went to retrieve the One-Tails, you unexpectedly saw the girl there?" I asked.

"Yes."

"But your spies mentioned that she was originally with Orochimaru, while at the same time with Sasuke?"

"Yes."

I continued my swift pacing, now in deep thought and not anger.

'Now, why would she leave Uchiha Sasuke and search for Sabaku no Gaara…'

I recalled way back in the day when Orochimaru was still with the Akatsuki; he had mentioned that his daughter had run away. As I recalled more, he had mentioned that he found her in Sunagakure, which is the village of the One Tailed.

It was as if a film was being replayed in my head. As it came with immortal life, I have never forgotten anything.

Orochimaru was complaining about how her daughter's body had been altered by Sabaku no Gaara's sand.

What was the word that was etched on her skin again?

And then it came to me. The answer to all my problems was clear as the sun in the sky.

It was love. The word on the girl's back was 'love.' Orochimaru's daughter was in love with Sabaku no Gaara. That was why she ran away.

I could feel my face begin to taut as my smile widened.

Yes. It was obvious now. The two boys were fighting over Orochimaru's daughter. But, the girl is in love with Gaara, not Sasuke, seeing that she had run away from Sasuke to be with the Kazekage.

I laughed at the absurdity. Shinobi's falling in love. What an idea.

It was all too easy now.

Because Itachi is probably putting every measure up to protect his little brother Sasuke and his woman, it would be impossible to get to either Sasuke or her… but… I bet Gaara is searching under every rock and cave to find her.

It would be easy to set up a trap for the Kazekage… and with him in my hands; I will use him to lure that woman out of hiding and that child will be mine.

I laughed maniacally in the dark room.

It was all too easy…

[Lol, Sasori probably thinks Madara is crazy… well he is crazy]