Chapter 24

When Jade Meets Crimson

"Oooooooooohhhh…" Kisame and Deidara began singing, arms around each others shoulders. They stumbled around the kitchen, almost tripping over the table where Sakura sat, laughing softly at them.

Both of them had been drinking excessively. They'd decided it was a time to celebrate Sakura's rescue and had begun as soon as they'd arrived at the base. It was a new one to Sakura, hidden in Grass. She supposed that was normal, though. After all, why would they head back to Cloud?

Sasori had assured her that they would get her belongings from Cloud soon enough, but they were hard pressed at the moment to get moving again. Grass was hardly their idea of a permanent residence.

Sakura merely took another sip of her tea. She wasn't too fond of alcohol anymore. She supposed that she got what she deserved for drinking before she was old enough to.

Sasori and Itachi had both gone to bed, while Deidara and Kisame had persuaded Sakura to remain with them in the kitchen. She was regretting every minute of it, since all she'd done so far was listen to all of the embarrassing stories the two had to tell that she could have definitely done without.

Besides…she wasn't feeling too happy. She supposed she should have been, but it was difficult. There was a small part of her that felt guilty for deceiving her friends. But she knew…she knew she couldn't have stayed with them.

She was too different now.

Kisame and Deidara had bombarded her continuously with questions and demanded explanations for the reason why she was still alive, but so far they were having no luck. She was tight-lipped and slightly distant, although she remained cheerful.

Sakura rolled a metallic object softly between her thumb and forefinger. The metal had once been cold, but it was now warm from her hand. She'd continued to ponder over the significant object all night.

She jumped slightly at the loud crash as Kisame and Deidara landed on the ground, Kisame hitting his head on the table as he went. She immediately went over to make sure he hadn't split the skin.

She blinked as she brushed the hair out of his face and he gave a grunt, mumbling something under his breath about sake. She rolled her eyes at that as she looked to Deidara. Is that all Kisame can think of?

She almost let out a laugh as she saw that he was drooling onto the floor, and he was snoring softly. When she had checked them both over and realized the worst damage either would suffer would be a major hangover, she sighed and stood.

She slowly walked down the hallway, passing by a few closed doorways. One of them wasn't quite closed, and the light struck the darkness of the hallway from inside. She smiled as the door opened a bit more and Sasori nodded at her in greeting.

"Have you been up this entire time?" Sakura asked, her voice slightly concerned.

"Someone must protect your reputation from those two miscreants, Haruno-san." Sasori smiled jokingly.

Sakura grinned in response. "That's sweet of you Sasori."

Sasori nodded. "I was also finishing the retouches on your puppet." He nodded to the table in the middle of his room, where her geisha lay.

"Thanks Sasori." Sakura nodded. "Well, I'm headed to bed. Deidara and Kisame are sleeping in the kitchen. Goodnight!" She called as she headed down the hallway once more.

"Goodnight, Haruno-san." Sasori finished softly as he headed back to his room. He stopped and gave a small smile as he noticed the fact that Sakura walked passed her own room and made a right down the hall.

He then closed his door softly and went back to work.

The night was cool, with just a slight chill to it. There was still a hint of rain to the air, the smell that Sakura had always loved. The damp soil…She breathed in deeply as she continued down the hall.

She walked to the back of the house as softly as possible, since she didn't want to wake anyone up. 'Anyone' meaning Itachi of course. She slid the back door open as quietly as she could and slipped outside.

She rubbed her arms at the slight chill, stepping off of the wooden porch until she was a good twenty or so feet from the building. The grass felt nice between her feet, and she wiggled her toes into the cool earth.

She flopped herself down onto the ground, the grass acting as a cushion. That was nice, since she still felt a slight soreness from her encounters with Tomokazu. Even after her healing with Tsunade as well as all of her own personal healings when she and the rest of the Akatsuki had stopped every night her muscles continued to ache a bit.

She looked up at the night sky and smiled at the way the stars sparkled. A sad thought hit her as she wondered if Naruto or any of her other friends were looking up at those same stars.

Is Tsunade looking up at them and wondering at my choice? Does she hate me for making her choose?

…or is she hating herself because of her choice?

She laughed at herself after that thought. Why would Tsunade dwell on it? She wouldn't care anymore. For all intents and purposes Tsunade had washed her hands clean of anything that had to do with Sakura.

No one really cared anymore, did they? After all, he didn't seem to care anymore, right?

When I saw him I thought…I thought he'd show something.

But there was nothing there. Not even a smirk.

Nothing.

But…Sakura ripped a few blades of grass from the ground, rubbing them between her fingers. Is that a sign? I mean…he didn't even smirk. His eyes flashed and that was it. His mouth tightened like he was trying to stop himself from doing something…

Something flowered in Sakura's chest.

I should have known…

…I guess it's a good thing I can read you, Itachi. Someone else would have given up on you by now.

…I guess it's a good thing I'm not someone else.

"Can I sit?"

Sakura blinked, looking up in surprise at the man standing in front of her. Speak of the devil. She inwardly giggled at the thought. That's not too far from the truth.

He wasn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak, merely a mesh top and his black slacks. Sakura could see his well-toned chest though the thin cloth. That didn't help the fact that she was already itching to touch him. His hair was just begging to have her hands run through it.

"Sure." Sakura answered back. "Go ahead." Stop thinking those thoughts, Sakura!

"Hn." His eyes settled on her form. She had bathed and changed the first time they'd gotten to an inn. She had taken to wrapping herself in her Akatsuki cloak, and this was the first time he'd seen her without it on since they'd left Konoha.

He still didn't know how she had done it. When The Sannin Hokage had come out of the room and told them all that Sakura was dead, he'd searched for her chakra signature and had not found it. How had she done it?

When he sat, she could feel the heat emanating off of him. It made her want to touch him even more, which irked her. She couldn't resist the urge to scoot a little closer to him, until their fingers were merely millimeters from one another. Not that she was expecting him to grab her hand or anything.

Itachi didn't respond to this, she noticed. He just continued to stare at her, his gaze unwavering.

Sakura turned her attention to the metallic object in her hand once more. "I guess…I guess this means I'm really a member now, huh? I wanted to thank you for getting it for me. I mean, if you hadn't picked it up after he died I guess…I guess it would have been hard to find."

"You can give the other ring to Tobi when we meet the rest of the Akatsuki." Itachi answered coolly.

"Hai." Sakura nodded, slipping the ring onto her left pinky. She made a face as she turned to Itachi. "I hope you washed this. I don't want that snake man's germs. He could have had a disease or something."

"Hn."

That one sounded almost like a laugh, right?

"It doesn't fit right. I'll have to get it resized. Is that possible? Or will Leader-sama murder me or something?" You're babbling again Sakura.

"Hn."

"Itachi…are you angry with me?" Sakura whispered uncertainly. She rubbed a hand over her arm, and it was then that Itachi's eyes fixed upon the strange signature placed there.

"Oh." Sakura's eyes trailed to where he looked. "It's nothing—"

He grabbed her wrist, pulling her arm straight so he could see it better. His eyes trailed over the cruelly written kanji. He knew from the way she cringed as his eyes roved over the lettering that it was Tomokazu who had done this to her.

Sakura watched his other hand lift to her arm, tracing the kanji with tentative fingertips. It felt nice. Apparently Tsunade had been unable to take away the scarring on her arm. It would be a constant reminder to her of what had happened. She would never be able to forget.

"You never told me how you escaped Konoha." Itachi continued to look at the scar, waiting for Sakura to answer.

Sakura blinked, before giving a small smile. "Well, I didn't escape. Tsunade-shishou let me go."

"Hn."

"I know it's hard to believe…" Sakura looked at him from the corner of her eye. She didn't want to say anything to him about her last conversation with Tsunade. Not now, at least. Maybe not ever. Because that would definitely not be good.

"Hn."

"Will you stop with the 'hn' already?" Sakura snapped out. She wasn't angry, she just had to snap at him for something. She was getting butterflies in her stomach from the way his fingers were trailing down her arm.

It wasn't an unpleasant feeling at all, and that was why she was forced to babble and snap at him, so that he didn't see that he was turning her into a pile of quivering mush with such a simple touch.

Itachi looked up at her with one of his smirks.

"Hn."

"For the love of—" She began, but didn't get much else out. Talking is very difficult when someone's mouth is covering yours. His tongue licked her lower lip and she willingly opened her mouth to give him access.

Itachi almost smirked again at the hungry way she kissed him back. He didn't know why he'd gone through with his sudden impulse to kiss her, but he was glad he had. It had been too long since he'd kissed Sakura Haruno.

And he was going to erase every trace and memory of Tomokazu from her mind.

Sakura went through with her earlier urge and ran her hands through his hair. It was so soft. She hadn't expected his hair to feel that nice. It was strange, the fact that she believed she could spend the rest of the night just stroking his hair.

All Sakura could think of was the fact that this felt so right, as his mouth moved over hers. Sakura and Itachi…together…

That was all she had wanted for so long now. Just a moment alone with him again. To see him give that condescending smirk. To see those bright crimson Sharingan…wait…

Sakura blinked as she pulled away from him. "Itachi…?"

There was no Sharingan. Just smoky charcoal gray with a hint of blue. Like storm clouds. Sakura lifted her hand and brushed a few locks out of Itachi's eyes.

"Why did you turn off your Sharingan?"

Itachi gave her a look that could almost be classified as confused, as his brows knitted a bit in a way that it was impossible to know he'd even done it unless you had studied his facial expressions.

"It's what you wanted, isn't it?" His voice was soft and controlled, like always. Even after a few intense minutes of making out, he wasn't the least bit out of breath. Sakura envied him.

She merely shook her head softly, "No. Why would you think that?"

"To look more like him. That's what you wanted isn't it?"

It took a moment for his words to sink in. When they did, Sakura did the bravest thing she thought she'd done in her life. She grabbed Itachi's face in her hands, pulling it down a little so that she could stare him straight in the eye.

"No."

She shook her head furiously. "I don't want Sasuke, Itachi. If I wanted him, I would have stayed in Konoha." She gave another smile, more of a smirk then anything else.

"Are you jealous?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed, immediately becoming crimson again. "Hn."

Sakura let out a small laugh, throwing her head back as she did so. "You're jealous!"
"Hn."

She tilted her head to the side as she studied him. She loved the almost pathetic look he gave her, a slightly annoyed one from beneath his charcoal bangs. It seemed so out of character, and she liked that too. It was good to see that Itachi Uchiha had more than one facial expression.

"I think it's cute, Itachi." Sakura answered back truthfully. His gaze was almost condescending, especially at the word 'cute', but that was how she liked him.

He bent down, his nose brushing against her cheek as he whispered in her ear, "I'm not here to be cute, Sakura."

She licked her suddenly dry lips. Her chest was heaving, her breasts grazing his bare chest through the thin cloth of her shirt.

And Itachi decided that he was going to continue this somewhere else. After all, he didn't know if he could continue this any longer while outside. Especially with Sasori just down the hall, who was prone to walking outside at night to think.

So he picked her up in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist as they headed inside, still kissing. Sakura didn't think much of it as they headed down the hall passing her room. All she could think of was Itachi's mouth on hers.

Her scent addled his brain, and Itachi's thoughts—those that managed to develop at all—were focused strictly on getting both of them free of clothing. And that was just what he decided to begin doing as he sat her down on the bed.

Sakura closed her eyes for a second at the sensation of Itachi's fingers trailing across her stomach. He was kissing her neck, his tongue grazing over the sensitized flesh in a way that made Sakura let out a small moan.

She opened her eyes with the realization that she was no longer wearing a shirt. How Itachi had managed to rid her of it while she had been lost in her small little world of pleasure was a mystery to her, but she decided she didn't really care.

She wondered how she must look to him. He, after all, was the experienced lover. She, on the other hand, was far from experienced since she'd only had consensual sex once, and she hadn't even known then that she was having sex because she'd been so drunk.

If he thought, however, that she was merely going to whimper beneath him he was wrong. She was going to make him groan at least once. That was her goal, anyway. She was going to make him give a little too.

And so she used her strength to flip him over on the bed, reversing their positions. She straddled his hips, now only in her bra and underwear. He, on the other hand, was still wearing pants.

She'd have to fix that.

At the moment he was merely looking up at her with one eyebrow raised. And then she was under him again, because he apparently didn't like being submissive. Of course, she hadn't really expected him to be. She merely gave her own smile.

"I like being on top." Came his smug reply. That arrogant bastard. He had the nerve to sound cocky about it.

Sakura pursed her lips, giving a small pout she hoped looked sensual. She merely turned to pout into a triumphant smile as she grabbed a hold of the hem of his pants and jerked them down roughly.

God, she knew how to excite him. It was in the way her hands teased the hem of his boxers after he'd fully slipped out of his slacks. For someone who didn't have any experience she sure seemed to learn quickly.

"Itachi?" Her voice was scratchy, like a cat's purr.

"Hn?"

She gave a small laugh. "I knew you'd say that." And then she kissed him again, her hands tangling in his hair as he undid the clasp on her bra. She felt it loosen as her breasts fell free of their bindings.

His lips trailed down her neck, his tongue teasing her collarbone. She let out a small gasp as his breath fluttered against the valley between her breasts. The gasp turned into a full-fledged groan as he took one of her breasts into his mouth.

She couldn't ignore the way her body instinctively arched up against him, as one hand trailed down to his back, trailing down his spine. She wrapped her legs around him, feeling a minor irritation that he could cause her to become this wild just with his mouth.

Just think of what he can do with—Sakura cut off her own wicked thoughts. Mostly because he was slipping off her underwear with expert hands. She looked up at him, her eyes glazed with passion.

"No…fair…" She managed to gasp out between soft moans as she threw her head back against the pillow. She felt everything against her skin, as if Itachi's touch had sensitized it. The firmness of the mattress beneath her, the pressure of the springs that burrowed into her back, the almost chilling softness of the silken sheets, the itch of her own hair as it rubbed against her bare neck, the soft weight of his body over hers, the warmth of his lips as they moved against her skin, and the fact that the air was becoming stuffy and hot.

He let out a soft chuckle, which she found infinitely sexy. It turned her on even more, which she didn't think was possible. She grabbed for his boxers, hooking her finger in the edge of it.

She tugged gently, which made Itachi want to groan in anticipation. Why was she going so slow? Did she know that she was torturing him with this heated foreplay? Itachi Uchiha always got what he wanted when he wanted it. And he wanted to take her now.

He roughly pushed her legs apart, noticing that she didn't provide any resistance, just looked up at him hesitantly. He could see a small amount of fear flickering behind her jade eyes, and he knew she was remembering when he had raped her.

Her skin trembled as he ran a hand down her arm. He stopped from moving forward with his plans as he did the one thing that shocked her the most. He bent down and whispered to her.

"Tell me if you wish to stop."

Sakura froze at that, her hands tightening on his shoulders. She stared up at him, seeing a bit of uncertainly and worry flash across his crimson gaze. He was afraid she was going to say no? In truth…she felt a small part of her, a nagging fear, that begged her to ask him to stop.

I'm strong now, aren't I? I can handle everything, even those memories. I've gotten over them and through them before.

But even as those words of reassurance appeared in her mind, snatches of previous events flashed before her eyes. Pictures of Tomokazu and Itachi. The reminder of her failure to help her friends, as she watched helplessly as they tried to rescue her.

Strength? Hardly.

And her body began to shake.

"Itachi…" She pressed softly against his chest with her hands, "…I think we should stop…"

There was a moment of tense silence as he stared down at her, and she wondered if he would listen. He merely rolled off of her, his gaze hidden and his feelings masked like always. She didn't know what to think.

The comfort of the mattress tugged at her, but she pushed aside the thought as she sat up before getting off of the bed completely. The coolness of the floor helped to harden her resolve to walk away.

She grabbed her shirt, slipping it on and forgetting about the bra during the uncomfortable, taught silence. She slipped on her underwear and pants, feeling Itachi's gaze on her as he watched her.

I'm sorry Itachi.

It's just too much.

She wondered if he noticed the fact that she almost ran from his room, as she closed the door hurriedly behind her. She waited outside for a moment, her heart pounding, wondering if he would come out to stop her from leaving.

A small part of her wished he would.

He didn't.

So she walked down the hallway to her own room, tears stinging her eyes.

I guess I'm not as strong as you thought.

She spent the next two hours sitting on her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees, which were brought up to her chest. Crickets chirped in the background. They sounded lonely.

Like me.

Sakura wondered if perhaps she had just given up the only chance she had ever had. The only chance for true happiness.

Her eyes narrowed as she tightened her grip around herself. If I wasn't such a damn frightened weakling this wouldn't have happened!

If I could have just…forgotten all about that night.

Why didn't Itachi just use his Mangekyou to make me forget?

It would have made things easier for both of us.

A small gust of wind blew into her room, encircling her. She looked up to see her window open. She'd left it open since earlier in the afternoon when they'd arrived at the base.

She slipped off her bed, heading to the window. She closed her eyes as the cool wind hit her. It was a welcoming relief from the heat his fingers and lips had evoked upon her.

Once again the damp smell of the morning's rain hit her.

Itachi…I'm just…I'm afraid that if I give in, everything will change. And I'm afraid of the changes.

Will you cast me aside like a common whore?

Will I matter to you at all anymore? I remember your words, so long ago…

"I'm not your whore."

"Oh? But that is all you are to me."

Sakura gripped her shoulders, squeezing her eyes shut. No crying. She wouldn't allow it. "Itachi…" Even if no tears came, her voice betrayed the way she felt. It trembled and broke as she breathed in shakily.

"Why does it have to be this way? I…I loved you but I…I can't love you." She shook her head furiously, ignoring the jeering voices inside of her head, as well as the pleading ones.

"I can't because you're a killer and you don't care about my feelings."

Her shoulders shook as she suppressed her tears.

"I can't because you ruined Sasuke-kun's life."

The wind continued to blow around her, and she heard the soft call of the wind chimes. Haunting…

"I can't because you're hunting Naruto."

She was so alone and confused.

"I can't because…because you raped me."

The world seemed so desolate then. Dark and brooding. She had left Konoha for Itachi and now she wasn't so sure she'd made the right choice.

"Tell me if you wish to stop."

Her eyes shot open, as the full weight of what he had said hit her. He had asked if she wished to stop. He had given the choice, the power, to her. And when she'd said no…he'd let her go.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, breathing in deeply as she gave a small smile. Her bare feet took her noiselessly across the room.

She closed the door behind her, before she began heading down the hall with steady steps and quickened breaths.

"I can love you…"

A smile lit her face as she resisted the urge to run to the door.

"I can love you because you gave me the bed."

"You can have the bed."

"I can love you because you stayed the night with me when I was afraid."

"Itachi…could you maybe…stay?"

The sound of someone moving the chair ceased, and Sakura heard someone sit down in it. She could feel the presence beside her bed. There was silence after that, however, as if the person in the chair wanted to remain inconspicuous and undetectable.

He'd stayed.

"I can love you because you said no."

"Make love to me and make me forget everything else."

…

…

…

"No."

"I can love you because you said I was strong."

"I've broken her will." Tomokazu laughed darkly. "I've completely taken control of her."

"That's impossible."

"And why is that?"

"Because she is strong."

She stopped in front of his door, breathing in deeply.

"And I can love you…because you let me choose."

And then she knocked softly. And waited.

"Can I come in?"

"Hn."

She slid the door open, closing it behind her. She wondered if he was surprised that she was back. The floor was cold beneath her feet, freezing them. She ignored it as she walked over to the edge of the bed.

He was leaning against the headboard, no shirt on. She couldn't tell if he was wearing pants or not, since the blanket was pulled up around his waist, preventing her from getting a good look. Unfortunately.

She stopped next to the edge, her breath shaking with her nervousness. This was probably the hardest decision she had ever had to make. She wondered if he would stop her, as she crawled onto the bed, sitting down next to him.

Nothing.

She turned to look at him, catching his eye as she noticed that he had been watching her the entire time.

"Itachi…?"

There was no 'hn' this time. He just watched her.

She leaned forward, brushing her lips against his.

…

…

…

"Don't stop."

His mouth crashed down hungrily against her own, and she was glad that she wasn't wearing a bra. In his haste to rid her of her clothes, he would have become sorely vexed to find anything extra in the way.

He had miraculously shed himself of his own clothing as he positioned himself comfortably over her. Another shiver ran down her spine, but this wasn't one of fear. No, she realized that it was anticipation, and a strange pleasure that she couldn't identify.

As their tongues chased each other inside of her mouth, he slowly slipped inside of her. He felt her moan into his mouth at the sensation, and it pleased him. It was an innocent, naïve moan.

He'd never been with a woman to experience her first time—the rape didn't count. It was strangely satisfying, to know it was him that was bringing her this pleasure. She gripped his shoulders tightly as he eased down further.

She felt as if for the first time in her life, she was complete. As if Itachi himself were the piece of the puzzle that had just now fit itself perfectly into place.

She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, marveling at the breathtaking sensation of Itachi moving inside of her. She'd never felt anything like this before. It was…exhilarating.

My god…Itachi Uchiha…

My Uchiha…

…why was I a fool to wait so long for this?

His arms were braced on either side of her, a steady, solid reminder that this wasn't a dream. For surely this pleasure couldn't possibly be real. If she had been thinking normally she would have pinched herself to see if she was asleep. But then again, pinching herself was far from her mind.

His strong movements pressed her softly into the mattress, and she didn't mind the fact that he was completely in control. She trusted him completely, but she felt a small moment of fear at the thought that she was giving him everything now.

"Itachi…" She groaned out as he began to move faster, with strong, confident strokes.

He let out his own growl, a primal possessive sound at the way she moaned his name. She would never say anyone else's name that way. Just his. The growl itself would have been enough to give Sakura an orgasm, if she thought about it clearly. That sound…dammit he could make anything sound sexy.

She let out a loud groan next to his ear as her hips lifted to meet his as he quickened his thrust. Her hands clutched his shoulders, her nails digging into the hard muscle.

Their bodies seemed eternally entwined, sweat mingling with sweat.

This was what she had wanted. Everything she could have possible dreamed of. When she had been younger, it had been the younger Uchiha who had entertained her dreams of being her first.

But there was only one Uchiha who she thought of now. Who held her body and soul.

It was not Uchiha Sasuke.

She vaguely remembered yelling out his name a few times, but her thoughts were so blurred that everything just melded together. She never wanted to leave this place, the strange land of pleasure and peace that she had found. A place she could have never found without him.

She didn't want to return to the real world. She didn't want to wake up and realize that it could perhaps never happen again. That she would be alone again.

The thought fled as she felt lightheaded and climaxed, screaming his name. She felt him find his release a second later, and they lay there, sweat dripping from their bodies.

She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes as she savored the moment. He shifted, and she felt him roll off of her. It was over. Would it ever happen again? She unconsciously reached for him, grabbing his hand.

She opened her eyes to see him watching her strangely, his crimson eyes locked onto her jade ones. She let go of his hand with a small smile, as she realized that he was still on the bed. He wasn't leaving.

She lifted a hand brushed a few strands of hair from his face, and she wondered if he could see it in his eyes. If he could see the words she was too tired to speak.

Itachi…

…I love you.

And then she drifted off to sleep before she could search for an answering look in his own eyes.

(A\N: So? How did you like it? Was it everything you guys wanted? The next chapter will be the last chapter of Crimson Reflections (the epilogue), and then the new story will begin.

I'm out for the summer, so I should have more time to dedicate to these stories, hopefully. Who else thought a growling Itachi is sexy? Whoo, I have to fan myself to keep from fainting. :)

Sincerely, Lady Hanaka

Question: Is Santa so jolly because he knows where all the bad girls live?)