This chapter is dedicated to LumiaTenshi and Ji Hyun1 as well as the guests that have been reading this story.
You guys are the reason why I still do this and I'm very thankful and grateful for all of your support.
I love y'all.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES.
"Try and continue that and I might take the offer."
Of course, Itachi knew that the two will eventually work it out. If it wasn't for the sake of each other, it would be for the sake of Sakura.
He hasn't been telling a lie when he told them that he is the one to blame, hearing their words a while ago really made him realize that he messed things up, he only wanted his brother, Sasuke to realize his feelings and work upon it, in the process, he never would've thought that Sasori will harbour real feelings towards Sakura.
Itachi didn't know that this will come to a whole lot of mess but he wouldn't back out from the responsibility that he had taken upon himself either. He'll make sure that Sasuke and Sakura realized their part as he'll make sure to fix things up with Sakura when everything's fine and she is saved.
If all else failed and things don't settle between the three teens. He might really take the 'I deserve her' statement. Who knows if Sakura and he will make a great couple, maybe in the parallel universe, they will be.
Itachi observed the two, Sasori is staring at the electric fireplace, and Sasuke looking down on his lap. This will take some work and time but Itachi's sure that they'll eventually loosen up.
"You're Mine, Only Mine"
Chapter 20: "Flawed"
Sakura laid on the cold ground in a fetal position her hands on her chest, wide green bloodshot eyes staring at the dark that had surrounded her in her cell, tears falling endlessly.
She didn't know what time was it, she couldn't comprehend what was happening, she couldn't bear everything. She just couldn't.
'...Itachi came up with a plan...'
She heard Sasori's voice in her head.
' ...He asked me to...attached to you... Get your attention.'
This memory, the memory before she was abducted haunts her mind.
'...Make Sasuke jealous...'
Suddenly, another familiar voice had plagued her thoughts,
' ...No one's gonna save you...'
She heard it mocking her, screaming at her, cursing her and telling her to die.
' ...Why don't you just die already?!..'
And she heard it once more, making her so confused, lonely, sad, exasperated, exhausted, scared, scarred and... in agony.
'...We already killed her dad...'
Her dad.
'Tou-san...' Sakura thought as she lifelessly sprawled on the ground, Gato and his henchmen's beating had her physically incapacitated, she'd feel the injections that they carelessly prodded her, she didn't know what it was for, every drug had her feeling different. Sometimes it makes her feel groggy, she would lose consciousness, again and again, failing to keep herself awake. Sometimes it makes her feel awake, wide-eyed, she feels tired but she can never drift off to sleep and sometimes it makes her feel weird like she was floating and hallucinating; there was a time that she thought that Sasuke had saved her bringing her back home and then there were his father and mother waiting for her, but when she tried to move forward, she's brought back immediately into the reality where her hands and feet are still bound.
Sakura didn't know what time is it. She didn't even know which is day and night. The drug had taken over her senses multiple times that she couldn't even count the days. But for her, for Sakura, it felt like weeks. 'Has it been a week?'
She didn't know what to feel. The pain of losing her father haunts her she wanted to grief and yet she tries to hope that he's somehow still alive, that those who captured her were lying to her. And what of her mother? Where was she? Was she safe? Or did she...
Sakura tried to shook her thoughts off but no matter what she does, all that she thinks of are the things that ache her more, she hadn't forgotten the lies that Sasori, Sasuke and even Itachi had fed her made her felt betrayed, 'I ... I didn't even know what was the truth... Was that the truth or am I being... Played with..?'
'Do they even care? Did they even know? Will... Someone... Save me?'
She felt worthless, useless, was she even alive? She didn't know.
Sakura tried so hard, trying to think of different things to help her ease her mind, to help her cope up, she is a strong girl and yet she knew deep inside her that she isn't prepared for this, no one is.
Her thoughts were halted when she heard the metal door of her demise opened. Her eyes still wide just staring right ahead — it's one of those days that they've drugged her with something to keep her awake. She saw the person walked to her and stopped in front of her before dropping a metallic tray. The sound was too loud to her ears but she made no move to show her discomfort, she didn't even flinch when the food on the tray hit her on the face as it scattered on the ground.
"Still alive?" There was it again, a mocking voice. The man crouched at front of her, mouth lifted upwards as she looked intently at her. Everything about him is familiar.
"You're quite hard to break, aren't you?" The redhaired man laughed at her, menace laced his voice, "Here, I'll fix you up."
He reached for her arm, harshly pulling it towards him as he pulled out a syringe. It's time for that again.
"This is something new, Princess." He explained, removing the cap with his teeth and showing her the medium-sized needle, it'll definitely hurt, "We created this one. We use this before we put our collections in a cage."
The man gives her a sadistic grin before driving it to her arm which made her scream weakly, the size of the needle isn't for a gentle injection.
Sakura weak voice caught his attention grinning wider, "You know, you're not so bad. I really hate you when I brought you here... You're so feisty. I never liked the feisty. And now... Here you are. Not so strong anymore... I like it.. submissive... I want to see you squirm below me" He whispered at her ear. She felt weird by it, she felt hot, her eyes clouded and she began squirming. This is the effect of the drug.
The redhead chuckled when he saw her squirm, "I wanna break you so bad, you'll fear every man you'll meet..." Sakura started crying hard, she knows what he meant, she knows what the drug is for, she knows what it does to men, and she knows what he implied to do to her. And like a cue, the man before her pushed her hard against the floor, her back connecting hard on the ground, as he straddles her.
Sakura tried to get him off of her but with her bruised and battered weakened body, she can do nothing but to arouse him more. He took both of her wrists on one of his hand and placed it firmly against the ground above her head as he leaned on her until they were forehead to forehead, her eyes still filled with tears and yet clouded by the drugs. He chuckled darkly at her sight, she was so helpless that he can almost taste her pain. He looked at her pale green eyes, it was losing its shine, its life, "Do you remember me now?"
She stared at him, eyes still letting out tears and through her blurry sight, she saw his red hair.
"Sa-sa..." 'Sasori'
But the eyes.
His eyes.
It was different.
Sasuke sat beside Itachi as their Fugaku and Obito discussed some things. Mikoto wasn't with them, she told them that Naruto, Ino and Hinata will be visiting Mebuki and she wanted to assist them, she also implied that she'll stay beside Mebuki hoping that she'll wake up anytime soon. But they knew that she was just quite guilty for not being able to protect Sakura as she had promised, it wasn't her fault though for Gato is an evil man.
It has been three days after his and Sasori's fight and Sakura's been missing for four days now. The police had been busy, Obito made sure of that. After confirming that they had eyes on Gato's underground business, they had inside people trying to get connected to one of Gato's men and ti their business. They had been successful and it was just about the waiting game before they raid their hideout.
In quite honest, they couldn't be sure if Sakura was there. And Sasuke only hoped that she was still in Konoha. He wouldn't forgive Sasori, Itachi and even himself if something much worse had happened to her without even clearing things out.
When their father told them that the police will soon make a move, Itachi made sure that he was included in the progress of Sakura's case. And here they are sitting inside one of the precinct's meetings room, waiting for Shisui and one of their companions to show up. Obito had told them that they'll be needing those two on relaying the information to them.
Soon enough, the door opened, Shisui was the first to walk inside with a familiar person in tow, "Kakashi?"
The silver-haired man, that Sasuke had known to be his teacher, looked at him, eye-widening for a fraction. They hadn't expected to meet. "Sasuke?"
Kakashi turned to Obito who had stopped discussing with Fugaku as soon as Shisui and Kakashi entered the room, "Why is he here?"
Obito shrugged and gestured the two newly arrived to take a set as Fugaku took the seat beside Itachi and the three; Obito, Shisui and Kakashi sat opposite to them.
"Itachi insisted that Sasuke should know what's happening." Obito finally explained, "Fugaku-san approved of this."
"Did Jiraiya-san approved of this?" Kakashi sternly asked the man, Jiraiya is the captain if he precinct anyways, 'Juveniles shouldn't be involved with this, their hormones will get in the way, especially an Uchiha.' He thought, scrutinizing the youngest Uchiha in the room.
"We already had his permission, Kakashi-san." Shisui responded with manners, he clearly respects this guy, "Besides, Sasuke won't cause any ruckus, ne?"
"Hn." Sasuke replied, still looking at Kakashi, questioning why was his teacher here, 'Beside half of his face, what else is he hiding from us?'
Kakashi inwardly sighed aware of Sasuke's thoughts, "I'm a special agent, Sasuke. I do cover-ups, I blend with the crowd and do things that shouldn't be said." He explained for a bit, "And I think I had to retire being a teacher at Konoha High, you, knowing that information will only bring me and you into danger."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, "I couldn't care less, Kakashi. People already theorized about you being a spy or something close."
Obito coughed a bit, getting their attention, he had to interfere before things get more complicated, "Since we're all here. I'll begin updating you on our progress."
When the three of his fellow Uchihas before him nodded, he began discussing what they discovered, "For the last two days, we've been looking out for Gato's hideout. We originally plan to get close to him through his business which we did and we have to wait for a few weeks to gain their trust and build our cover but seems like there's no need to do it." Obito paused and looked at Shisui, who nodded in return, this is his part.
Shisui showed them a folder, tapping it lightly against the table— "This—"
— before setting it on the table, "is an official statement from another intel. A different one, this one had come to light just last day. Intel B confirmed Gato's hideout and underground business in Konoha and..." Shisui sharply inhaled before letting it out with the other news, "confirmed that Sakura is held in that hideout."
Sasuke's eyes widened in the news, he didn't bother showing his feelings, he just felt ecstatic that Sakura is still in the Konoha and they are so close on rescuing her, he leaned on the table to Shisui, "When are you going to rescue her then?!"
Itachi put a hand on his shoulder pulling him back om his seat, "Calm down, Sasuke." The last thing that Itachi wanted is a Sasuke insisting to do the rescue right now.
"Her situation isn't as easy as it seems, Sasuke." Kakashi's the one who spoke this time, he reached for the folder on the table at front of Shisui, "I admit, you might be useful in this one."
The silver head grabbed something inside the folder and placed it on the table in front of Sasuke, "Have you seen this man?"
Sasuke peered at the photo, it was a man with a wavy red-hair. He squinted at it, 'Sasori?', anger rose from inside him, it can't be him, he swore that he couldn't, wouldn't and didn't do it.
But something seems wrong from the picture, there was something different. It wasn't golden and lazy, it was a different hue but very familiar. The eyes.
His eyes.
It was...
"Green." Sasuke gasps in realization, "That man... I'd seen him before."
Insert small flashbacks*
Kakashi had a grim look on his face, "Of course you do. In fact, you see him quite all the time."
Fugaku intervenes this time, "And what do you mean by that, Hatake-san?" He asked the undercover cop before glancing sideways to his youngest son, "Where had you seen him?"
Sasuke woke up from his stupor, "He's... My classmate and the waiter... He's—"
"Everywhere." Obito continued, "That guy is Kenji. One of Gato's most trusted men, he raised him just like Idate and Intel B. And according to Intel B, Gato entrusts him the task of kidnapping Sakura."
Itachi uneasily peered at the picture, "He looks awfully like Sasori." Which earned a nod from Sasuke, Kakashi and Shisui.
"His red hair made him very similar to Sasori. And that's how he posed inside the Konoha High. He wasn't enrolled in the school but because of his likeness with Sasori, he successfully loiters around the campus." Kakashi showed them some of the photos from what it seems to be a CCTV camera footage, "Ironically, because he looks like Sasori no one bothered him which makes it easier for him to observe Sakura and because he isn't Sasori, it won't be a problem when someone saw him. He's familiar but still forgettable. People will see Sasori in his place."
"You should perhaps inform the person that he mimics," Fugaku suggested which Obito eagerly took, "We surely will do. This case just gets bigger and bigger."
Getting back on the topic in hand, Sasuke took on of the photos that the Sasori-wanna-be — Kenji is wearing a waiter uniform, "If someone had seen him in the night that he abducted Sakura, they will just mistake him as Sasori, he's setting up Sasori." Sasuke grimaced at Sasori's situation, "All this time, that person was around us."
"We're lucky that Intel B sang, or else we might've just traced it back to Sasori and fell through their traps." Obito added, clearly thankful of the sudden turn of events, "And because of this new information, we deemed that we are ready to take on Gato, we are planning the raid and to rescue Sakura as soon as possible."
Sasori sat shock on his seat looking at a picture ln the table that the brothers, sitting opposite to him, had shown him.
When Itachi called him to pass by the Uchiha manor as he and Sasuke will inform him about the progress about Sakura's abduction, he had been hopeful that they will give good news.
They did give good news but he never expected that there was another news directed at him.
Now, he sat shock and in disbelief as he stared at a person that he had never seen before and yet looks like the person that he sees when he looks at a mirror. Their hair was of the same shade of red, and the same style, their face shape is the same, he even have the dimples that show when he smiled but then he saw the flaw.
The eyes.
His eyes.
It was different.
"How?" And still, Sasori couldn't comprehend, "He's... We're... We look almost the same."
Itachi grimly nodded and tried to explain further, "We were told that this man, Kenji had been using your name and your alikeness to wander around the Konoha High's campus. For his appearance the things that aren't that noticeable in the naked eye, he is three-inch shorter than you, his skin is more on a greyish hue, his ears have three piercings each but his eyes are the biggest flaw, although, it was a big possibility that he might wear contacts, they informed us that his eyes were easy irritated and so he can't hide his flaw. They caught him with it."
"I can't... believe this" Sasori sighed, "I... I haven't even seen him around." Still shocked from the revelation that the Uchihas had shown him.
"I have." Sasuke simply stated, voice void from emotions as he continues to fill him up, "I saw him multiple times in the campus, I thought it was you at first. He accidentally bumped at me, he was shocked but he kept his head lowered probably to avoid my gaze and apologized quickly before brushing past me. I didn't saw his eyes.
He remembered it quite well, Sakura was there was well, "But Sakura might have."
This gathered two questioning gazes at him, "She was there with me when he bumped at me and when I thought it had been you—" Sasuke paused looking pointedly at Sasori, "—she told me that it wasn't you and that he looks almost like you except for the eyes."
Itachi and Sasori nodded, "So, Sakura might even recognize him if she looks closely," Itachi deduced, "He might've used his cover to abduct Sakura... That will cause her to think that it's Sasori who did it but if she looks closely. She might recognize."
Sasuke nodded at his brothers' deduction, shaking off the lingering thought that Sakura might not be in a good shape to even recognize the difference of this man to Sasori.
"You said multiple?" The red-haired teen asked Sasuke, clearly wanted to get more information at his fake.
The Uchiha in question nodded, "I notice him more and more in the campus, but I saw him once when Sakura and I went into a restaurant." He paused for a while and remembered that moment again, "This is the only time that I had seen him up close, the only time that I had seen his eyes, he was our waiter. I didn't think that the man from the school was the same as the waiter, I was bothered by how he looked at Sakura."
Sasuke closed his eyes before muttering, "Now I know why" under his breath which was heard by his brother beside him.
"The intel is sure is helpful." Sasori sighed in relief, there was a person who acted and stole his identity but at least the fake had been discovered and he had been informed about it.
Itachi and Sasori talked more about the fraud, how he can have justice with it in the court.
While the two, Akatsuki's, is focused on their legal talks Sasuke let his mind wander to Sakura.
They've been only going out for a week, he doesn't even consider it passing as a week, they were dating for days, just days, 9 days to be exact and then this happened. Sasuke couldn't begin to imagine what's she's going through, from what he heard, this Gato deals with the underground business, the black market, guns, drugs and human trafficking, prostitution can come to it a well. He didn't want to think that Sakura is in danger but his pessimistic view kept telling him that she is in danger and it's only a matter of when until she has up until they had broken her.
Sasuke knew Sakura for years and years, and Sakura isn't something that he can synonymise with the word weak, her will is as strong as Naruto with his ramen but this... He had to admit that this is far different from their everyday life, that this is something that her loving parents had, unfortunately, cross upon, that this occurred in a bad timing as Sasori had revealed her of the foolish plan made by his brother with this equally idiotic redhead, that this is too much for her and, quite frankly, this can break her.
Sasuke wonders that when she came back, can anything be ever the same? Can she still trust him? Can he still hold her? Can she still look at him like she always has? Can she... Does she... 'Will she still love me?'
He sighed deeply, worry, fear, anger, and pain settling in his stomach, in his nerves, and into his heart and mind.
He wanted to reach out to her. Hug her tight and tell her that everything will be right. He wanted to be there for her, wherever she is, and protect her with his life. He wanted to kiss her and make everything better. He wanted to be there for her and he feels helpless because no matter how hard he tries to, Sasuke knows that the authorities must deal with it, in their way.
He can't do anything but to hope and pray to Kami-sama that Sakura will be alright.
That it isn't too late.
He wasn't too late.
He kept telling himself that he wasn't too late.
He had arrived just in time.
He slammed the metal door open and saw his redhead companion, "Kenji! Boss needs you!" He barked at him — Kenji as he takes the appearance that he was in, he was kissing their capture on her neck as she gives all of her strength trying to kick him off of her and prying her hands free from his grip.
Kenji, the redhead, looked at him furiously, "What the fuck?! I'm busy!" But looked at her maniacally and stood up moving away from her anyway, "I'll deal with you later..."
The maniac whispered towards the pink-haired girl who laid still, her eyes swollen but dry, he feared she had shed too many tears that her body can't produce more, she shaking quite terribly as well.
When Kenji's footsteps fade away, he hesitantly moved inside, careful not to cause panic to the girl on the ground. "S-sakura..." He voiced out her name, trying to call out to her, he wanted to ask if she's okay but he bit back his tongue, 'Of course, she wasn't okay! What the hell am I thinking?!'.
When he finally neared her, he tried physically reaching out to her, gently moving to place a hand on her shoulder but as soon as he touched a small amount of her skin, she instantly whimpered and tried to get away from him, scooting away while laying down by her feet, she tried to get up but all she can do is to shift her position so she is laying on her side. She continued scooting back until her back was against the wall but she still trying to go further as if she didn't notice the wall behind her, her arms wrapped around her upper body, as she trembled in fear, eyes wide open staring at him.
Their boss, Gato asked him to find Kenji, another task for the redhead. He went looking for him he actually thought that he went out of the base but when heard from the other men that Kenji went down the cells with their special vitamin, he dreaded that he actually went for Sakura and not the other girls that they held down there. He masked his surprise by a maniacal laugh but he immediately went to her cell, praying to a God that he doesn't believe in that he's not too late. But that was his flaw, he's always been late, he's always been late in every task, in every meeting, he's always been late.
When he slammed the metal door open relief had taken his body. Kenji was atop of her but her dirty, messy, ragged down clothes are still intact.
He wasn't late!
But when he approached her and saw how she reacted with a small touch, how she scooted far away from him, how she hugged herself and looked at him, he knew that he was so wrong.
For he had too late.
He had been so late.
He was late to save her from being broken.
She had been flawed.
Sakura Haruno has been broken.
A/N: Here it is! I was supposed to update yesterday but I half-mindedly deleted my editor so I had to wait for my laptop charger to be delivered. YES. I have it now!
So, as I was writing this, I can't help but see how things went south and it kinda bothers me. The original concept of YMOM is rather fluff with the main challenge for them is a silly misunderstanding (I won't disclose the original plot, I can still recycle it and rewrite it) and now this happened.
I am quite aware of my mistakes, the discrepancy in the story and the sudden twist that reveals a much bigger challenge that took the fluff to this kinda dark genre. Going on a Hiatus without a thorough thought out plot. I'm quite disappointed with my mistakes and I am really sorry if some of you had felt that way too. Nonetheless, I'd do my best with the rest of this story as I will do my best on making my next story interesting.
P.S: I'm not happy with the cockroach who suddenly thought it was a great idea to fly and attack me while I'm doing the message above. Not cool vro. Not cool.
P.P.S: Because I have access to my laptop now, I revised this story (old chapters) and it's quite funny because I noticed that I use the words, "actually", "really", "eventually", and anything that really - there it goes again - ends with '-ly'. So, I have to be cautious about that from now on!
P.P.P.S: Thank you for your reviews last chapter, I really really reeeeally - damn there it goes again - appreciate it.
~Yatsu Narurasuke