Chapter Thirty-Two: Curiosity Often Leads to Trouble

As much as she was determined to hate this world, Sakura was still a curious creature by nature and this realm was a mystery that her curiosity craved to unlock.

Sakura followed Mikoto through the crowded market as her head swerved and her eyes darted about in an attempt to absorb everything. Initially when Mikoto had offered to take her to the market, Sakura had been hesitant. Unsure if she was ready for such things. So far she had only been to the family library and Mikoto's own private garden, which Sakura had spent hours upon hours learning of the new plants and fungi that flourished in this otherwise seemingly lifeless, cavern of a world.

But those places had been private personal areas where Sakura mostly only bumped into the owners of such territory. With the exception of a few maids and servants whom she had grown familiar with and the four Uchiha's she was under the care of, Sakura had not seen any other inhabitants of this subterranean empire.

But the market was different. A market meant gatherings. It meant masses of strangers. Not just strangers, but demons. She had never been one to be fully prejudiced against someone for being a demon, but she had been taught to be cautious when around dangerous strangers. And all demons, like all angels, had the potential and capability to be dangerous.

However, it was an opportunity in which Sakura could learn more. Not just of the people of this world, but of the world itself.

And what a world it was.

The underworld market was nothing like the mortal farmers markets she was used to going to with Sai. Nor was it like the peaceful distribution centers that she was familiar with in the heavens. It was a hybrid of a trading hub and black market. Selling anything between trinkets from the mortal realm to creatures and substances that Sakura was not sure from which realm they originated.

She paused when they passed by a vendor with cages stacked onto eachother. Taken aback by the strange and curious creatures that peered back at her, she found herself wandering through the cages, crates, and stalls of this particular section of the market. At first she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Birds with feathers of all colors and shapes chirped and squawked within cages and perched on stands. Feline cats stood poised and looking dignified between the wires of cages and the slats of crates they were being held in, their sharp yellow eyes peering out at her. There were even a few creatures that were freely wandering about, weaving between her legs and sniffing curiously at her hands as they sat on top of boxes and carriers.

But then there were creatures that she recognized at first, but found her eyes taking a second glance when she realized something about them was misleading. A squirrel-like critter hopped around the rafters of the vendor's structure but when it crawled down a pool and paused to look at her, a pair of long floppy ears perked up. They were like a rabbit's ears but at the tips, fluffy tufts of fur stuck up like that of a lynx.

In glass terrariums, snakes slithered and coiled within their containers but instead of glossy scales, sleek feathers covered their long, slender bodies. Sakura watched with awed fascination as one of these peculiar feathered snakes lifted up like a cobra, hissing and swaying as a fallen seraph came to inspect it more closely. But instead of a hood, a fan of feathers framed its head like that of a peacock, and stark black markings contrasted against the rest of its pure white feathers that covered its body.

As she ventured deeper into the shop-like stall, it became curiouser and curiouser. Hybrids of creatures that were a mixture of so many different animals, it was difficult to place of which origin such a creature could be. These chimera were such a macabre of their species that a certain unease came about her. It seemed genetically impossible to bred such creatures, which made her wonder just what world did they naturally come from?

Like the plants in the heavens, there were also creatures that were unique to her realm. Some of them she had even recognized and stopped to pet as they stood or sat tied to leashes. Like the pegasus that was standing in the makeshift stable and the phoenix that was perched on a golden pedestal, clicking its beak and ruffling its feathers when unwanted guests tried to touch it. However when she gently reached out to give its flame colored wings a few strokes, its once ruffled feathers settled as it gave out a more peaceful chirp.

She spent a few minutes calming the bird and wondering if it too felt like they had more things in common aside from calling the heavens home. They were both creatures taken from one world to be bought and owned in another. She might not have been exchanged for money, but Sasuke more or less bought her by offering his support to Madara. The only question was...why? Because from what she could tell, her presence only seemed to annoy him.

She moved on from the phoenix and her thoughts when a small reptile-like creature with wings of a dragonfly glided down from the rafters and distracted her. So many unfamiliar species had Sakura wondering just how many realms the fallen had access to? There had been numerous doors in the portal cavern in which she entered the underworld, and there was no telling how many more caverns were like that.

Sai would have loved this place, Sakura thought as she followed Mikoto to a different section of the market. He had always loved the zoo, taking inspiration from the animals and copying them down in ink onto paper. He had always seemed awed by their movements and prowess. And if he were to see some of the creatures she had just witnessed, she was positive he would have shown a genuine expression.

At the thought of Sai, a wane smile spread across her lips but it soon darkened as she began to think more of her charge. She missed him. She missed his innocent antics and misinterpretations of behavior. She missed his handicapped understanding of humor and the constructed delivery when he attempted a humorous pun. She even missed when the puns usually turned out more insulting than funny. But he tried.

Not only did she miss him but she was worried for him too. While now, she understood those attacks of Deidara and Sasori had been for her, not him, there was something within her that still worried for his safety. She believed Yamato, Kakashi, and Naruto would do their best to keep him safe and on the right path, but they had their own duties. She wanted to trust that Sai knew enough now to do the right thing, but his fear of abandonment brought about a disquiet to her mind. Would he take her absence as being abandoned? Just how long would it be until she could leave this place? Time did not matter within the realms of seraphim, but the earthen realm...time was everything. A hundred years could pass on the surface and she could not even notice.

"Sakura," came Mikoto's voice of concern, "are you alright?"

Sakura turned to the dark haired woman and gave her a nod. Mikoto, unconvinced, watched her closely.

It had been awhile since Sakura had been glum...or at least outwardly showed it.

There had been a change in the girls attitude and composure. She had been more adventurous and outgoing, asking to see different places and being more open and vocal. Mikoto liked to believe it was because she was getting more comfortable and trusting but she was skeptical of that. If anything, Sakura had taken her advice and decided to play along and learn.

Today though, she had seemed genuine in her friendly conversation as they walked around. Which made Mikoto wary of the sudden change in her continence. However, she was not about to change it. She was not about to push the girl into sharing openly. At least not yet. She still needed time.

Mikoto gave her an encouraging smile as she looped her arm into Sakura's. "Come, I think you will like the next area too."


There were many things Sakura had learned about each Uchiha over the course of the past couple of weeks.

Sasuke was an asshole. A petty, arrogant, and predatory asshole, who had a weakness for his mother, a bitterness for his father, and a severe brother complexity with Itachi. The only other interactions she witnessed of him were with her and she was at a loss for what to make of that. One moment he wanted nothing to do with her, the next he was banging on her door, demanding she speak with him. So with that in mind, she supposed, confusing asshole, could also be added to that list of assholeism as well. It was hard to believe he was the same being that she had met months ago that had acted and behaved with such a contrasting persona. What had happened to that Sasuke? The one that she felt so familiar despite knowing nothing about him.

Then there was the other brother, Itachi. She found he was a mixture of hot and cold. There were moments when he was cold and firm. He was a type of genius that made a person fearful of just what he was capable of. He was a pacifist by nature with an ironic gift for the arts of warfare. But he was also gentle and considerate, seeking out to nurture the well-being of others but not always catering to their feelings.

Fugaku, the patriarch, was a strict man with a hard shell around a hidden tender heart. He cared for his family and took pride in his work. Although, Sakura could see that his methods of showing such traits were not exactly the most warm hearted displays of affection. He was hard on those around him with the intention of making them stronger.

Then there was Mikoto. Lovely, loving, eager to be loved, Mikoto. She was generous and giving but there was a darkside to her that only came out when things precious to her were threatened. She had a vivacious love for gardening and telling stories. During all the hours that Sakura spent with her in her garden, Sakura could not say a single word and there was never a moment of silence. But it was not annoying or interruptive. Her voice was gentle and sweet and between her storytelling and chatting, she happily hummed strange tunes that were both eerie and enchanting with every gentle note.

And today, as Sakura walked through the aisles and stalls with Mikoto alongside or just a small distance away, there was another thing that Sakura discovered about Mikoto. A certain habit that she would have never picked up on unless she had come today.

She had seen this habit among humans, especially the ones that had a lot of those plastic cards in their purses and wallets. It was like a game to them, to hit the maximum number each of those cards allowed each month as if trying to beat the high scoring from the month prior. Sakura was no accountant, but she was pretty sure that was not how those credit cards were supposed to be used. Shopoholics- if she remembered correctly- is what the mortals called those who developed such habits.

And Mikoto was the world champion of shopping.

Sakura should have known when Mikoto went above and beyond when she stocked Sakura's wardrobe. But during that time she had been a little distracted. However, now as they moved from vendor to vendor and made purchase after purchase, Sakura was positive that Mikoto had a problem. But it was difficult to condemn such a thing when the majority of what she looked at and purchased was hardly ever for herself.

Mikoto had guided her to a section of trade workers. Smelters and silversmiths, tailors and weavers. All of them were gathered, working and laboring as their crafts and goods were being displayed for others to admire. First Mikoto took her to a silversmith where a beautiful tea set was on display. Crafted with a blue enamel as an accent near the rim and bottom of each piece, it was like an ode to the night sky. The hue of the enamel was of such a deep and dark blue that it mimicked the shade found at twilight as the naked metal mimicked the silver moon at its fullest. To endorse the night sky theme, the artisan had engraved small grooves, perfectly calculated and spaced to represent constellations.

Farther down the display table, necklaces, bangles, and earrings shined and sparkled with a blue glow as they caught the light of the glowing crystals formed high above on the porous cavern roof. Some jewels were set against deep velvet and plush pillows while other body ornaments hung from carved stone stands. Mikoto was like a magpie as her fingers moved from one item to the next. Sakura mostly only looked, too afraid that if she were to touch any of the pieces she would earn the attention of the silversmith who was watching them. His yellow eyes made Sakura uneasy. They looked at if they belonged on a nocturnal animal but then she remembered, he was a demon, he was nocturnal. His eyes were most likely a trait evolved within his clans bloodline to better adapt to this world. Each time Sakura looked at him, his wings fluttered, the silver covered tips of his talons glinting in the red glow of the smelter.

Mikoto held up a pair of earrings to Sakura as she admired their comparison of them to her eyes. "Oh these would be perfect on you."

Mikoto turned to the shopkeeper.

"We will take these," she instructed.

The silversmith demon nodded, not looking surprised at all when Mikoto added several more pieces of his inventory to the order. Sakura had noticed most people within the market were accustomed to the Uchiha matriarch's presence. She was casual and polite, speaking with them with familiarity and warmth but somehow still holding authority. And in return, they treated her with a respect that went beyond appreciation of a patron. Sakura saw it in their eyes. They respected Mikoto with a level of revere that went beyond admiration. Although Sakura was still not sure as to what it was about Mikoto that drew such esteem from them. Her position? Bloodline? Likability? Mutual respect? Maybe it was a combination of all.

Sakura felt the shopkeeper's eyes fall onto her and she shifted under his scrutiny. This had been happening a lot which made Sakura wonder, despite Mikoto's friendliness, if it was an oddity for her to be accompanied when in the market. Or did people just know she didn't belong here.

Everyone seemed to just stare and observe. She had caught a few younglings blatantly pointing at her and excitedly tugging on their parents hands and clothes to get their attention and point her out to them. And not all of them were curious looks. Some had sinister cruelty and hatred. Others had envious greed. And then there were expressions that Sakura was not sure how to decipher the intent behind the face. It made her unsettled how much attention she drew after hardly seeing another soul for the past couple of weeks.

Noticing Sakura's discomfort, Mikoto quickly addressed the demon, giving him instruction of delivery and taking his attention away from her. Once finished, she took Sakura's arm and moved on to another stall. And then another and another.

It was while they were at a stall with various bolts of fabric and woven tapestries that Sakura was beginning to become more comfortable around the mass of strangers and chaos. As Mikoto ran her hands over each of the different fabrics, her fingers praising the quality and feel of silk and the dye wash of the cottons, Sakura wandered. At first she kept Mikoto in sight but then her curiosity got away with her and she was soon weaving in and out of stalls and shops as her green eyes took in all shorts of peddled trinkets and goods.

Soon she found herself walking down a narrow alley, a few sparse quarts of glowing crystal guiding her down until she found herself walking through a hollow pocket in the cavern with numerous strings of beads hanging down over its opening, acting like a door.

She pushed them aside and stepped through the oval shaped threshold. A pungent smell hit her immediately causing her to cough slightly until she got used to the thick smoke hanging in the air. It's source, burning incense sticking up in an extravagant cauldron. A pair of dragons coiled around it to form a base with their bodies and handles shaped with their long necks. Their heads were savagely baring their teeth over the pot of sand that held the sticks up, making them look like fearsome protectors of the threshold.

It was difficult to tell just what exactly this place was. At first she assumed it was an apothecary with all the strangely labeled jars and containers holding both familiar and foreign substances. In some cases mystery contents depending on the receptacle. Glass jars held pickled and preserved animals, some whole, some just parts. Other porcelain and ceramic pitchers held liquids and oils, were labeled neatly with their contents. A few wooden boxes that Sakura dared to peek in held powders of ground roots and insects. A few she found full bodies of dried beetles and grubs that made her wonder what exactly their use was for. Hanging from the ceiling above her head, dried herbs and flowers gave off a sweet and earthy aroma that replaced the incense that was burning by the door.

Locked chests, random furniture, and statues took up most of the space, only allowing narrow pathways to walk through as the merchandise was stacked and packed into the small space of the shop. As she reached the back she found an unoccupied counter with another beaded doorway behind it. Cautiously she approached it, where she found an assortment of trinkets, open boxes to display their odds and ends, and an assortment of jewelry and brooches that made her second guess that this was an apothecary.

A chill ran down her spine making her feel uneasy as she took in the room. This was the kind of place she imagined the underworld to be like. There was something sinister and dark about this shop and yet...curiouser and curiouser she found herself remaining.

She was bent down examining an old leather bound book with an upside down triangle in a circle on the front. Curled around its cover was what looked like the real bones of a hand acting like a latch to hold it shut. Sakura did not even have time to wonder if it was human or seraph when a papery voice caused her to look up and a startle intake of breath left her.

"You're the little fallen angel."

At first she had thought the voice had come from thin air until a short figure slowly emerged through the waterfall of beads. As they split, Sakura watched as a hunched woman appeared and hobbled in from the back room.

It was rude, but she could not help but stare at the decrepit looking seraph.

While immortal, a seraphs body did age albeit very, very slowly. But Sakura had never seen one so ancient looking, not even Madara looked this aged. Then again, there were methods of preserving one's looks, just as Tsunade did. The woman's leathery skin was so spotted and loose, it hung from her bones. Her wrinkled and withered lips looked like the dried river bed in a drought. And her wings, which were displayed openly as Sakura found was the popular trend among demons, failed to hold the rich luster in her talons as others of her kind. Instead they were cracked and blunt. The stretched skin of her leathery wings also lacked the dignity in which most seraphs preened their avian appendages. They were withered and hung low, one of them dragging along the ground as her body seemed to lack enough strength to hold them up. Sakura wondered if the old woman could even fly.

The old crow of a seraph let out a cackle of a laugh that caused Sakura's skin to crawl. "You are, aren't you?" She exclaimed with a brightness to her eyes that Sakura was wary of. They were too intrigued, which had Sakura unconsciously stepping back a few steps. The woman beckoned with a wrinkled hand which Sakura found herself obeying, despite the nervousness the woman gave her. As she approached, the woman reached beneath the counter.

"The rumors of you have been spreading the underground. I had hoped to see a glimpse of you but never would I think you would grace my shop," she said as she pulled out a square shaped item wrapped in a cloth that was woven with a pattern and skill that rivaled the combined works of the fates, norns, and Orihime.

The woman paused for a moment and Sakura looked up to see her beady black eyes watching her. A sly toothless smile curved on her lips before she looked back down to finish unwrapping the cloth to reveal a box carved from purpleheart wood. Its deep violet shade stretched out and lightened to a sandy colored edging as the natural core of the wood was smoothed and lacquered to hold a rich shine across the grain. Slowly the woman opened the box to reveal a necklace crafted with an unfamiliar metal and designed with inlaid jewels that glowed with an ethereal luster.

It was beautiful and terrifying to look at. It was designed with the intention to be worn by someone of importance, like a king, an emperor, or a pharaoh. But with the blue hued metal and the iridescent stones that were encrusted within the frame, Sakura could only imagine a god or goddess to be worthy of such a decoration.

Her eyes fell onto the teardrop gem that was in the middle. It was a massive stone that was the color of blood. As Sakura stared deeper into its glassy color, she was certain she could see the color swirling. As if the stone itself was hollow inside and filled with actual blood. It was sinister in nature but held a gothic beauty to it.

"Hehe," the woman cackled as she looked up to see Sakura's mesmerized eyes. "Beautiful isn't it...go on...try it on."

She was reaching for it before the woman even finished inviting her. Despite the red flags that she should have noticed waving in alarm, she couldn't help it. There was just something about the piece that called to her. As if the metal had a magnetic pull and she was polarized to it. Her fingertips were just about the brush the blood gem that was centered in the middle when her hand came to a stop.

Sakura blinked, noticing that another hand was wrapped tightly around her wrist, holding hers millimeters away from the red stone as another moved her head and forced her eyes away from the stone. She found herself redirected and looking up at a scowling Sasuke glaring down at her. His black eyes held a maroon tint as his anger and rage poured from him into her.

"I wouldn't look at that again if I were you," he growled when she moved to look back down at the necklace. Then he looked over to the old woman, baring his teeth like a predator guarding its kill from a scavenger. "Lady Chiyo." He spoke the title with a tone that was mocking. "I see you are still up to your deceptive and poisonous ways."

The old crow of a seraph gave him a withered looking smile as her face cracked and wrinkled even more. "So the rumors are true. You have returned, little Uchiha, but you certainly have grown. Lord Uchiha seems more fitting now." Her beady eyes moved back to Sakura. "I was just admiring the colorful addition you brought back with you. Such a gem deserves a pretty trinket."

Sakura found herself being pulled behind Sasuke's body. But she peered out behind him, curious about the woman. A growl rumbled deep within Sasuke's throat and Sakura could feel his hand tighten where it was still clasped around her wrist.

"Watch yourself witch. She is not one you want indebted to you."

"I would never dare. I just wanted a little feather," she looked to Sakura. "Are they really black as tar, yet soft as a dove?"

Sakura stared at her in confusion. How did she know about her wings? As far as she knew only Sasuke had seen them, but given the surprise she felt coming from him, he too was thrown off. With Sasuke seemingly cleared of guilt, her mind began to wonder of other things, why would she want a feather?

Her eyes ran over the woman again, this time she took notice of the necklace around her neck. It was a design made primarily of white feathers. A small sickness settled in the pit of her stomach as the intuitive feeling hit her that those were not feathers of fowl. She had come across several of these types of decorations and designs. Especially in this lower region of the underworld.

The Uchiha family and quarters that she had seen seemed dignified and orderly. But there was a wild barbarism among the smaller, lesser clans of the fallen that made up most of the market. The news of Madara's return had stirred something amongst them and rogues that had disbanded long ago were crawling back, their survival habits of the mortal world questionably going unchecked or reprimanded.

"How do you know–"

"Sakura, silence," Sasuke said with such force, Sakura clamped her mouth shut as if he had the power of the Demon Lord's Will. Instead she looked up at him but his focus was on Chiyo. "You may have had freedom before while my father let chaos reign and pathetically tried to claim he had power, but Madara is back. Order will be enforced. You answer to the Uchiha again."

Her lip twitched as if to sneer at his words but she controlled herself and instead, Chiyo gave him an amused smirk. "You really think Madara values order?"

Sasuke gave no verbal response but the muscles in his face strained and flexed in his jaw before baring his teeth. The only reason for hesitation Sasuke had when first agreeing to helping Madara, was Madara himself. However, once the bargain had been struck, there was nothing to be done. At the time he did not care, he had been blinded with rage and anger. But now, his vision was clearing. He didn't want to admit it, but he was beginning to see that maybe this was a mistake. He had failed to even bother learning of Madara's full plans and intentions. And still he was ignorant of those as Madara had yet to give him instruction. Even the part Sasuke was to play in Madara's plans was a mystery. He hadn't even seen Madara since coming here.

But right now Madara and his workings were not his concern. Sakura being targeted by Chiyo was.

Chiyo's eyes moved back to Sakura, who, despite her dislike for the man next to her, leaned into him. Sasuke felt her body press against his arm and back and nearly jumped at the contact. His skin tingled with sensation. Starting at the places that she just barely brushed up against his shirt and spread, causing him to lightly shutter which he played off as a twitch of agitation.

Kissing his teeth and staring down at the old croon, Sasuke turned around, pushing Sakura around as well as he directed her towards the door.

"Tell your brother I have his elixirs ready, but it will cost him double because resources are limited."

Sasuke looked back at her with confusion in his face and a question in his eye. But when he saw the mischievous look in her wrinkled face he turned back around, grabbing onto Sakura and dragging her as she failed to move forward fast enough. He was only able to get to the end of the narrow alley-like space before he was met with resistance from Sakura, as she dug her heels in and twisted her wrist in an attempt to free herself.

He turned around to see her looking accusingly up at him. "What just happened? How did sheー"

She was silenced as Sasuke tugged her forward and proceeded to join the hustle and bustle of the market which seemed to have become more busy.

"That was lady Chiyo," he said, offering some information as encouragement to keep walking along with him as she hurried slightly to hear his words. "You are to stay away from her."

Sakura frowned at his short explanation and started to slow, silently telling him that if he wanted her to cooperate and follow, she was to be given a full answer. "Why?"

Sasuke stopped and gave her a hard look. "Because I said so." She halted and he glared at her. He tugged at her wrist and was rewarded with a stubborn look. "She is dangerous," he expanded.

"By that logic then I should stay away from you too. Hell I should stay away from everyone down here," she rationalized. "So maybe you should just take me up to the surface and I can find my way to safety from there."

To her disbelief, Sasuke actually laughed. "Nice try," he remarked, causing Sakura to frown sourly at him and wrench her hand from his.

Folding her arms across her chest stubbornly, she gave him a pointed look. "Then give me a better explanation. I'm not going anywhere but up to the surface if you don't"

"Goodluck finding it when you can hardly find your own room," he muttered lowly to himself. But despite that, a growl rumbled deep in his throat as he glared around, then grabbed onto her. "I'm not standing in the middle of the path to chit chat," he argued when she didn't move with him. He pointed to a small outcropping of rock near a tall crystal that acted like a street lamp as it rose up above the crowd.

"Fine," Sakura agreed, moving towards the purple quartz. She then promptly turned around and faced him expectantly. "Answers now," she demanded, not caring how bratty her voice sounded.

"It would be easier if you knew more of the history of the fallen and the way things are run," Sasuke began, "but since I don't have the patience for your feather brain to learn and understand, I will give you the short version...

"Long before you and I were ever in existence, the fallen had its own inner rebellions. Clans succeeded and formed their own factions within the underworld. The Hyuga had been one of the major ones that broke off while another, made up of several smaller clans made up the other. They called themselves Suna. Madara's father was the one who reunited the clans by giving them a common enemy...the blessed. However things have always been a little strained between the clans since the war ended without that common enemy to bond us together. We have stayed united from an outsider's perspective but we are still very much divided. The Hyuga have been complacent but Suna still likes to believe they rule themselves.

"Lady Chiyo was one of the main leaders of Suna and was well respected for a long time. But when she lost her son in the war, she blamed the Uchiha for dragging them into it. She became unstable and started to dabble in the dark arts. And it seems my father's failure to rule properly has made her believe she has fair game to things that are not hers."

Sakura's spine chilled at those words. She was not familiar with the dark arts and the extent in which they were used, but she knew enough to know that nothing good came from them. Orochimaru had been the most notable of users and that was enough to tell her she wanted nothing to do with them. And it seemed Sasuke read this in her expression.

"Is that a good enough reason for you to stay away?"

It was, but it didn't stop Sakura from questioning. "And what does any of that have to do with me? I'm not an Uchiha."

"But you belong to us."

"I don't belong to anyone," she quickly corrected. Sasuke did not respond nor acknowledge her words as he glared around at the crowd passing by. "How are people even aware of who I am? How did she know about my wings?" Sakura asked, bringing his attention back to her. "You're the only one that has seen them," she accused.

"Tch," he scoffed. "As honorable as you may think that privilege is...I doubt it. I am sure I'm not the only one who has seen them. Besides, what gain would I get by telling others."

Sakura's brow crumpled in confusion. "If not you...then who? I was always careful, there are only a handful of trusted people and you who have actually seen them," she clarified, making it a point to keep him separate from the other group.

"Sasori," Sasuke said with a simple phrase. When Sakura's face became confused, Sasuke gave her a look. "Madara told me of your little scuffle with him and Deidara. Seems you had them fooled too as to what you really were. Guess you really are the artist of deception. Not to deglamorize your accomplishment, you can't tell me you beat him without revealing your true self."

She was quiet for a moment. "But Sasori is…"

"Dead?" Sasuke finished for her. She nodded and Sasuke gave out an arrogant snort. "You don't think he can't still speak from the beyond. Don't tell me you still believe in that prattle about no existence after immortality?"

"But I thought the after life was only for mortals..."

Sasuke gave another snort of amusement. "It is. But that doesn't mean a seraph has a piece that remains. You can shatter glass into a fine powder until the glass is no longer a glass, but the particles are still there. Nothing is truly gone just no longer functional. Stars die but their essence remains as particular elements in the space. Like broken glass and dead stars, the essence of a seraph lingers in the space around us. There is no full cognition, only enough self awareness that they exist but cannot do anything. That my dear little angel, is the reality of our after lives. A true hell. It also brings up another reason to stay away from Chiyo."

"And what is that?"

Sasuke prowled around to her side, leaning against the crystal she was standing beside and lowered his head to her level to whisper, his chin grazing her shoulder as he spoke directly into her ear. "Sasori is Chiyo's grandson. And I bet you anything it was he who told her all about the little angelic girl who killed him."

Sakura's blood chilled and curdled at those words. Turning her head slightly, she looked at Sasuke's cruel smirk as he so easily spoke of the moment that caused her so much grief.

Her throat began to strain and she swallowed thickly. "I didn't mean to," she said in a quiet murmur.

Sasuke's glee faltered when he heard the strain in her voice and felt the surge of regret that traveled through their tether. He let out a sigh and grabbed onto her wrist, "Come on, I gave you your answers," he said as he began to drag her into the flow of market goers.

He dragged her through the vendors then paused for a moment. His head swiveling around, looking for something as he ignored her completely. Even when she moved to tug her hand free her efforts went unnoticed. She was about to push chakra into her arm to boost her attempt to free herself when she was suddenly jerked forward and she was forced to jog along behind him until they came up to a feminine figure with familiar dark hair.

Mikoto turned around at their approach, her eyes growing in surprise as Sasuke marched up to her with Sakura being dragged behind him. As he came up to her, he pulled Sakura forward and deposited her at Mikoto's side.

"Sasuke what is wrong?" She asked, looking Sakura over with concern as Sasuke glowered at his doting mother.

"If you insist on taking her out, at least keep her in sight...or better yet, give her a leash," he said sourly. "She doesn't need to be wandering off."

Mikoto looked up at him, her questioning face also holding a warning. "What happened?"

"Chiyo. Found her trying to peddle off one of her relics in her collection without giving a price before," he replied curtly then turned around and disappeared amongst the crowd.


He had to be a masochist.

Every time she looked at him he felt it, felt everything that she was feeling. And it irritated him. Not only that, but when he had decided to bring her here, he failed to realize that he would be seeing her face, seeing the identical face of the lost person he could never have back. Not only that but everything she did was so Sakura like. And when he did find differences, they were only slight differences to her personality. The kind of differences that were changed with time and experience, not from being a whole different person.

Therefore, he was a masochist.

There was no other way to explain it, nor was there any person to blame for this self-inflicted torture other than himself. As usual he had tried to find someone else to blame but in the end, when he lifted an accusing finger, he found it directed right at himself. Over two weeks ago, he had struck a deal with the devil to bring an angel from the heavens to hell, because if this was not hell, he didn't know what was. Now, he was stuck living across from her and seeing her far more than he wanted, yet at the same time, unadmittedly not enough. And he had no one else to blame but himself.

Fucking masochist.

And she was becoming more troublesome than simple sleepless nights or showing up unexpectedly at meal times over the past week's time. Like the woman he found himself constantly comparing her to, she was too curious for her own good. She was growing comfortable and venturing out of her room more often. Roving and exploring the underworld. While he had no issue particularly about her going other places, it was the wandering off alone that had him bothered. Like the other day when he found her in the market.

He had spotted her just as she disappeared into the narrow alleyway. At first he tried to ignore the nudging feeling to follow but it did not take much to have him turning around and following her when his mind began to develop scenarios in which she would get herself into.

And he had intercepted her not a moment too soon.

In the world of people, motives, tasks, and powers are dictated between what is considered 'good and what was evil'. The problem with this is that they were two concepts of considerable and contrasting polarity open to interpretation. Which leaves an abundance of space in between on that spectrum of a scale that is grey area.

Lady Chiyo's witchcraft, while questionable, was not always of an evil nature. She herself was not what he would consider evil, not many of their kind were. They were just doing their divine obligations as Itachi had once put it. But there was one thing about Chiyo that made Sasuke wary of her. She held grudges.

When on her good side, she was quite useful. But when on her bad side, you had to sleep with not one, but both eyes open. Her poisons and enchantments were a big factor when it came to the fallen's success during the ancient wars. And with Chiyo already bitter against his family name, and Sakura was now under the jurisdiction of that name, along with the fact that Sakura killed her grandson, Sasuke was confident that the pink haired hybrid was not on Chiyo's good side.

And if that was not enough to convince, the cursed necklace that Sakura had been about to touch should have been confirmation to it. She had been an inch away from touching the blood ruby that would have indentured her into a hundred years of servitude to Chiyo. Despite what Chiyo claimed that she only wanted a feather, Sasuke knew that stone and its properties. What he wanted to know was why? Why did Chiyo want Sakura indebted to her? Yes, she was unique...but what made her so special that Chiyo would want to add her to her collection? What had Sasori whispered to the old witch seraph from behind the veils of death? Why was Sakura different?

Sasuke shook his head, his mind at a loss and exhausted from trying to crack the anomaly that lived across from him. As he moved to enter his room, he paused. Looking over to the direction of Sakura's room, he felt a strange emptiness within him. Normally when she was asleep there was a lack of certain presence felt in the connection, but this was different. This was a complete absence that came with a physical distance.

Crossing the hall and hesitating for a moment, Sasuke knocked. When there was no answer or even a rustle of sound, he entered the room. Opening the door slowly at first, but when he saw no immediate sign of her, he quickly pushed it wide open, staring wildly at the empty bed, vacant room, and darkened bathroom. She was gone.

Gods damn it where did she wander off to this time!? Turning around he left the room searching within himself for the tether and leaving the door wide open.


Sakura let out a grumble of frustration which did not go far. It was as if the cavern absorbed and consumed the huff of noise as she turned away from the dead end and back tracked. As she did, she looked down at the piece of paper in her hand as she consulted the hand drawn tunnel system she was trying- and miserably failing- to map. Her failure had nothing to do with her lack of knowledge of cartography, but instead that the world itself did not want to be mapped out and therefore made it as difficult as possible to record.

Disorienting. That was the word in which Sakura would use to describe the realm of the underworld. And it was not just because of the twisting and random tunnel system. That was just the beginning of the convoluted and seemingly unchartable realm.

While the perception of time was of no significance to an immortal race like the seraphim, the change in starlight and sunlight was at least still something Sakura was certainly not attuned to. It determined when to go to the mortal realm and when to return to the heavens. However here in the underworld, the fallen seemed to rely on their instincts and internal clocks to know when it was their time to rise to the earth's surface and rule the night. Function aside, Sakura just missed the skies, all of them. She missed the sun that warmed her face, she missed the twinkling stars that painted out pictures and stories across the horizon, and she missed weather. Or rather she missed normal weather.

Strangely enough, the cavernous realm of the underworld seemed to create its own terrarium. Sometimes the hollow halls of the fallen kingdom were frigidly cold, while other times it felt hot and muggy like a sauna. The air flowed in unpredictable patterns, causing a draft that ran throughout the webbing of tunnel systems and pockets of caverns. It was like the world itself was breathing, inhaling and exhaling. And then there was the strange fog like mist that formed within the tight passageways. This was the rarest and Sakura's least favorite, as the phenomena made everything seem haunting.

It seemed there was a certain required and complicated set of skills to thrive in this world. One in which she was not evolved for like the rest of the creatures that dwelt within this world. With the lack of terrestrial light, everything felt dim and gloomy. Everywhere she went, there seemed to be shadows, shadows that followed, shadows that haunted, shadows that whispered...

For races like the Uchiha and Hyuga, this was no problem, they were born with visionary prowess that gave them the ability to navigate such darkness. But for a simple seraph like herself, Sakura felt as if she was half blind. Instinctually one would just rely on other senses but even they seemed to be useless. The acoustics of the caverns were disorienting. At times they carried sounds from far away, making the flutter of wings or the murmur of a voice sound as if it was coming from right behind the listener. But then at other times, one could scream and shout as loudly as they could, and the cry would immediately bounce back in a muffled reply.

Looking down at the paper in her hands, Sakura added a small 'x' to the short line that she had drawn to represent this particular corridor. Making her way through the short and narrow passage, she found herself entering an oval shaped crossing where several leading tunnels broke from. Consulting her map again, she examined her options as she looked around to the three unexplored paths. A yawn escaped her mouth and she failed to cover it as her hand went up to rub her tired eyes.

She had been exhausted hours ago but she had been determined to explore this section. However, after dead end after dead end with the only passageways that continued seemingly forever as they lead up to another level or down to the deeper rings of hell, it seemed perpetual. The world seemed infinite, never ending, just a continuous circle.

That was another issue she was facing when trying to navigate this world. The underworld, with its curving hallways of dead ends and continuous tunnels, was also level upon level of empty pockets within the earth. A pathway was never level, as they all seemed to slope up or down. The descending ones she did not dare venture but the upper ones seemed to only lead to yet another top level. It made her wonder just how far beneath the earth's surface they really were. Then again, was there even access to the earth's surface.

She had come here by portal, which she had thought nothing of it at the time. But now, she was beginning to wonder if a portal was the only way in or out of this place. After a solid week of exploring and mapping in an attempt to find the portal room and having no results, Sakura was thoroughly hating herself for not being more attentive when she had first come here. Instead she had been fearful and self pitying. It was shameful to think about now that she had gotten more settled. Not that that made her feel all the more better.

She didn't want to feel at ease here, she didn't want to be here for that long. Which was exactly why she had spent the extra hours exploring.

Looking down at the paper, she took note of where she was. Then, she pulled the second paper from behind it and lined up the black lines that connected the path she was currently, to where her room was located. Her shoulders sagged as she took it in.

It felt like she had trekked miles and mapped numerous paths, but in reality she had only made it a short distance from her room. Tonight had been a lot of wasted time backtracking when she came to a spiraling dead end. Many a time she had been making an upward slope only to find the tunnel narrowing and the floor coming to an end as it met the ceiling.

She let out another tired sigh and decided to give in to her weary body and return to sleep. She turned around, her head bowed down at her map as she studied the route she would need to take to get back to her room. When she had finally configured her route, she folded the papers together and lifted her head.

A screech erupted from her mouth and echoed down several of the adjoining tunnels as she stumbled backwards. Her foot caught on a rock and she came tumbling down onto her bottom. Wincing and rubbing at the bruised spot, she looked up at the cause of her fright and froze.

Sasuke was standing at the opening of the tunnel she was about to go down. His dark gaze was focused on her as his mouth was pulled into a thin line. Displeased expression, combined with his crossed arms in front of his chest, he looked ever the disapproving character she was beginning to become familiar with.

"I thought I told you to not be wandering around at night?" He said, a chastising tone slicing through his words.

"Because day and night is so easily distinguished here," she muttered, pushing herself up from the floor and giving Sasuke a displeased look of her own.

"But not here," he said strictly, not in the least bit amused.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize I had a warden. I was under the impression that I was a member of the faction not a prisoner here."

He didn't respond. Instead his dark eyes moved down to her hands where she clutched her wrinkled map. Quickly she tucked it behind her but as soon as she did, she knew this was the wrong move. It only piqued his interest.

It was no secret she did not want to be here. And she would not put it past them to already expect her to be looking for an escape...why else would Sasuke seem to be popping up here and there and Mikoto to be so attentive when Sakura was nothing but a stranger. She didn't like to think about it, but Itachi too seemed to be watching her. Though she hadn't decided what his motives were. And while she had yet to see Madara once since her arrival- a reunion which she was happy to avoid- she was confident that there was someone watching her nearly constantly. Which is why she reserved her wandering to night time, when she felt certain that no one was watching. However as she looked back at Sasuke who's attention was still curiously fixed to the arm hiding behind her back, it seemed that assumption was wrong.

"How did you even know I was gone," she asked, she had been certain she had not made a sound when she left.

"You weren't in your room when I checked inside," he stated bluntly.

"You were in my room? Without my permission?" she questioned.

"You didn't answer when I knocked."

Her brows raised. "So you just let yourself in? What if I had been indecent?" She said, a tone of indignation in her voice for the intrusion of her privacy. "And how did you even find me?"

He didn't give her an answer this time, but his hand twitched, then went up absently to his chest and rubbed the spot where she herself seemed to always feel a tugging.

The pull, she should have known.

She suppressed a grumble as she realized another complication to her escape. How in all of this hellish world was she supposed to get away, when Sasuke had a built in honing detection to her?

"What are you even doing out here?" he questioned.

"I sleep walk," she replied dryly, sidestepping along the cavern wall as she kept her back facing away from him.

It was like he evaporated into thin air and before she could register his movement, she felt the paper map being plucked from her hand.

"What's this?" he asked, as she whirled around to find him unfolding the paper, his dark eyes examining the lines.

"It's nothing," she said, grabbing for it but Sasuke moved too quickly out of her reach.

Sakura stumbled forward when Sasuke lifted the paper out of her reach. Instinctively his reflexes kicked in and with his free hand, he caught her shoulder and steadied her before she ran face first into his chest. Ignoring an unhappy pout that came to her face, Sasuke moved his eyes to the paper and formed his own unhappy expression as he studied it.

At first it looked like a bunch of scribbled lines but then he began to notice small notes and symbols that indicated its purpose. There was a clearly marked market with a formation of lines that led back to what Sakura clearly marked as her room. Down from her room was the path to the dining cavern and beyond that the family library. His eyes traced back to where she had marked her room and he noticed a small drawing across from it. A stick figure with devil horns protruding from a head of spiky hair. The eyes were crossed and there was a deep frown on the animated face as it held a pointy pitchfork in the air with a speech bubble coming out of its mouth. Sasuke sneered at the childish drawing, despising everything it mocked, right down to the forked tail coming out of its bottom.

However, he didn't give it as much distaste as expected as his eyes began to take in the rest of the cartographed lines. While the earlier paths and locations made sense to have noted, it was the farther out branches that did not make sense for her to have. It was random and explorative, certain tunnels crossed out with others holding question marks. He was familiar with the pathways and he knew they led to nothing of any interest to her. But the random, yet thorough, exploration of it told him this was someone looking for something, searching. And then it hit him exactly what she was doing.

She was trying to find a way out. She was trying to escape. She was trying to leave him. That last one left a bitter taste to his tongue that stung far more than it should have.

Tearing his eyes away from the black lines of her map, he looked down at her with a hard expression. Under his stare, he could see her throat swallow with unease as she sensed the change in his continence.

A spark of flames erupted from his hand, catching the paper on fire. He watched as Sakura's eyes went wide.

"What are you doing!" She screamed, knocking the burning papers from his hand where they fell to the floor.

Immediately she dropped down to the ground, her hands frantically beating at the flames, trying to smother them and stop them from consuming more of her precious work. She felt her fingers being burned but she didn't care, her hope of leaving this place was burning away before her eyes. This was an entire week's worth of wearily wandering around at night, working tirelessly to figure out how to get home, to keep her promise to her family that she would not give up, that she would find a way, that she would be brave. By the time she had successfully smothered the consuming heat. The edges had been blacked as an ashy, sooty film stained what was left of the pages. Sakura stared down at her ruined work, silence consuming everything until the scrape of a shifting boot caused her to finally look away.

Sakura turned her head slightly to see the heavy black boots Sasuke wore. His foot shifted again and the loose gravel beneath his shifting feet let out a grinding sound. When it stilled and fell silent again, she looked up to see his passive expression. Not a single fragment of remorse was visible.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" She screamed, springing up to her feet as she craned her neck to look up at him. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to do that? Do you have any idea what that meant–"

"You're not leaving," he interrupted. She glared up at him, accusingly. "That's what it was for, was it not? You were trying to find a way out?"

"So what if I was?" she challenged. "You didn't honestly expect me to not try."

He let out a huff of amusement. "That map of yours was useless."

"Well then that's my problem! You didn't have to burn it you-you-you stupid face!"

There was a long pause between them as the juvenile and uninspired insult echoed down the numerous tunnels that branched out from where they stood. With each echo of her words, Sakura felt herself burning hotter with embarrassment.

It only worsened when Sasuke's face pulled into a mocking expression. "Stupid face?" he said critically, folding his arms across his chest. "If you mean to hurt me, you might want to work on your insults. A bit too angelic and far too childish of vocabulary," he commented, as if it was an insult. He bent down to her level, meeting her eye as his voice lowered. "If you want to hurt me, you're going to have to try a lot harder than that."

Her arm was moving backwards, winding up to gather momentum one moment, and before she knew what she was doing, her clenched fist was moving forward. Sasuke, having been so focused on her face did not even see it coming. Which made it all the more satisfying as Sakura's hand met his jaw. A loud crack sounded as Sasuke's face was thrown to the side and he stumbled backwards onto the floor. It was his turn to look up at her in surprise from ground level.

Sakura glared down at him, both fists clenched as her body trembled from the rushed adrenaline of what she had just done and rage for what he had done. She was tempted to continue, to jump on him and pound him into the earth until even his spiky hair left an indent. But she was not that foolish, she knew he would easily overtake her. Even now she knew as soon as he got over the initial shock of her hit, he would most likely react.

"How's that for hurting?" she spat, determined to extend the rush of what she had done a little longer. She watched him rub his jaw and took note as his brow flinched in pain as he tenderly touched the red welt she had left. Soon it would be a dark bruise, a fact that Sakura took pride in.

Knowing her time was running out before he recovered. She sharply turned around and swiftly walked away. When she was out of sight, she took off in a full sprint as she rushed back to her room. Slamming the door and barricading it with a chair as she sat at the edge of the bed, half expecting him to break down the door at any moment. But he didn't come and Sakura hated herself for the small amount of disappointment she felt.


Sasuke had truly been taken off guard. That was his reasoning for letting her manage to hit him. He was still sitting on the ground nursing his sore and now bruising jaw when he noticed the crumbling paper. He grabbed it and examined it again.

Again he frowned at the lines and passageways that she had obviously explored. It wasn't that he blamed her for attempting such a thing. If anything he would have been disappointed if she truly just gave up. However what she was doing was dangerous.

It was a crude map of the area, but he knew these tunnels well enough to recognize where exactly she had wandered. Most areas were harmless, leading to other dormitories or random rooms and facilities. However, there were a few areas that, while she had not quite entered, judging by her patterns of exploration, she eventually would. And those places were not safe.

He let out a sigh and ran a hand down his face, flinching when he brushed the sore spot on his jaw. Standing, he began to make his way back to his room. When he returned, he could just barely sense her presence within her room telling him she was most likely in a state halfway in between sleep and being awake. He could feel a drip of anger from her end of the tie and as much as he told himself he didn't care, it annoyed him how much he resented that emotion streaming from her. Content that she was in for the night, he continued on, his mind too perturbed and bothered to try and find sleep.

Eventually he found himself in the library, sitting at the writing desk, and bent over a blank paper. It was nearly morning by the time he finally returned to his dormitories corridor. He could feel the pull confirming she was just behind the door and given the lack of emotions leaking through the connection, he assumed she was finally asleep.

He was just considering how to deliver what he had just spent all night composing when he realized he forgot it in the library. Since she was already asleep and, given the last time he knocked on her door in the middle of the night, he was not in the mood for dealing with her after waking her up. Content with saving it for the morning, he entered his own room where he half undressed himself before falling asleep on top of his covers and promptly fell asleep.


"I just don't understand him," Sakura vented in exasperation. "He brings me down here as some kind of punishment for...for existing. And then he tells me he can't stand being around me, yet when I try to leave it is as if I have offended him to the highest degree! He is just…just...errrgggg."

She and Itachi were in the middle of a nonprogressive game of chess. The game had become stagnant as Sakura was too distracted to make her next move. As Itachi sat at the small table with the abandoned game, Sakura paced across the elaborate rug that was laid out in the library.

Itachi had offered to take her here at breakfast when he noticed the hostile contention of the breakfast table as Sasuke and Sakura sat across from each other, both of them in utter silence yet seemingly shouting between each as they glared across the spread of poached eggs, delectable scones, and fresh fruit. Judging by the purple bruise blooming across Sasuke's cheek, paired by the proud glint of satisfaction by the usually concerned Sakura when she looked at it, they had recently had an altercation. He had hoped a riveting game would distract her, or they would find her a book that she could get lost in as he always did, but alas, it seemed she had grown tired of books and had no interest in the game.

Leaning back in his chair, Itachi gave all of his attention to the agitated seraph in the room. "Give him some time," Itachi answered. "I know it seems impossible for him to feel enough to have such emotions, but he is grieving," he found himself advocating.

As frustrated as he was with his brother, he still had compassion which gave him clarity and understanding. While it did not justify Sasuke's actions, he still felt it was pain, not malice, that drove Sasuke's actions.

"I know what he has done and how he is acting is inexcusable," Itachi continued. "But Sasuke loved the mortal woman and I think now he is realizing that he will never have her back..."

He watched as Sakura nearly tripped over her feet and he caught the wide eyed expression on her face at those words. Quickly he filed this observation away into his mind where he was collecting anything and everything about her.

"L-loved?" Sakura queried, taking a seat in the chair on the other side of the small table, looking at him curiously from over their forgotten game.

"From what I can ascertain, yes," Itachi confirmed. "He has never said it in words per say, but Sasuke never has been one toー"

A sharp twinge of pain within Itachi's head caused him to let out the smallest grunts of pain and rubbed at his temple. His eyes had been bothering him more often lately. In his distraction with everything that had happened over the weeks and recent months, he hadn't had a chance to visit Lady Chiyo.

"Itachi? Are you okay?" Opening his crumpled eyes, he saw Sakura staring at him with a look of concern.

He gave her a weak smile. "It's nothing, just a little strain in my head," he answered hedgedly. He motioned to the chess board. "Is it my turn?" he asked, trying to deter her from his ailment.

He wasn't sure why he thought he could distract her from his discomfort, given her gentle and nurturing personality, but the effort was fruitless. Before he could even manage to assure her again that it was nothing, she was abandoning their game as she stood up and tugged him from his chair and moved him to the couch in the sitting area. Taking a seat on the low round table in front of him, she reached out towards his face.

"Mind if I take a look?" she quickly asked, pausing her hands halfway to his head as she waited for permission to proceed.

Itachi wasn't sure what exactly she would be able to do as this was something that went beyond a simple head massage, but she looked so earnest in her request he found he could not deny her. And a part of him was curious. He gave her a nod and she proceeded to gently put her hands on either side of his head.

"This may be a little unnatural feeling at first but just try to relax," she said.

Before he could even question what she meant, he felt a cold pressure enter his head and he instinctively moved to pull away. But it seemed she was used to this reaction as she held his head a little more tightly as she leaned forward to stay connected. He stared at her with wide, curious eyes. But she did not seem to notice as her eyes were closed off to him as her face pulled into concentration. Once the shock of what she was doing passed, he let himself relax but he kept his eyes open as he looked at her, a slight awe taking over as he felt her chakra gently enter his head and move into his nervous system.

Her eyes cracked open and he felt her soothing chakra slightly still as she looked at him. "Your optic nerves are really swollen and irritated," she observed. "Do you get that kind of pain often?"

"It comes and goes," he answered.

"Have you also been experiencing some loss of sight? Perhaps blurry and nearsightedness." He nodded. "I could help ease the tension, I am not as skilled as Tsunade who could probably fully restore them, but I could at least ease it enough to improve the discomfort for now. After some practice though I think I could figure it out."

Itachi tilted his head slightly, looking at her curiously.

Again he was slightly hesitant, while he trusted Sakura was innocent in her intentions, it was hard to push past the initial protective instinct of his bloodline. But again, he was curious, so he nodded.

She took in a deep breath and exhaled. With the calming breath, he felt the cooling sensation of her chakra move around the strain in his eyes, alleviating the pressure and pain that had become a constant irritant for several centuries. And soon, he found his eyes closing as he let her work.

It was quiet for a while before Itachi's mind began to think. "Sakura," he started and she let out a gentle hum to let him know she was listening.

He opened his eyes and raised a hand to pause her work. With his hand over hers he gently lowered it and looked at her. She looked back at him questioningly as his face became serious from its earlier relaxed caliber.

"It would be best that you not show anyone else this power."

"Why?" she asked.

He gave her a knowing look. "Because I have a feeling you don't want people to know how you came by such a power without any blood relation to Tsunade...the only remaining Senju. The only clan with such capabilities."

He watched as her face slightly paled, clear that she had not even thought about people questioning such things.

"Don't worry," he assured. "No one will hear it from me, and while I would not want you to keep you from using such a gift, I say this as one with abilities not easily shared," he continued, watching her very closely. "There is a reason why the Uchiha are so secretive about the Sharingan, because there are people who would abuse such things."

For a moment Sakura's eyes narrowed and he could tell that she wanted to question him. He hoped she would as there were many questions he wanted her to answer, but he wouldn't force them. He needed her full trust and was worried what pushing the limits too soon would do to that trust.

Finally, Sakura swallowed, then nodded, an understanding in her face. "Thank you for the warning," she said very quietly. After staring at his chest for a moment, obviously reevaluating her situation, she looked up at him. "Would you like me to finish?"

Itachi studied her for a moment, unsure of what to make of her reaction. While he did not mean to trouble her, he felt compelled to warn her to be more careful. He nodded leaning forward as she raised her hands to his face, her fingers gently pressing against his skin as she let her chakra seep into his body once more.


He was making his way to the library to collect what he had forgotten the previous night. After a tense breakfast, Sasuke had nearly forgotten about it until later that morning. As he neared the library, he became aware of voices coming from the cracked door. Cautiously, he approached the entrance and peaked through. The moment he caught sight of the occupants of the room, his body went rigid.

They were just barely in his line of vision which gave him a perfect side view of the pair. Itachi sat in the low chaise lounge while Sakura was positioned across from him. She was biting at her lip, looking slightly unsettled as she stared down at her hands. Her hands were entwined with Itachi's as they rested on his lap. That scene caused something within him bubbled and his eyes narrowed. They were speaking in hushed tones that Sasuke was too bothered to pay any attention to as he focused on the body language instead.

Sakura was at ease, her body leaning in, her face open. Itachi said something that made her smile up at Itachi, a smile that was filled with sweetness and gratitude that even caused him to feel its warmth. However, when she reached up to Itachi's face, that warmth ignited into a raging fire that blazed throughout his body.

Fueled and unwilling to watch things progress, Sasuke shoved the door open then slammed it shut. His entrance caused Sakura to nearly topple backwards off the table she was sitting on while Itachi, slowly and casually turned around. The lack of surprise in his face only caused Sasuke more anger as it was obvious that his brother knew they were being watched. The smallest of amusements curved at the corner of his mouth, only serving to anger Sasuke even more.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke demanded, his eyes boring into his brothers before flickering to Sakura.

"Just taking a small break from our game," Itachi replied, indicating the abandoned chess game at the other table. "It was a little too...invigorating, so we moved on to something else."

He knew his brother was provoking him, but having possession of that knowledge did little to stave his reaction. His dark eyes flashed to Sakura who seemed to physically flinch under his gaze. It was either that, or the tumultuous rage that he was unsure why it was manifesting, had managed to seep through the connection and it had just hit her.

He felt a nervous worry and panic trickle into him from her end of the connection. Both emotions are a tell tale sign of guilt, which meant she had been doing something she knew she shouldn't have been doing. And to think last night he had dared to feel slightly bad for her. However, as angry as he was feeling towards her, and annoyed by the betrayal he was feeling and hoping she was not sensing, there was someone else that he needed to deal with.

"Sakura," Sasuke bit out authoritatively, not taking his eyes off Itachi. "Go back to your room."

She gave him a stubborn look which grated against his waning control. He opened his mouth again to repeat his command but Itachi beat him to it.

"Sakura," Itachi called gently. She looked at the elder brother who, after giving his younger sibling a disapproving frown, looked at her. "If you don't mind, could you please give us some privacy. We can finish our game later but I would like to have a private word with my brother."

Sasuke's eyes twitched as she gave Itachi a small nod and stood from where she had been sitting to obligingly grant his request. Sasuke watched as she made her way towards the door and him without giving him even a glance of acknowledgment.

"Wait," Sasuke called out causing her to stop right as she was about to pass by.

Walking across the room to where the writing desk was, Sasuke grabbed the folded piece of paper he had come here to retrieve. He then crossed the room to where she was standing and thrust it into her face. Her head jerked back slightly as she blinked at it.

"Take it," he instructed, impatient when all she did was stare.

She gave him a wry look before snatching it from his hand, slightly crumpling it in her grip. She flipped it over in her hand, unable to give it a curious inspection.

"Don't wander," he warned, causing her to look back up at him. "Down the hall to the left, take the second passage from the right then the third passage on the left when you get to the intersection. Your room is the one on the left," he supplied, emphasizing which door was hers.

She gave him one last resentful look before wordlessly turning around and departing. The door shut behind her with a hollow thud of the wood, leaving the two brothers in a pregnant silence as Sasuke remained with his back turned from Itachi as he stared at the shut door.

"If you treat her with common decency she might be more docile. You would be surprised with how far a few manners will get you."

Sasuke turned around, glaring at his brother. "I bet you would know all about that," he sneered.

Itachi's brow twitched, confused as to what Sasuke was insinuating.

Sasuke walked over to the wall of books and began to peruse them with disinterest. "You two seem to be quite close," he commented.

His tone was casual but Itachi sensed the underlying tone and barely managed to suppress a huff of amusement. Sasuke was jealous, he had seen it manifest enough in their childhood years to recognize it.

"We are friends," Itachi defended. "We share some common interests and enjoy each other's company. I wouldn't read into it too much," he responded dryly.

Sasuke shot him a look before looking back to the books, grabbing one, he flipped through its pages. "I didn't bring her here for your entertainment."

"Then what did you bring her here for?" Sasuke did not respond causing Itachi to press further. "I'm not going to just sit back and watch her waste away, nor will I turn an blind eye to abuse."

Sasuke snapped the book shut and glared at his brother. "I haven't laid a fingerー"

"I am not speaking of physical abuse. There are other types such as neglect and emotional," Itachi interrupted tersely. "But while we are on the subject of her physical wellbeing, she needs protection down here. There is a curiosity that even I cannot ignore and others will surely notice. This is a world where power is always desired and pursued. And as you won't release her to a safer place, I have no choice but to keep her protected from those who would seek out to use her for their personal gain...even you."

There was a long, drawn out silence.

"I have no intention of letting harm come to her," Sasuke finally defended. "It's why I kept her from Lady Chiyo's prying witchcraft the other day in the market. Which reminds me, she mentioned she had something for you...mind sharing what that is about?"

"..."

It was brief and Sasuke barely caught it, but there was a shadowed look that came across Itachi's face. One that Itachi quickly covered with a mask of nothingness.

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "How about we make a deal," he suggested, turning to the door to exit. "I won't question your silence and in exchange, you stay away from Sakura."

"Take up some responsibility for her and I will gladly stay away from her if it means she is taken care of properly."

He was answered by the slam of the door and Itachi was left to shake his head. Running a frustrated hand over his face he sat down at the small table. He stared at the unfinished chess game as he planned and strategized a wholly different kind of scenario in his mind. His mind which he was finding quite less strained after Sakura's treatment...yet another curious thing about her.

Healing abilities to the calibre in which Sakura insinuated she was potentially capable of should be impossible, yet, he had witnessed it himself. She had chakra healing abilities yet not a Senju...how was that possible? Was she capable of everything a Senju could be rumored to do?


As soon as Sakura returned to her room, she shut the door and fell against it. It was then that she recalled the piece of paper Sasuke had given her. Distracted by her annoyance towards Sasuke and determination to resist the temptation to eavesdrop on the conversation between the brothers- only out of respect for Itachi- Sakura had forgotten about the folded paper until now. She looked down at paper in her hand, flipping it over curiously as she tried to contemplate why Sasuke would give her anything.

Making her way over to the empty desk of the room, she tentatively opened it as she lowered herself into the chair. When she unfolded it to reveal the contents within, she stared in disbelief as she realized what exactly she was looking at.

It was her map. Or at least a copy of what she had charted. Redrawn and more detailed than she had ever managed over the past week. And it even came with extra additions.

There were the familiar paths that led to the places she already knew such as the dining room, Mikoto's garden, and library. But as she took in the paths she had explored, where she had originally put question marks of future paths to explore, she found he had made notes. Some labeled dead ends like she had, while others extended past where she had explored and noted what would be found at the end such as more gardens, a hot spring, and a lake. At the end of a few, there had been a large 'x' crossed over certain paths with a drawing of a stick figure angel with a striking resemblance to herself, lying prostrate with the eyes crossed out and a tongue hanging out of the corner of her mouth. Sakura did not need a key to the map to know that those were the tunnels Sasuke had warned her about. Where things lurked in the dark.

She rolled her eyes before letting them roam over the fresh map to where her own room was. It was there that another detail caught her eye that made her snort. Across from where her room was labeled, there was an obvious indication as to whose room was across from hers. He had redrawn himself but instead of horns, Sasuke had given himself a crown. The figure was winking up at her in mockery and Sakura let out another snort, half fueled by indignation, the other half by amusement.

"Tch," she mimicked in the manner of a certain dark haired demon.

She grabbed for a pen and quickly touched up the drawing to mimic more closely to the original copy, this time adding a goatee and devilish mustache for good measure. When she finished, she sat back to admire her work.

"Much better," she proclaimed, failing to recognize the smile on her face and lightness that had eased on her heavy heart.


Sasuke had not gone far from the library when he turned a corner and found himself face to face with someone.

"Sasuke, just the nephew was hoping to find," Madara greeted in a deep baritone. "I have been busy lately and I hope you have not felt left out or neglected. I had some things to arrange and take care of, your father had sure left this world in a state. There is a lot of cleaning up to do and reorganizing that I will need your help in. But I figured you needed some time to reunite with your family first." His dark gaze ran over Sasuke's tense stature and read his perturbed aura. Then his eyes fell onto the bruise on Sasuke's cheek and he could see amusement and intrigue grow in his eyes. "I hope you are settling in well and making amends."

"I'm fine," Sasuke gritted out.

"Good...and how is our little starling settling in? I hope she is getting comfortable with her new home."

"Too comfortable," Sasuke muttered lowly.

"What was that?"

"She's fine," Sasuke replied more clearly.

Madara nodded. "Excellent. We will have to arrange a time to all get together. I would love to get to know her better. Perhaps maybe even help her find a place in the new world that I am envisioning."

Sasuke gave him a wary look. There was something within him that told him that was the last thing he wanted to happen. "Yeah, maybe sometime," he answered noncommittally.

"Tonight," Madara said firmly. It was not an invitation, it was a decree.

Sasuke was not used to following orders. He hadn't needed to for quite some time. But it was different now, he had agreed to this, struck a bargain. Despite the bitter taste in his mouth, Sasuke found his head nodding obediently.

Madara smiled looking far too satisfied for the simple request that he had been granted. "Perfect, I will see the both of you at dinner then. Since it's a special occasion, see to it that Sakura is readied properly."

Madara promptly left, walking past Sasuke to continue on down the corridor. As the young Uchiha remained standing alone, he was left with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He was not sure exactly how long he remained but a voice coming from behind him in the direction he himself had just come.

"I warned you," came Itachi's patronizing tone. "People would become curious about her. They will use her."

Sasuke twisted his head to look at his brother with a side eye. "It's just dinner."

"You and I both know it is not that simple. With Madara, it is never just dinner."

"It's fine, i've got it," he said forcefully before starting to walk away.

"Sasuke," Itachi called to his retreating back. "I can help you."

Sasuke kept walking, not even pausing at the desperate tone in his brother's voice. "I don't need your help," called out. "Just stay out of my way and stay away from her."

There was no need for help, he told himself. He was fine.


Thank you all for reading and leaving your wonderful comments and feedback, I cherish it all. Hope you are all well!