DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any other characters belonging to the Anime series. However, I do own the characters that were created by me – they will make their appearances in the later chapters.

Summary: Sakura and Tenten – both FBI Agents – are on a vital mission to eradicate one of America's largest and most feared Mafia Gangs. Sakura has no memory of her past. What happens as she finds the missing pieces when she encounters the mesmerizing, drop-dead attractive, Sasuke Uchiha, leader of the gang? PAIRINGS: Sasuke/Sakura with an equal share of Neji/Tenten. More pairings are included.

WARNING: This Fan-fiction contains VERY explicit content in later chapters. If sexual content, mild violence and aggressive language bother you, then it is advised that you discontinue reading this fiction immediately.

NOTE: 'Inner Sakura

'Thoughts' (Except for the short preface at the beginning of each chapter & Flashbacks)

Narrator's POV

Please excuse my stupid errors. I'll re-read this chapter, correct my mistakes and re-post the chapter within three days because I would feel as if I'm wrong if I keep you guys waiting for this chapter any longer. lol.

Enjoy!

QUANTUM OF MEMORY: PENDULUM ARC
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Itachi's Departure

Previously…

"You must be my patient's husband…am I correct?" the doctor asked as he stepped out of the ward.

"Hn…" Sasuke said nothing more, gesturing for the doctor to continue.

"I'm Dr. Matsuda. After a thorough examination of your wife, we have come across some bad news…"

His heart sank.

Yes.

Yes, he was losing her again.

This time, she was withdrawing from the world…

Presently…

Sasuke knew that he was not ready to hear what the doctor had to say. He did not want to. He wished that he could just run away, like a child; he was afraid. Inwardly he admitted that he was a coward, but not the type that Naruto would make fun of.

"…and some good news," the doctor added.

Their eyes locked.

"I'm sorry Mr. Uchiha but it appears that due to the over dosage of Morphine, your wife is in a coma. Judging by the blue-black marks on her stomach, it appears that she had been hit in the stomach several times and as a result, she has lost the baby…"

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. Sakura was pregnant? Since when? That explained her big appetite at times; and her nausea.

'Had she known?' Sasuke wondered.

Then Sasuke recalled noticing when Sakura seemed to have stopped drinking coffee. Of course she had known.

Why did she not tell him? Was she afraid of him? No, that could not be the case. While his mind flipped through the possibilities, he asked the doctor, "Then what's the good news?"

"Sir, your wife's in a coma so that means there's a chance that she can wake up. All we can do is wait."

"How the fuck is that good news?" Sasuke muttered.

"I'm sorry for your loss and what you have to go through, but please refrain from using such vulgar language in the hospital. Good evening, Sir," the doctor said before taking his leave.

Sasuke went into Sakura's ward and sat beside her bed on a chair. She was pale and her body looked entirely lifeless. She was so fragile. A tube was placed into her mouth to aid her in breathing. There were scars all over her hands and on her face. She had been beaten badly.

"Maybe if we hadn't met in the first place, you wouldn't have to go through all of this…"

The past; memories – some are bitter; some are worth remembering. Nevertheless they are important. The bitter memories that many have the desire to lock away – they are what keep us fighting for a chance at life; they are what give many the obligations to survive. The memories many wish to relive – they remind us who we live to protect; they remind us that our goals are not impossible. It is never wrong to swing back the Pendulum; never wrong to look back at the events and people that made us who we are today…

SIX YEARS AGO

It was not her unusual hair color that made his eyes follow her as she moved onto the dance floor, but her deep, emerald orbs that glistened under the disco light. It did not take long for him to recall that she was the daughter of Riku Haruno, mafia leader of the Kurotsuki gang which, like Onikage, was one of the most well known Mafia Gangs in the United States. Inwardly, he denied that he was attracted to her and moved away from the crowd that was now forming at the counter.

Annoyed, he wondered where Naruto had gone to. They had only come to the nightclub to avoid the consequences of Naruto's desperate urge to use the toilet while on their way back to the Uchiha Manor. It had been several minutes since Naruto had gone into the Gents Room. The young Uchiha seated himself at one of the unoccupied tables and waited impatiently. His eyes averted back to the dance floor, unconsciously once more.

Without realization, he searched for the Haruno girl, his eyes scanning every inch and every person on the stage. But he did not find her again.

The Kurotsuki Gang topped the list of Onikage's foes; even though both gang leaders attended the same college and university. Their lifestyles were similar and so were their fates, but their sense of logic and their personalities differed greatly. It had always been like that for generations.

Sasuke grunted. There was still no sign of Naruto, so he stood up and made his way through the crowds and exited the nightclub.

His 2006 Chevy Camaro was parked only a few meters before the first alleyway on the nightclub's street. As he was about to get in, he heard a faint cry coming from the alley. Upon intuition, he followed the sound into the alley while getting his gun ready to fire at the first sign of a threat.

Discreetly, he peered into the darkness of the alleyway. If it had not been for the moonlight, Sasuke would not have noticed the Haruno girl from the nightclub, struggling to break free from the strong grasps of a mobster. Sasuke did not recognize his identity at all, so he knew right away that the man belonged to a minor criminal group. The image reminded him of a similar situation he saw in the past.

Sasuke said nothing as he approached the situation before him; nor did he make a sound.

Most of the man's body was covering the pink-haired beauty. Her tears shined in the moonlight and revealed her scared and feeble expression.

The Uchiha was surprised that the daughter of a famous gang was unable to defend herself in a time like this. She did not seem to even possess a gun.

At the sound of a trigger being tilted, both heads whipped around swiftly.

Seeing that he caught the man's attention, Sasuke spoke.

"It'll be a waste of my time if I killed you, so just get the fuck out of here."

Without hesitation, the man got off the girl and did not take his eyes off of Sasuke's gun until he had exited the alley.

Sasuke turned toward the girl who was now standing. It appeared that her entire body was shaking from fright. Inwardly he scoffed.

'To think that you're a daughter of Riku Haruno…'

After a few seconds, she proceeded to leave, trying her hardest to avoid eye contact with him. As she passed near Sasuke, he felt her tense.

"You alright?" he asked, causing her to jump a little. She stopped walking.

"Y-yeah…um…thanks…" she stuttered in reply.

"Do you have a car?" Sasuke asked.

"No…"

"Then I'll give you a ride home. My name is Sasuke," he introduced, "Sasuke Uchiha."

"Sakura Haruno," she responded. And for the first time, she looked at him. Her eyebrows were knitted as she watched him; as she observed his features. She clutched her handbag.

Then she spoke.

"You're my father's enemy…"

"Hn…" was all he said before walking off. When he realized that she was not following, he said, without turning to face her, "If you wish to travel home on your own and get raped by some freak, then that's fine with me…"

And with that said, Sakura followed behind him…

For Sakura, the silence was becoming awkward. Sasuke's eyes were fixated on the roads and he did not even try to make a conversation. But she could not ignore the question that resounded in her mind so annoyingly. Then she mustered the confidence she had and asked, "Why did you do it? Why did you save me? Aren't we supposed to be enemies?"

"Hn…I only did it because my mother was once in that situation."

"Oh…I see…"

Sakura thought that their conversation would progress further, but her hopes were deflated when the silence resumed once again.

Soon enough, they had arrived at the Haruno Mansion. Sakura thanked Sasuke once more before entering the compound. He did not leave until she was inside the premises.

Sakura's face reddened at the thought of Sasuke, ensuring her safety but then reminded herself that he was the enemy and nothing more; she told herself that their meeting was nothing more than a chance encounter, but little did she know that it was all a part of her fate…

THREE HOURS LATER

Today, he had met Sakura Haruno, saved her life, given her a ride home and hoped that they would never meet again. But now, she was in his family's living room. Sasuke heard his father let out another growl. Fugaku Uchiha was not in favor of helping Sakura's dilemma since she was the child of an enemy. There were trust issues.

"Father," Itachi said once more, "For once, look at the situation differently. Have you seen her scars? I believe her. And I don't think she's a spy."

There was silence between father and sons. Itachi never took his serious gaze off of his father. And Sasuke just stood there, quietly with his arms folded across his chest. It was not his place to convince his father to help Sakura since he was not Onikage's heir.

"Very well, then," Fugaku decided, "…but if I find any suspicious movements from her, she will suffer the consequences…"

"I understand," Itachi agreed.

Within the next few days, Fugaku had gotten documents stating that he and his wife, Mikoto, were the legal guardians of Sakura. With those documents, they were able to enroll her into a University to continue studying Medicine. Everywhere she went, she was escorted by either Sasuke or Itachi. But most of the time it would be Sasuke. Sakura had adjusted well to her new family. She had taken quite a liking to them and so did they. Mikoto treated Sakura as if she were her own daughter. It felt good to remember what it felt like to have a mother, but it made Sakura miss her real mother so badly.

As the months went by, Fugaku's attitude towards her changed little by little. He was beginning to show more trust in her.

Sakura's graduation was nearing. Three days ago she had celebrated her twentieth birthday. Mikoto had baked a cake and after returning home from campus, they all had dinner together. Everyone was silent, but it was the simplicity of just having everyone there was what made it enjoyable to Sakura. She was glad that Fugaku was present as well. Usually he would be too busy to even have dinner with his family; but for occasions such as these, he made it his duty to attend.

That thought made Sakura feel accepted in a way. She remembered Mikoto once told her, "He's never had a daughter…for some reason, so he thinks of you as his own. My marriage with him was arranged, so we never knew each other until the day we got married. At first it was awkward for the two of us. He never treated me as if he cared, but all that changed as time went by. Eventually Fugaku becomes very fond of people…who are good…"

Now, she was twenty and would soon be an intern at the St. Mary's Hospital.

She walked over to her towel rack and took her towel off it before walking out the door. Just as she did, her face hit something hard and before she knew it, she had fallen to the floor with a 'thud'.

From the time she heard the harsh, "Get off me…" Sakura knew that she had bumped into the younger Uchiha brother. Instantly, she removed herself from Sasuke, not wanting to make him more annoyed than he already was. He had always been that way with her but she did not mind because she had grown to understand that it was just the way he was. She assumed that he inherited his father's personality.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said when she finally stood up.

"Hn…just watch where you're going next time," he said to her, before walking off.

Light shades of red highlighted her cheeks. One reason was from embarrassment and the other was due to the fact that she had a slight crush on Sasuke.

She shuddered the feeling off and continued on her way to the bathroom.

Later that evening, Fugaku Uchiha organized a meeting with his sons and other important personnel, regarding the gang that had been in the Uchiha name for generations. It was already dark. The brothers said nothing to each other as Itachi drove them to the designated meeting area.

While keeping focused on the road, Itachi thought about how Sasuke would react to what their father had to tell him…

Sasuke stood with his mother at the side of the entrance and watched as she greeted the guests. His mother got the usual, "He's so adorable!" or "He looks just like you!" from the women as they entered. All these remarks made the little five year old Uchiha blush. Today was his father's thirty-seventh birthday. Mikoto told him that it was a special event for his father since many important people would be attending.

"Mikoto, come here," Fugaku gestured. She sent Sasuke off, gently, to find his brother before joining her husband in greeting some of the other guests.

Sasuke watched as his father shook other people's hands, laughing. He was an important person; someone with great authority.

The five year old smiled to him self; turned around and began to search for his elder brother.

It was not hard to find someone like Itachi in the premises of the Uchiha Manor. There were only three places you could find him: the library; his room or near the pond in the gardens.

Sasuke investigated the latter of the three places…and there he was…

"Big brother!" Sasuke hailed out before running toward the ten year old.

Itachi was seated on a bench, surrounded by bunches of Casablanca Lilies and white Moon Flowers that almost glowed in the moonlight. He turned to his younger brother and gestured him to have a seat beside him.

"Why aren't you with mother?" Itachi asked.

"I was…but she told me to come find you," Sasuke responded.

"I see. We'll meet them in a few," Itachi told Sasuke and gazed up at the full moon.

Sasuke looked behind them, at the mansion. The place was crowded with people. He turned back to Itachi.

"Hey big brother?" Sasuke said, getting his brother's attention.

"Yes, Sasuke," Itachi permitted him to continue.

"How come dad knows so much people?"

Itachi chuckled and replied, "I figured someday you'd ask that…" And on that note, he explained everything to Sasuke. There was no use hiding it from him since he would have needed to find out someday…

"Cool! I wanna be just like dad when I get older!" the young Uchiha exclaimed. Itachi smiled. He knew Sasuke meant what he said. And he knew that Sasuke's dream was not impossible…or at least he could make it possible...

"Come on. Let's go meet mother and father, Sasuke…"

"Sasuke," Itachi began, "there's something you should know – the reason for this meeting."

Sasuke shot the driver a questioning look. Itachi continued to speak.

"Father wasn't the one who wanted this meeting. It was me. I need to announce something to father and the other members. But I think it's only right that you be the first to know…"

Sasuke observed his brother for a moment. His face was unreadable and his voice hinted nothing.

"Sasuke…I'm dismissing myself as the next leader of Onikage and as a member…permanently…"

"What the fuck are you talking about?! Why?!"

"I've been accepted by Akastuki –"

"Itachi they are our ENEMIES!!" Sasuke bellowed.

"Not anymore. They have come to an agreement – they want to become one of Onikage's allies."

"They must be lying…there's no way –"

"You'll need to take my place and be the new heir to the family's gang," Itachi told him, "…you finally have your chance to be want you always wanted to be…"

The car came to a halt. They had reached their destination.

"You're a coward…" was the last thing Sasuke said to his elder brother, before getting out of the car.

That night, when Sakura returned home, she sensed a bit of oddity between father and eldest son; and between the two brothers. Sasuke shot Itachi death glares whenever their eyes met while Fugaku drank his tea in silence, not saying a word to his eldest son – the son he used to feel so proud of.

Sakura met Mikoto in the kitchen. Her eyes were bloodshot and her fair cheeks were stained from tears. Sakura did not bother to question her, in fear that it would just make matters worse. She went back out into the living room.

"Itachi," Fugaku began, "By tomorrow morning I expect you to be gone. Take everything that belongs to you. I don't want ANY part of you in this house –"

Fugaku was interrupted by an audible sob. All heads turned to the direction from which it came.

There, leaning against the wall, near the entrance of the kitchen was Mikoto, clutching her chest as she cried.

"P-please…Fugaku," she sobbed, "Don't separate me from my s-son…p-please…"

She sniffled, took a few deep breaths in and walked over to her first child. "I-Itachi s-stays…"

"Mikoto…I will not have a traitor reside under my roof…" he said to his wife while his eyes focused on Itachi.

"Let go of me, Mikoto," Itachi said to his mother. His voice was cold and never faltered.

Mikoto let go of his arm and looked at him in shock. Her son had just addressed her by name. She said nothing to him. Another tear trickled down her cheek. It broke her heart to see her beloved son walk out the door. She felt hated; that she should have done something instead of standing there, crying helplessly.

"FUGAKU I HATE YOU!!" she screamed. By now, Sakura was at her side, consoling her…

Sakura hated seeing the Uchihas like this, but there was nothing she could do. Despite the fact that they had accepted her into their family, it was not her place to intervene in their family matters. That night, Mikoto cried herself to sleep on the sofa. Sakura stayed with her until she fell asleep, before making her way up to her room.

On her way, she noticed that Sasuke's bedroom door was slightly ajar. That was odd. He never left his room unlocked. Curious, she took a peak in, only to find that he was not in his room. She took a step in, knowing that her action could almost be described as suicidal.

Sakura looked around. His room was chic with dark furniture and walls as expected from someone with Sasuke's personality. With the lights on, you could see just how beautiful everything in the room was arranged.

"What do you think you're doing…?"

Sakura was startled. She faced Sasuke. But before she could explain, he said, "You of all people should know not to step foot in my room, Sakura…"

"I know. I'm sorry…it's just that –"

"'Just that' what? There should be no reason for you to be in here."

She nodded and turned to leave, but she felt as if there was something she needed to say to him. After gathering what she wanted to say, she stopped walking, her face still facing the exit, and said, "I know I have no right in family situations…but you should be a little more supportive to your mom…"

She left immediately after, trying to avoid Sasuke's angry words.

Sakura rushed down the hallway and into her room just in time. Closing the door behind her, she sighed. It took guts to tell a man like Sasuke something like that…

Fugaku Uchiha smiled at what he had just heard. Surely eavesdropping was something he was very, very unlikely to do, but how could he just bypass a conversation in which Sasuke was being stood up to by a woman? (A/N: Yes, I know…Fugaku is somewhat sexist). Usually this was something he would be pissed about, but somehow, this time, he was not.

Fugaku realized that the only way Sasuke would be an appropriate leader of Onikage was if his thinking skills were better. Sasuke was a one-minded thinker. And with the current situation of Itachi's departure from the gang and family, Sasuke was more than likely to make decisions upon rage and hatred. His reasoning was unbalanced; incomplete.

Sakura's bravery made Fugaku come to understand that what Sasuke needed was a counterpart; something or someone that was the total opposite of him; something to make him ponder about his actions like he was doing now as he looked into the sky, through his window. Fugaku had a plan in mind, but another problem occurred. The only way things would work was if Sasuke was willing to accept…

Acceptance was something Sasuke was no good at...

Tenten's head shot up at the sound of Neji's soft groan. She dragged her chair closer to his bed and brushed her thumb over his bruised cheek. For a second, his eye brows knitted together as if wincing from feeling pain.

"Neji? Neji can you hear me?" Tenten asked calmly.

Another groan…

Hinata had brought in Neji's doctor. When Neji was fully awakened, the doctor performed a few checks, including a Reflects check-up. Then he informed them that for a full recovery, Neji would need to rest and avoid movement, however he would be discharged in a week.

After the doctor left the ward Hinata took Hanabi to the hospital's café to get lunch.

Now Tenten was left alone in the ward with Neji. Strangely, the silence made her feel…stupid.

"You're here…" Neji said to her loud enough so that only she could hear.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I tried to kill you…" Neji gainsaid.

"But we're way past that now, aren't we? We're friends, Neji. And friends look out for each other," she replied with a smile.

Neji tried to smile back, but the cuts on his face would not let him. Nonetheless, Tenten still caught the small, downward curve of his lips just in time.

"Tenten!" Hinata shouted as she forced her way through the ward's doors.

"What's the matter?" Tenten asked, rising from her seat.

"It's Sakura…she's in a coma –"

"Is she in the hospital?" Tenten asked in panic.

Hinata nodded. "Ward #6…"

One…Two…Three…

Tenten had left the ward…

One of the questions that was running through her mind at the moment was 'What is Sasuke going to do when he finds out that Sakura had been pregnant?' Thinking about it created a pit in her stomach. It made her wish that she could rewind time.

She ran down another flight of stairs.

'If Sasuke wants to resent someone, he should resent me,' she thought, 'I should have advised against her decision…I'm the one to blame…'

Her stomach became hollower as she pushed the door to Sakura's ward open, slowly.

The image before her triggered so many emotions…it was hard to tell if Sasuke was angry or depressed; resentful or remorseful…

Sasuke was seated on a chair beside Sakura's bed, like Tenten was when Neji was asleep a few hours ago. His head was rested upon the place in which a child would have grown and been nourished…

His eyes were closed, holding back unwanted tears…

A/N: This chapter is looong overdue – I know. It was supposed to be released last week, but I ran into some Internet Connection problems.

Okay, so let me just explain what this Arc is all about. The name of it is 'The Pendulum Arc' and, basically, it looks at MAJOR events in the characters' past lives. The characters I'll be focusing on are: Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno/Uchiha and Tenten Senju. The chapters in this Arc will incorporate the past AND the present, so the events of the normal storyline will be able to flow as the new chapters come out…

So, the next chapter should be released after I've updated The Dark Coven (this might be around next week). But don't worry, I promise you another chapter of QofM before my Easter break is up.

Thanks to all who reviewed! Special thanks to: the note (I'm always glad to hear from you!); azreal-x (your review was very motivational. Thank you!); Rebecca (hope you're ready for the big exam. I wish you luck and I know you'll do great! lol.); Claire (I know you'll do great as well. Good luck!) And Garib (thanks for all the personal reviews!).

452 + 15 = 467 reviews…

AND: KISHIMOTO'S 2010 INTERVIEW LINK IS ON MY FANFICTION PROFILE, UNDER MY 'ANNOUNCEMENTS' SECTION!!

--IzWinchesterDevil.