Trigger warning: blood, scenes of torture, death and sex
Waking alone after months of having another by her side was uncomfortably lonely, although not for long as the imprint left on her heart informed Sakura that he was close by. Well, that and the soft melody drifting throughout the halls of his manor, echoing between the high ceilings and minimalist possessions.
Soft crimson silk caressed her skin as she slipped into one of the many robes he gifted her with, the knot she tied loose and precarious, knowingly revealing the gentle dips and curves that drove him insane with need. She oftentimes found it intoxicating that such a powerful being lost all self-control from a meagre human such as herself, and like any foolish addict, Sakura fell back into the clutches of her drug once the high threatened to wear off.
As expected, she found her love at the grand piano that had accompanied him through a couple of centuries and just like him, it didn't show its shocking age. The moonlight that illuminated the room highlighted all of his best features, and Sakura sighed at the melancholy in his expression, leaning forward onto the piano to better appreciate the talent of those dexterous fingers.
"It sounds sad," she whispered, refusing to speak any louder than the beautiful music being played. "What's on your mind, Itachi?"
A soft, barely even audible sigh diverted her attention from the way his fingers danced along the keys, and she looked up in time to witness the brief show of pain on Itachi's features. The heart-breaking sight was what led her into sitting beside him on the long stool, staring up at him worriedly, since she knew by now that not much could cause him a lasting physical pain. No, her lover was hurting emotionally or mentally.
"You have been drinking my blood for a while now," he pointed out quietly, though continued to focus on his playing. Knowing the intoxicating effect he had on her, she knew that his focusing on something else was his roundabout way of trying to give her a way out, should she feel as though it was needed. "I must admit, I am beginning to wonder if it is solely to prevent us from being permanently separated, or if you one day plan to join me in this lifestyle. I must know: have you changed your mind about remaining human?"
That…
The thought and all the scenarios that accompanied it often played in her mind. Sometimes, she entertained them several times in a single hour. But as badly as she longed to join Itachi in spending all of eternity together, there was still so much that she longed for that she would never have should she turn.
Then again it wasn't like she could have that kind of future with Itachi.
Oh, but what she wouldn't give to have it all with him. A legitimate mortgage, careers, children and grandchildren – granted, two of the four were possible even as a vampire, however, the others weren't. They couldn't even settle down for too long in one place, because that ran the risk of their true forms being discovered.
What would their children have looked like, had Itachi been able to impregnate her?
At the filling of tears in her eyes, the music drifted to a stop and she felt his inquisitive eyes on her. "What is it?"
"If I change…" It was ridiculous getting so worked up over it, Sakura told herself. Still, it didn't change that she was and she knew that telling him of her reservations would ease his suffering also. "There's so much that I won't be able to experience or have."
"Name it and it will be yours," Itachi vowed. "I will make sure of it."
Inhaling shakily, she wiped at her eyes and frowned, telling him, "I want to have your children." At the softening of his expression, she whispered, "I want to be a mother."
Bearing children hadn't always been a goal of hers, if ever. However, considering all that she would be giving up by transitioning to a vampire made her wonder what if? Maybe she didn't want them in that moment in time, but what if she did at some point in the future? What if she decided one day that she wanted that ordinary life? Fixating on those hypotheticals was the reason behind her hesitating to turn already, despite declaring to be ready months ago.
Now, Sakura strongly believed she wanted kids, but not just any kids. His.
Being immortal with Itachi and spending forever by his side sounded perfect. Simultaneously, it sounded lonely too.
"The advancement of technology is a wondrous thing," murmured her lover gently, meeting her eye. "You can have children that are biologically yours without ever having to carry them yourself."
What…?
Sakura's lips parted in surprise and she asked, "You mean… find a surrogate?"
"Eventually. Until the day you are ready to have a child, you could have your eggs frozen."
She could…
"But they won't be yours," she argued weakly.
A gentle, loving hand found its way into her hair, guiding Sakura closer. "In my eyes, they will be."
Shaking the wretched memories from her mind, Sakura readied herself for the charging beasts, snarling at their impudence.
Why the hell was that night playing in her mind all of a sudden? Everything Itachi related was supposed to have been locked away, yet of all the nights her mind could have betrayed her by replaying, it just had to be that one.
Although, Sakura supposed she ought to be a tiny bit grateful since it fuelled her rage further, allowing her to direct it at the mongrels before her.
The first to lunge received a blow to the snout, effectively crushing it, and was followed up with a swift snapping of its neck just when it began to howl in agony, leaving her to toss the oversized mutt to the ground without a care once done with it. She couldn't care. Not when the next came at her with a vengeance and attempted to rip her head from her shoulders.
All the while that damned, sad melody played endlessly in her mind, accompanied by weary eyes that told Sakura all she needed to know.
He was somehow in her head.
He had to be.
She growled hatefully during the struggle, barely managing to pin the wolf to the ground with a foot to the neck. Rather than pressing with her heel and piercing its thick neck, however, Sakura chose to crush its throat unhurriedly, relishing in the whines and whimpers that were determinedly beginning to cover the screams of her clansmen.
Leaning into him as Itachi slowly lowered them to the ground, his back thudding lightly to the wall, Sakura ignored the trembling of her hands.
All arrangements were in place. Her eggs were frozen and being heavily (definitely unnecessarily) guarded by humans Itachi compelled to ensure nothing happened to them and they would remain usable for when she decided she was ready for children. Her parents had officially retired to a romantic, rustic cabin that was graciously gifted to them by her lover and were thriving in their newfound freedom. Other than that, there really wasn't much else standing in the way of her becoming a vampire.
Itachi's sigh as she drank directly from the vein was purely of pleasure, the hand that found its way to the back of her head, twisting in the pink locks, encouraging her to take as much as she wanted. Although part of their routine now to ensure she would come back should anything happen to her, there was no getting used to the intimacy of the act or the way it gave her the best high. She often wondered if it was his arousal possibly lingering in his blood causing the high for her, for it never failed to arouse her also.
It was as she unlatched from his wrist that his other hand skimmed up her side, carefully wiping the corners of her lips to clean them of his blood, and she shifted closer, placing a single, passionate kiss to his lips.
"Are you ready?"
Was anyone ever truly ready to die? Exhaling heavily, she offered a small smile, telling him, "I'm ready to start forever with you."
Still, reluctance showed in his movements as Itachi hesitated in ending it all for her, hands trembling while cradling her head gently, forehead thudding to hers.
"I love you," he whispered.
She didn't even feel the snapping of her neck.
Cringing at the sharp teeth that just barely missed her foot, Sakura leaped into a nearby tree and backhanded the werewolf that tried to follow her, growling hatefully down at the rest of them. They jumped and clawed at the thick trunk, attempting to reach her, but it proved impossible and she smirked triumphantly for a moment.
They had her surrounded and to make escaping them just that much harder, memories of her life with Itachi continued to torment her, playing on repeat in her mind and causing old, painful emotions to resurface. It was without a doubt his doing, and so Sakura prepared herself for yet another inevitable encounter with her ex-lover, wishing with every fibre of her being that his drudging up the past didn't make her weak against his influence.
The eggs…
Grimacing and taking a quick second to survey the area in hopes of one of the Sabaku clansmen coming to her aid, Sakura attempted to shove the thoughts of what was supposed to be their future from her mind, but it proved impossible.
Her eggs continued to be well protected even after all that time – she knew that because she'd looked into it to see how deep that cruelty of Itachi's ran. If he was capable of turning then abandoning her, taking back their promise of forever, then surely he was capable of dashing any hopes of a future too? What stopped him from destroying her eggs at that point?
But he didn't.
Until discovering the truth behind her parents' untimely deaths, Sakura had wholeheartedly believed Itachi to be an incubus, to an extent. That he'd gotten off on having his way with a weak, totally defenceless against him human, then abandoned her once he'd had his fill and essentially destroyed her life. It wasn't really so far-fetched, was it?
Yelping when a much larger wolf tore into the clearing and managed to leap considerably higher than the others, Sakura quickly stood on the branch, keeping a tight hold of the tree trunk to avoid slipping into the mouths of the salivating, rabid dogs beneath her.
Shit.
Shit.
What was she supposed to do?
Outrunning them was impossible. They had the speed advantage. Fighting them off was equally impossible, for they would never sit around and wait as she took them on one at a time.
Still, Sakura couldn't let them pass.
Mitsuki and Ino wouldn't stand a chance.
Sighing happily, she rolled her eyes shut and relished in the worshipping of her body that sent Sakura closer and closer to her own personal heaven, the undulating of her hips constant and adding to the already breath-taking licks to her heated flesh. His caresses were like an artform in the way they danced across her skin, refusing to leave an inch unloved or untouched.
They had made love many, many times while she was still human, but it was impossible not to notice the massive difference now. Everything was so intensely heightened, leaving Sakura in a constant state of awe, allowing her to appreciate every moment more deeply.
Sinful, dark eyes met hers upon reopening her own and she bit her lip, the sight of him between her thighs and lapping up the remainder of her juices sending delicious, intoxicating fire straight to her centre to keep the supply endless. The intensity of his stare was something she had yet to grow used to. Part of Sakura didn't even want to.
Uchiha Itachi was unfairly beautiful.
And he was all hers.
Overcome with the strength of her love for him, Sakura tugged insistently at Itachi's body, her head tipping back with a gasp of pleasure at his situating himself between her thighs, their bodies coming together so naturally, so effortlessly, that it shook her. It was like they were made for one another.
Almost as though his thoughts mirrored her own lovestruck ones, Itachi murmured, "There is not enough time in the world to appreciate you."
"Really?" she giggled. Hand sweeping through his hair and using it to tug his head back, she caught Itachi's eye, placing a peck on his lips. "We have forever now, Itachi."
"Forever with you will never be long enough," whispered Itachi into her ear, hands drifting up her thighs to wrap them around his waist, accommodating the first deep thrust that had her toes curling and eyes sliding shut. "Although, I suppose it is a start."
Holy fuck, that one was definitely the alpha of the pack. There was no mistaking the raw power radiating from the mutt, or the way the others surrounded him.
He was faster and considerably stronger than the rest and Sakura bit back a shriek as she hurriedly shrugged out of her leather jacket just as it was caught in the wolf's strong jaws. Luckily for her, it served to blind him temporarily while he struggled to remove it from his snout and during the time, she once more leapt into the trees, confident that the others of the pack weren't strong enough to take her on when she had a height advantage.
The alpha was her greatest concern and although originally Sakura planned to lure the pack away from the coven and Sasuke, she was now uneasy of separating herself from the Sabaku Clan, who were undoubtedly her best bet in that tricky situation. If anyone could put the pack of mutts down, then it was Gaara and his siblings.
But how did she do that?
With the situation being as chaotic as it was, she was unable to hear her lover amongst all the screams and howls.
Narrowing her hard eyes, Sakura counted nine werewolves circling the base of the tree and snarling up at her, and she snapped her teeth warningly at them all, demon eyes activated and glaring murderously down at them.
The alpha was too powerful for her even while she was juiced up on original blood – that in itself was a terrifying thought, because how powerful were the werewolves becoming for that to be the case? It shouldn't have been possible. Being the stronger supernatural creature was their only advantage over the beasts, but it appeared they didn't even have that anymore.
What's more, the alpha was in total control, she'd noted the instant their eyes met. The calculating stare down and his intelligence were unmistakable. The rest of his pack seemed to mindlessly follow his example, always allowing their hunting instincts to take full control as they threw themselves at their prey without a second thought. That one…
Sakura shifted her footing on the branch and calculated the distance between the tree she was in and the next, sturdiest looking one.
Taking down the out of control werewolves was her priority, she decided and by that point, the coven should be done with the spell.
Inhaling deeply, Sakura lunged.
So did the alpha.
"Forgive me for interrupting the ever-lasting honeymoon phase, but it appears Sasuke is back in town," sighed Shisui and he came to their side, throwing down an impressive stack of newspapers onto the table. "In typical Sasuke fashion."
Itachi's expression smoothed out, worrying her enough to reach out for the newspapers, frowning down at the headlines that jumped out of her.
"He is on another ripper binge, Itachi. We need to stop him before he garners the attention of the others."
"Ripper binge?"
Something else was lurking in the shadows. The intensity of their stare was impossible to mistake or ignore, and Sakura glanced downwards at her now bare arms, eyes narrowing at the standing of the little hairs.
They sure as hell weren't on her side – the intensity of their presence was too much. However, from the flattening of several of the wolves' ears and the snarling orders from the alpha that she couldn't understand, forcing them to refocus on her, Sakura was willing to bet the creeper wasn't a friend of theirs either. Not by choice, anyway. They were just as uneasy.
What she wanted to say was that, for now, the alpha wolf was her main priority, but only a fool would dismiss such a powerful foe skulking around and so with gritting teeth, Sakura kept tabs on the loiterer also.
Yanking a branch roughly the same thickness as her arm from its place, she snapped it in half over her knee and steadied herself, snapping back at the wolves when they continued yapping and hopping from their place at the base of the tree. Her rampant mind that threatened to lose itself in the intense moment demanded that she aimed directly for the alpha, but Sakura instantly scolded herself on such a ridiculous thought, for the alpha would no doubt expect that from her.
No, gut instinct told her to go for the mangey mutts surrounding him and without a shred of hesitancy, she hurtled one of the makeshift stakes with every ounce of strength she possessed, aiming and thankfully hitting her target of one of their throats. The force of the attack caused the werewolf to be thrown several feet away, its large head crashing into the dirt and picking up debris, and Sakura's features darkened at the howl of loss that resounded throughout the pack, no signs of playfulness lingering within her any longer. It couldn't. They would kill her.
The wolf who seemed particularly affected by the death was predictably the one who lunged, but that was not her target, rather the one who tried to stop it became her next target, tumbling on top of the deeply grieving wolf when the stake pierced its heart.
"I can keep doing this until you're the last one standing," she warned coldly. "Or you can take what's left of your pack and leave." The snarl was positively furious and followed up with a howl that echoed in her head, the sound unbearable on her sensitive ears. Still, Sakura didn't back down and to prove that she wouldn't, broke off more branches. "Neither of us have to lose anyone else."
The creeper was moving, but pretending like she hadn't picked up on them, she remained still, eyes fixed on the alpha's murderous glare.
"I know you can understand me, alpha," she called out to him directly, snapping the words. "Be a true leader and protect what's left of your pack."
By now the wails and screams of her clansmen had long since died out, replaced by their groans and weak sobs as they each waited for death to claim them. While she didn't particularly care for them, since they were only (poorly) performing their duties of shielding her anyways, Sakura knew that Ino did. Ino loved each and every one of them, not so much replacing the friends she'd lost decades ago but filling the hole that was left behind by their deaths.
Upper lip curling at the thought of her righthand woman suffering, she held out the stake, spitting, "Last warning, mongrel–"
Terror laced through her at the groaning of the tree she was situated in and too late did Sakura realise it was falling forward, all but throwing her into the salivating jaws of the wolves.
Shit!
The lurker was their ally, then. A forged ally.
Definitely an Uchiha.
White hot agony exploding from two separate body parts caused a sloppy landing as Sakura's left leg buckled beneath her, and even when she tried to cover the mishap, it was clear to all present that not just one of them, but two werewolves had managed to land fatal blows.
The alpha was slow in turning, towering over her collapsed form and licking at his lips menacingly.
Sakura gritted her teeth.
This was it…
That was…
Flinching at the piercing screams, she managed to peek inside of the room, only to blanch at the blood stained walls and furniture, spinning out of the way at the sight of the severed limbs and random body parts, demanding of herself that she remained in full control as she fought against the demon eyes that automatically awakened at the delectable scent of the massacre. What made it so much worse was that there were more innocent people in there with him, unable to escape.
That was Itachi's brother, without a doubt.
Uchiha Sasuke the Ripper.
Damn it, what did she do? How did she stop him? The first thing to go through her mind was to alert Itachi of Sasuke's whereabouts and what he was doing, but that only took her so far. That didn't save those poor, innocent people.
She couldn't let him continue tearing their town apart.
Gritting her teeth and strengthening her resolve for what she had to do, Sakura kicked out at the banister during the distractions of the screams and yanked the large pole-like wood free, tossing it in her hands a few times to try and picture what she was about to do. Being as long as it was would hopefully work in her favour, keeping the much needed distance between her and Sasuke.
Working against her, however, was the fact that she'd never been capable of harming another being before. Couldn't even bring herself to kill spiders even though they'd once terrified the living shit out of her. But…
Going against a vampire like Uchiha Sasuke, the same kind as Itachi, was laughable and absurd and downright suicidal, but she had to. She had to.
She couldn't let those people die. They were innocent.
There was no holding herself back at a girl's bloodcurdling screams and begs for mercy, and Sakura's body responded entirely by itself as she dashed into the room, ramming the pole into Sasuke's chest without a shred of hesitancy, pinning him to the ground with enhanced strength and trying her utmost not to look into those disbelieving, enraged demon eyes that promised she was going to regret her actions.
Even if it didn't kill him or keep him down for long, it kept him restrained.
Hopefully.
Whirling on the blonde girl who was scrambling backwards and leaving a trail of blood behind her, Sakura flash stepped over to her, taking mere moments to bite a sizable chunk out of her own wrist.
"Drink," she ordered desperately while glancing over her shoulder fearfully. Sasuke was still down, body covered in the protruding marks that indicated desiccation. But it wouldn't last long, she reminded herself. Looking back to the blonde, she said, "Hurry! We don't have long."
"St-Stay awa-away!" the frightened girl sobbed in the midst of her slaughtered friends. She struggled valiantly against her, but proved no match for Sakura's strength, which only added to her fear and helplessness. "P-Please…! I d-don' wan…wanna… d-die!"
"You won't," promised Sakura fiercely. Uncaring for the struggles to get away, she clutched the weakening girl closer and forced her blood into her mouth, adding, "I'm here to help you, I promise."
It was hard to tell what she looked like beneath the blood of her friends and herself, but that startlingly blue shade of her eyes that seemed impossibly brighter thanks to the blood her face was caked in, would haunt her, Sakura knew for a fact.
"You're going to be okay," Sakura assured her and brushed the stained platinum blonde hair over her shoulder, sighing with relief when she felt her blood being sucked greedily. Only when she was certain that her wounds were healed did Sakura pull back, offering a weak smile. "My name's Sakura. What's yours?"
A trembling hand came to her mouth in a daze, wiping at her lips with the back of it. "I-Ino."
Any attempts to defend herself were promptly stopped at the huge paw that pressed firmly to her chest, pinning Sakura to the ground and fuck, there was some truth to the whole life flashing before a dying person's eyes, because she was seeing it. All of it. Every damned memory, good and bad, reflecting in those razor sharp, deadly teeth that were inching closer and closer–
But just as Sakura was certain the alpha had her, that she was about to meet her maker, a powerful blast of raw magical energy slammed into the beast, tossing it into a nearby tree that collapsed beneath its weight.
"Don't hurt her!" came Yukimaru's fearful yell.
The others were quick to follow their leader when they made the mistake of lunging for the young boy, his hands lashing out angrily, defensively, creating more of those powerful blasts of energy that left small craters in the ground. That was enough to alert Sakura of the fact Yukimaru was not in control of his magic, that he was channelling another.
Gods, she hoped it was Mitsuki. She hoped that he hadn't channelled Orochimaru during a crisis.
"Yukimaru, you–"
Cutting herself off with a grimace, Sakura slapped a hand over the searing pain in her wrist and stared helplessly at the other one on her thigh, the sight of mangled flesh mixed in with blood and dirt and what material was left of that section of her jeans, turning her stomach. She could see the venom at work, forcefully pumping through her veins and turning the entry wound a horrendous yellow-white colour.
"They could spare me," he stated resolutely, jaw clenching.
"W-Who?"
"Mitsuki-kun," Yukimaru answered, thankfully knowing what she needed to know. It didn't give her total peace of mind, but it was enough for now.
Hands spreading out in preparation at the standing of the wolves, the young boy strengthened his stance before her.
"Stop," he warned.
But like hell a pack of werewolves would listen to a witch, Sakura thought with a shocking pang of worry for him (a completely new experience, since she only ever felt one emotion for Yukimaru: annoyance). Out of control wolves couldn't differentiate between friend and foe when transformed, all they saw was an obstacle that had to be taken out and with the boy being a witch, they saw him as double the threat. He was in the way of their taking her down.
"I said stop!" Yukimaru snapped when they inched closer.
Fuck, she could taste his fear in the air around them, leaving her to wonder if he would even be of any use. What frightened her the most, however (since it meant she would be disregarding her own self-preservation in order to protect him), was that she couldn't picture herself using him as a shield as she did the others in her clan and no, it wasn't because he was Mitsuki's friend or a part of a powerful coven she had to keep on the good side of.
He was just a boy.
There was absolutely no hesitance to react to their attacks, and Yukimaru's scream to stop was positively terrifying. Sakura could only stare up at his back in awe as fire erupted around them, encasing any werewolf who dared to grow too close to them without a shred of mercy. The flames came around them, twisting and spitting outwards and daring their enemies to try their luck. They were so out of control that she shifted closer to him, wrist instinctively shifting closer to her teeth just in case he needed healing.
Heavy thuds prompted Sakura to look out at their enemies, and she noted coldly that even as they tried to put the fire out themselves by rolling, they were unable to, instead left to suffer for several long, agonising moments until they eventually stopped moving. The alpha had hastily retreated, and even over the roaring flames, there was no missing the whines and howls of loss that had him screaming up at his precious moon.
The second she registered the wobbling of Yukimaru's dominant leg, she snatched him up and bolted, using the distraction of the alpha grieving to their advantage.
A tired, relieved chuckle had her glancing down stoically at Yukimaru, taking careful note of the drooping of his eyes as he fought hard to remain conscious and still stunned by the raw power and desperation to save someone like her, Sakura cradled the exhausted boy close to her chest and put her all into fleeing before more werewolves came after them.
But fate had other plans, as did the creeper who distracted her with hurtling stakes that took too much energy to dodge in her weakened state, leaving her open to the murderous alpha who descended upon her mercilessly.
Yelling out in agony at the set of teeth that clamped down on her ankle, she was unable to prevent their fall, so settled on swallowing down the bile as Sakura broke her own leg as it remained trapped in the wolf's mouth to twist around and protect the young witch from breaking the fall for her, other foot slamming powerfully into the beast's face.
Terrified blue eyes widening was the only warning Sakura received before Sasuke was up and on her, solidifying the knowledge of originals being a thousand times faster and stronger than she was. Within just a fraction of a second of his awakening registering in Ino's expression, Sakura was being held up in the air by her throat, staring down helplessly at the enraged, bloody features of Uchiha Sasuke.
"Know your place," he growled hatefully.
Whimpering at the excruciatingly slow crushing of her throat, she clawed at his wrist and kicked out, but Sasuke was unmovable. His glare was cold, made entirely out of ice as he refused to look away from the life he was draining out of hers.
"For you to go against me to save this lowly human…" Snarling, he brought her closer until his nose was skimming across her jaw, inhaling her scent and sending a horrified shiver down her spine. "What does she mean to you?"
There was no escape for her, Sakura realised quickly, but that didn't have to be the case for the girl. So, she kept as tight a hold on Sasuke as she could to confuse him before she lashed out, making him regret closing the distance between them as she rammed her thumbs into his eyes.
Instantly, the hold on her throat vanished and she dropped, but didn't for one moment let up on blinding Sasuke. She pushed forward and caused him to stumble over the pile of bodies he'd left, stomach churning horrifically when her thumbs plunged deeper, his howl of agony cutting her deeply.
"Run, Ino!" she yelled over his growls and curses. "Now–"
The agony that suddenly exploded in her chest cut Sakura off and slowly, almost reluctantly, she glanced downwards at the cause of her pain. It was like she needed the visual affirmation of what had happened before her body finally reacted, because it was only then that she began coughing up blood, all the while unable to look away from Sasuke's hand plunged deeply inside of her chest.
But he didn't end it instantly like she thought he would. No, the youngest Uchiha proved to be as ruthless as the rumours depicted by forcing Sakura to stand on buckling legs, forcing her to meet his harsh glare like he wanted to prove she couldn't hurt him. The sight of his drying blood and completely healed eyes had her growing helpless.
"P-Please…"
"Please?" he repeatedly cruelly, smirking. "Do you even know who you are talking to?"
All too well. Grimacing was all Sakura dared to do, for she knew any quick movement on her part (even if it was impossible) would only mean signing her own death certificate.
"I-Itachi's… little… lit-little brother…!"
Apparently that was absolutely the wrong thing to say, because rage shone so brightly on Sasuke's features in that moment that she truly believed she was in the presence of the embodiment of evil. His rage, mixed with the splatters of blood and the literal piles of drained innocent victims, was scorched into her mind so even as Sakura tried to look away, she was trapped by his murderous glower.
"How do you know Itachi?" he demanded lowly and she shrieked when the hold around her heart tightened, telling her that one slight slip of the hand would be the cause of her death.
That wasn't the only horrifying information, though. No, what terrified her was her inability to stop talking as her mouth moved of its own accord, telling her immediately that Sasuke had compelled her to answer him.
"He changed me," came her honest answer.
Sasuke's demon eyes awakened once more. "Why?"
"To spend forever together," she couldn't help but spill to him, inwardly cringing as it only served to push him further over the edge. "He changed me because we're in love."
"In lo–"
A yell of anger and determination had Sakura looking to Ino with terror as the blonde rushed at them with the banister she'd used previously on Sasuke.
"Get off her!"
Without even looking away from Sakura, Sasuke angled his body towards the determined human.
"No," she cried helplessly. "No, run!"
And then he ended her life with just one blow.
Just one, tiny, insignificant backhand.
But in that moment of distraction, of the gutting loss of yet another innocent life, her love intervened swiftly and unforgivingly, his demon eyes awakening at the scene before him.
One hand wrapping around Sasuke's wrist and the other his throat, Itachi muttered coldly, "Keep your hands off her."
Relief coursed through her so powerfully that Sakura almost succumbed to it.
But she couldn't. Instead, Sakura stared in awe at the remorseless decapitation of several of the wolves, barely able to keep up with the disorientating flash of red that darted around the clearing, singlehandedly and without a care for his own well-being, cutting down the wolves that had ganged up on her and Yukimaru.
And she sagged with relief when he came to an abrupt halt before them, Gaara's icy stare meeting hers for just a fraction of a second before he twisted his body to add more strength to the backhand that threw the alpha through a nearby tree, one that came crashing down on the wolf only seconds later.
"I told you not to be reckless," he admonished blandly and straightened. "Did you take on this pack to piss me off?"
She smirked weakly at that, regretfully ignoring Gaara's next order to stand as the venom that was setting her veins on fire made her sweat and tremble for the first time in half a century. All she could do was remain collapsed over Yukimaru's unconscious body, keeping her fist tangled in the material of his cloak to keep herself grounded against the searing agony.
That was the moment he realised how badly she'd fucked up, Sakura noted with a heavy heart, the flaring of his nostrils as he picked up on the scent of her blood mingling with venom feeling like a knife to the gut, the weight only doubling when his head snapped in her direction, eyes widening.
"You–"
Impossibly fast movement from behind him had her yelling, "Gaara…!"
The rage that fuelled him had Gaara uncaringly shoving aside the alpha's jaws just as they were inches away from his face, and Sakura flinched when a small amount of his blood splattered across her features, immediately bringing her attention to his hand. Apparently not feeling the sting of venom, the redhead followed up the block with a powerful slam of his foot to the wolf's chest, its yelp echoing around the clearing.
Seconds later and he was standing again, shaking it off like he hadn't just been dealt a blow that would have killed any other member of his pack.
"He's stronger than the average werewolf," muttered Gaara with a grimace, wiping the blood from the already healing wound away.
That was exactly what she had been thinking, but there was no time to go into any theories as the creeper finally left the cover of the trees, and Sakura cursed angrily at the sight of him.
"That is because Naruto-kun is considered an abomination," came the familiar voice of her former lover and Sakura couldn't help but flinch as he walked by her pitiful, collapsed form. "An imbalance of nature." The smugness of his expression was unmistakable when he came to stand comfortably by the werewolf's side, staring the pair of them down. "You see, Naruto-kun's surname is Uzumaki."
Gaara deadpanned. "The original werewolf pack."
His smirk was harsh and made her ache on the inside with the contradictory memories surging to the forefront of her mind once more. Unlike what was going through her head during the fight with Naruto, Itachi no longer wore that kind expression. He no longer looked at her lovingly.
But that made it easier separating the two.
"He is the son of Uzumaki Kushina – the first alpha wolf."
Whatever that meant – whoever Kushina was or however powerful she was – caused Gaara to fixate his stare on the larger than usual wolf, unwilling to look away from him for even a second. It had her copying his example even in her injured state, swallowing when her lover shifted before her protectively.
"Thanks to the likes of Sasuke and Orochimaru, he is the first and only of his kind."
Low, angry growling had her shifting backwards and covering Yukimaru's body with her own, nails biting into the soil.
"A hybrid – half werewolf, half vampire."
Holy shit.
"Impossible," spat Gaara hatefully.
"If that was so, you would not be as defensive as you are right now." Uncaring for whatever reply Gaara may have had, Itachi dismissed him entirely, settling Sakura with an impassive, calm stare. Saying, not asking, "You were bitten."
Self-consciously, she brought the injured arm closer to her side, but there was no hiding the ones on her thigh and ankle.
"How trusting are you of the coven you work alongside of?" he questioned blandly and approached, not caring for the warning growl or the shifting of her lover as he prepared to lash out at the threat. "Providing they are competent in fully linking your life to Sasuke's, then this will not kill you."
Coming to a brief stop in front of Gaara, Itachi locked gazes for just a single second before dismissing him once more and kneeling before her. The fact the redhead didn't lash out there and then alerted Sakura to the fact he was suffering the effects of the werewolf's venom also, his strategic mind no doubt warning him that he was better off vigilant and biding his time than unconscious and useless.
"However, do you trust their powers enough to take such a risk? This is your life on the line."
"What do you want from her?" muttered Gaara.
His infuriating smirk told her all she needed to know. Itachi had been anticipating Gaara's feelings to be strong enough for her that he wouldn't take such a reckless gamble. That way, even if he failed to get through to her, Gaara (in the eyes of others) uncharacteristically took the bait.
"Have Sasuke released from his confinement."
"N-No deal," she spat, but just as she attempted to move away, the agony that flared at the movement had her body threatening to give out, leaving her at Itachi's mercy as he caught her. Holding her close to him granted Itachi the chance to fully appreciate the wolf bites, his sigh deep and full of disappointment. "You can't heal it."
"Neither can you," he countered regretfully, his touch maddeningly gentle as he brushed his fingers over the injuries.
Summoning what was left of her strength, Sakura found she fortunately had enough of Gaara's blood remaining in her system to land a powerful enough blow to throw Itachi back over to Naruto, but it certainly came at a price. Biting back her yell of agony, she clutched desperately at the wounds that oozed with fresh blood, body trying and winning in its attempts to close in on itself.
She needed to feed to heal, was what instincts told her.
She needed to feed.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" questioned Itachi softly.
She needed to.
Now.
"Get out of her head," Gaara warned coldly, demon eyes activating.
With a trembling hand, she clutched at his pant leg, demanding her lover's attention as she demanded, "G-Get the boy… out of here."
He didn't look away from Itachi for a second, stance growing more guarded, upper lip curling at the shifting of Naruto's wolf form. It quickly became obvious that he intended to fight them both and while she didn't doubt Gaara's strength for a second, she also knew that he wasn't at full strength and soon enough (if it hadn't already), the venom would start affecting his way of thinking and temporarily shut down his body.
Sakura knew it was already screwing with her mind.
Fighting her natural instinct to sink her teeth into the boy behind her, she struggled forward to try and get away from him, body visibly shaking from the exertion. But she was stopped harshly from progressing any further as her lover shifted in front of her once more, his fists clenching as he prepared himself to go against the trembling hybrid.
"I will make you a deal, Sakura," taunted Itachi, using the very same tone she'd used while backing him into a corner. "I will heal your wounds and spare whatever lives of your clan remains."
"You cannot heal a wolf's bite unless you have a syphon on your side," Gaara called his bluff.
She couldn't look away from the shifting of Naruto's form, forcing herself to clamber to her knees only to crash down to the ground again due to the pain, grimacing. In that time, she missed the transformation, leaving Sakura in a state of disbelief when she looked up once more to find not the humongous wolf, but instead a blond haired, entirely naked boy staring back at her, his features a complete opposite from the intimidating stature of his wolf form.
"It's true, Itachi can't heal you guys, but my blood can," said Naruto, purposely not making a move towards them to show he meant no harm. The only time he moved was to accept Itachi's blazer, covering himself half-heartedly. "Just… Release Sasuke."
"Release…?"
Gaara always astounded her with his shows of strength – both physically and mentally – but she couldn't help but admire him now more than ever. Even with the wolf's venom coursing through his veins, creating the same inescapable agony that she was also suffering through, he remained upright and determined in front of her, refusing to back down or give even an inch of ground. How did he do it? Even with his power in her system, she couldn't handle it.
"Tell me why I should believe your implausible words," muttered Gaara disdainfully and automatically shifted when she did, always keeping her behind him. "If you truly are one of a kind, that makes you more powerful than us originals. Why work alongside them like they aren't the ones who damned you to this lifestyle? Treating you as nothing more than a guard dog to do their bidding?"
The words had a visible effect on him, Sakura realised and not for the first time, she marvelled over her lover's oftentimes infuriating ability (only when used against her, of course) to push the buttons of his victims as he toyed with them. No matter who they were or how powerful they were, the redhead possessed that sharpened talent to pick away at his prey, to break them down mentally.
"Vampires are the despised enemy of werewolves," he pushed harder. "What did your pack think of your becoming a hybrid?" Sneering, Gaara questioned, "Your own mother and alpha?"
Blue eyes averted, guilt making him scowl.
"Regardless," Itachi interjected dispassionately and looked straight to her, finding her eye so effortlessly just as he always had. "You will be dead within a day or so. Is that what you want?"
The weight of more memories assaulting her mind had Sakura wincing, one hand flying up to her head like that alone could help her fight off Itachi's mind games. They were impossible not to live through all over again and like it was just moments ago that he left her, the anguish of the supposed love of her life abandoning her, tossing aside their plans of forever, had her crying out.
"I… wa-want to live…!" rasped Sakura, body visibly trembling and sweating from the effects of the venom.
"Then live," Naruto snapped disbelievingly. "There is no need for all this hatred and pain."
That rage she relied so heavily on was stoked by Gaara's nudging her out of her pitiful position, granting her a last burst of energy, of strength, allowing her to spit hatefully at him, "Sasuke tore my parents… to pieces and Itachi covered it up!" Sucking in a sharp breath, Sakura yelled, "That's before tearing apart the town I call home. Don't t-tell me there's no need… for this."
He flinched like she'd struck him.
"As I suspected, the venom is nullifying our blood," stated Itachi and he sighed. "You are now about as powerful as an ordinary vampire, if that considering your weakened state."
And Gaara couldn't even feed her again because of the venom in his own blood.
Nails scraping in the dirt as Sakura struggled to regain even an ounce of her dignity, she shakily climbed to her feet, pitifully strengthening her stance when the injured leg tried to give out on her the moment any weight was put on it.
"What will you do, Sakura?" Itachi twisted the words back on her and she sucked in a sharp breath as their moments flashed in her mind. Not the painful ones, but the ones that had her falling so hard for him. Somehow those hurt even greater. "Continue to be stubborn and spend your last twenty-four hours in agony, or will you release my brother to save your own life?
It mortified Sakura when tears stung her eyes mercilessly, giving her no choice but to break the promise to herself that she would never again shed another tear over the man who'd so ruthlessly broken her heart.
"Sakura?" he murmured manipulatively, voice soft and soothing and finally matching up to the memories. Sinful eyes held onto her gaze and she dropped at the mental onslaught, hands clutching her head. "…My one and only love?"
Gaara's upper lip curled when she squeezed her eyes shut, the venom finally making him shake. Or was that his anger? "Leave her."
But he didn't. Instead, he called out quietly, "What happened to our forever?"
It was right there. Right within reach. All she had to do was reach out–
Smirking nastily, her lover warned, "You will regret all of this."
"Just as I regret leaving you behind, Sakura," came his final nail in the coffin.
It didn't surprise her when Gaara relaxed out of his defensive stance at the opening of her eyes, nor did it shock her when he looked at said eyes appreciatively, the wickedness in his gleam unmistakable.
Itachi's features deadpanned.
"Don't be so shocked, Itachi. After all… you've pushed me to this before," Sakura taunted, nodding once to Gaara as he aided her in standing. After all, just because she couldn't feel the unbearable agony of the venom anymore, it didn't mean she wasn't suffering. No, the pain was still there. Just manageable now without her pesky emotions magnifying it all. "Only this time, you have sealed your own brother's fate."
"The humanity switch," Naruto noted with a tinge of helplessness to his tone. He looked to the now stoic Uchiha, demanding angrily, "What the hell are we supposed to do now? What happens to Sasuke?"
Gaara finally tore his gaze away from admiring the coldness of hers, telling them both, "You say your goodbyes to Sasuke."
A/N - I decided to post this chapter a little earlier than I intended because it's my birthday tomorrow and it's something I'm loving writing for at the minute, so it's been like a little treat to me. Well that and I've been ordered to free up the whole week, so I couldn't continue working on the chapter on top of the other updates this week.
Thank you all so much for your support on this story!