Trigger warning: blood, scenes of torture, death and sex
She was grateful Gaara chose not to linger.
It was at her unspoken insistence that his clan accompanied Ino and the coven back to the mansion, the blonde promising to return with fresh supplies and blood once she was absolutely certain that the coven was safe.
But it wasn't concern for those she cared for that almost had her in a zombified state. With the Sabaku clan remaining at the mansion just in case of any surprise attacks, in addition to Itachi and Shisui practically on leashes due to her being trapped with Sasuke and Naruto, she knew everyone was as safe as they could be in their predicament. Hell, the one in the most danger in that moment in time was most likely her.
Like that even mattered, though.
No, the real issue she faced was not wanting any of them to witness the new mess that she was in.
Staring at the jagged wall opposite her in a trancelike state, Sakura was unable to hear the mutters of the two men she was imprisoned with. Their bickering was constant and lasted throughout the night, like they couldn't or didn't want to listen whenever she demanded that they shut up. She supposed it worked in her favour. That way they didn't notice where her head was at either.
From the bits and pieces that Sakura was able to make out in the beginning, she knew that Sasuke was pissed about how easily Naruto fell for her seduction (and for not being upset in the least after she drank a great deal of his blood), though the main cause for their arguing was their being trapped in the prison. It was triggering the worst pacing and irritability from the blond, who soon chose to remain as close to the entrance as he could get like it brought him some form of comfort. Masochistic of him, if she was being perfectly honest. Why torture oneself with such a view when they weren't going to be able to cross the threshold for an entire month?
Only blinking when she felt the burn of her eyes drying out from her staring, Sakura did all she could to quell the emotions threatening to take a hold of her without succumbing to the call of the humanity switch – the reasoning behind her nearly dissociative state.
Remember everything, my love.
…She didn't want to.
Before Itachi's compulsion – or the undoing of his first compulsion, she supposed was more accurate – everything was simple. Her life was simple. Hate the Uchiha Clan for all that they'd done, protect Konoha with everything she had. Live and thrive and be happy.
"Oi."
Remember everything.
That damned bastard just had to turn her humanity on as he compelled her to remember all he'd made her forget and cling onto, didn't he? The deceit, his warped protection–
Yelping when a rock struck her at the side of the head and promptly awoke her from the dissociation, Sakura swiftly rose to her feet and snarled at the sensation of blood trickling down her features. Not that it really made much difference to her already battered appearance.
"What the hell is your problem?" she demanded of Sasuke, grabbing the rock that'd hit her and preparing for launching it at him with everything she had. "This hurts you too, moron."
Uncaring for the threat that lingered in the air, the also bloody Uchiha daringly turned his back on her (no doubt comforted by the fact that Gaara's blood was now out of her system) and stalked over to the top of the stairs.
None of them had ventured beyond the stairs, choosing to keep the doorway in their peripheral at all times even though that meant sitting in one another's presence. Already, the atmosphere was sickeningly heavy, particularly at night since there were obviously no lights, leaving them trapped in the dark with the spirits of the oppressed and their oppressors.
"Bastard…!"
"Sakura."
Blinking in surprise and forgetting her anger instantly, she spun to greet her righthand woman warmly, smiling gratefully at the sight of her.
Gods, Ino was a sight for sore eyes (even though it'd barely even been half a day) and Sakura almost shook with her excitement as a large duffel bag was nudged across the barrier with the aid of a stick. The first item she pulled from the bag was a pair of thigh high heels and she immediately looked to the blonde appreciatively, hugging the boots close to her chest.
"Finally," she muttered and dropped back to her behind, seeing as her jeans were already in tatters.
"You'll also find plenty of your secret stash in there," Ino informed her with a knowing dip of her chin. "I made a supply run before coming here."
Gaara.
Looking over her shoulder would give it away, so Sakura pretended to busy herself with rummaging through the bag, secretly glancing up to read Ino's expression to see what the other two were doing behind her. It was way too silent, meaning they were no doubt listening in on their conversation and Sakura could tell from the flash of irritation in her blue eyes that she was right.
"This month is going to drag," came her righthand woman's disheartened whine. Crouching opposite her, she looked to what Sakura presumed were the two men, before back at her with a pout. "I'll keep coming by regularly–"
"No, don't," she said absently, distracted by the feel of blood bags.
After the hellish night of battles, listening to Sasuke and Naruto's bitching and having her mind essentially fucked over, it was safe to say Sakura was almost ravenous with her thirst. She was by no means a ripper and had exemplary control while feeding, but Gaara's blood – no, her lover as a whole was intoxicating as hell.
Tearing open one bag of Gaara's blood, she guzzled it down greedily, refusing to acknowledge the trembling of her hands around the plastic packaging. Only once she'd finished the bag did she look back to Ino, licking the blood from her lips hungrily.
"Stay with the coven and our clan," Sakura instructed once she was sated. Eyebrows knitting together briefly in a show of concern that she was quick to mask, she muttered, "Don't leave the mansion unless it's urgent."
They had to move forward with the assumption of there being a target on Ino's back for her connection to her. Assuming Madara and the others knew of her importance within the clan and how close the pair of them were, then he would interrogate the blonde. Sakura would rather die than have one of the most important people in her life be subjected to Madara's torture.
"But you'll need supplies," Ino tried to argue, frowning prettily. She shuffled as close as she could get without crossing the invisible barrier, glancing downwards when Sakura started searching for clean clothes. "There isn't even a week's worth in there."
"I will make it work," she assured her.
"Sakura–"
"If it comes down to it, you can send Gaara." Huffing in amusement once she found another pair of jeans, she added wryly, "I know he's itching to tear into something."
Just thinking of how frustrated her lover must have been in that moment was enough to chip away at her awful mood. While Gaara hadn't hesitated to leave and hadn't argued with the decision, Sakura could tell from the subtle twitching of his left eye that he was furious.
Selfishly, she wished he'd said to hell with them all and joined her in the prison. But Sakura knew that she wasn't the only one who was massively impressed with his consideration. Rather than go along with what he wanted, Gaara picked up on what she needed and got on with protecting the coven and Ino.
"Don't even joke about that," muttered Ino with a faint waver of distress to her tone that had Sakura snickering. "Temari-san's all but locked him in your bedroom and said it's for our protection. He's so…"
Smirking when the sentence trailed off, she tried, "Angry? Vicious? Bloodthirsty?"
"Petrifying," the blonde answered, shuddering. "I can barely stand to be in his presence."
Laughing heartily, Sakura stood up after she'd managed to find an entire outfit, the ruined vest top that was once white but was now a dull grey with splotches of dirt and blood being removed in one swift movement. She tossed it to the ground without a care and feeling eyes on her (and knowing her suspicions were correct due to the warning narrowing of Ino's), she removed her jeans much slower, pretending to be annoyed by the dirt on the bottom of her foot as she bent over to deal with it.
The harsh smack of somebody being hit over the head had Sakura hiding a vicious smirk behind her hair, but the angered snarl was what appeased her the greatest.
Maybe the next month wouldn't be so bad after all?
They didn't know she had Gaara's blood back in her system – or maybe they suspected that she did, not that it really mattered. Either way, Sakura was able to defend herself if they turned on her (not to mention she was still linked to Sasuke and if her suspicions of the nature of his relationship with Naruto were correct, then the blond wouldn't want to risk hurting him), so what was stopping her from causing a little tension between the two men? She needed something to toy with otherwise the next month would drag, as Ino had already pointed out.
"Gaara's not so bad once you get to know him," Sakura finally replied to her righthand woman, and winked at her knowing shake of the head.
"I think I'll keep my distance and stay at acquaintances."
Probably for the best, really. Had Gaara not been so fond of her, then Sakura knew he would have killed her a thousand times over by now for some of the things she'd said and done.
It seemed she had no choice but to live in jeans and camisoles until they were freed, and Sakura couldn't help but grimace at the thought of going unwashed for so long. Going without food and water didn't matter to her – she was dead. Duh. But washing…
"I packed water wipes as well as toiletries," Ino said, seemingly reading her mind. "I wasn't sure if there'd be any washing stations down there."
Not that any of them wanted to explore. It was almost an unspoken agreement between the three of them. "Thanks, Ino."
There wasn't really much that could be said and Sakura filled the awkward lapse into silence by distracting herself once more with scavenging through the duffel bag. Too much was playing on her mind to try and have a semblance of a meaningful conversation with Ino – the blonde would listen diligently and respond with equal amounts honesty on her stance on the whole messy situation, but to do so in front of the two behind her was difficult. At least, talking about her emotions was.
It wasn't the first time those deep blue eyes settled on the drying blood coating the side of her face and Sakura knew that it wouldn't be the last, but it was the first time Ino showed such frustration towards their situation since the night before. Said feelings prompted her to ask with a sigh of irritation, "What can I do?"
They'd been separated many times over their past fifty or so years together, but always voluntarily and under the impression that it wouldn't be for long. Even her chase with Gaara didn't keep them parted for extended periods of time, although the visits were usually sporadic and fleeting. To have Sakura cooped up in a prison with the same ripper bastard who'd slaughtered all her friends – both fifty years ago and days ago – was no doubt a major cause of frustration and anxiety for Ino. What made it even harder to digest was Naruto's involvement, since Sasuke had proven pretty well the night before that he could withstand werewolf's venom to a degree.
What Ino needed was a role that would keep her occupied for the next month. Saying protect the coven and herself was all well and good for Sakura, but that meant the blonde was also imprisoned for the next month also. But what else could she do? Allow her closest and dearest friend to essentially put herself in harm's way by going out in the open? Where she could be harmed by the Uchiha Clan?
She'd done her damned best to keep knowledge of Ino and Mitsuki from them. Only Itachi, Shisui and Sasuke should have known about the pair, however, the others were not against compelling or even torturing innocents to get information. All they would have to do was question a few of the locals to know who was nearest and dearest (although luckily, nobody knew about Mitsuki).
Despite knowing how the next month would bother Ino, Sakura said with only a small amount of regret, "Keep protecting the coven." And due to her souring mood, she finally had enough of the silence behind her and spared a glance over her shoulder, only to glare in cold warning when she found Naruto watching them curiously. Within seconds of their locking gazes, she activated her demon eyes and narrowed them on his, forcing him to gulp nervously and turn away much to his companion's annoyance. Sakura looked back to Ino with said eyes deactivating. "Don't let anyone other than Gaara near them. And…"
Frowning, Ino asked, "And…?"
Much too aware of the eyes boring into her, she requested softly, "Have Mitsuki-kun send a message to Itachi."
"Saying?" came Sasuke's predictable too calm demand.
"That we have a lot to talk about," she muttered in response and once more glared over her shoulder, ensuring not an ounce of how she was feeling was on show. "Starting with his compulsion."
"Last night?" Naruto questioned and frowned. "He did it because we were taking too long–"
"Not last night." Looking directly to Sasuke, she said coldly, "He compelled me when you guys were leaving town and last night, he undid it."
"Intentionally?" demanded Ino.
The news clearly troubled Sasuke – she could tell by the way his brows furrowed by the tiniest amount before smoothing out. It was too smooth, too calm and completely belied the overemotional monster that she knew him to be.
Storing that piece of knowledge aside for later use, Sakura dismissed the two men behind her to focus on Ino again and raised a single eyebrow that asked if she noticed it too. From the subtle dipping of her chin that was masked by flipping her luscious hair back, she got her answer and they silently promised with their eyes to keep their guards up around the Uchiha clan.
"Go," she ordered sternly and shouldered her duffle bag. "And if you still feel at odds with leaving, send one of the Sabaku clan back with supplies. Assume that godforsaken clan is watching your every move."
Torn but shoving the emotion aside after a few moments, her righthand woman nodded once in acceptance. "See you in a month, then."
Sakura didn't say her goodbyes or share any further hints at where her mind was at. To let Ino know the truth would cause the woman worry, which always made her reckless.
Although she wasn't sired to her, Ino had always gone above and beyond for Sakura. At first, she'd done so under the premise that she was indebted to her after she'd risked her life trying to save the blonde's, but over time (not even a long time, either), it became apparent that Ino fought so ferociously, so protectively, because she cherished their bond.
While Sakura despised the thought of having anything that remotely resembled such a toxic relationship, she wholeheartedly believed she and Ino possessed something akin to Itachi and Sasuke's relationship. Of course, they were better at it, though.
"I don't know what it is that you're planning," started Sasuke, only to pause until she languidly glanced over her shoulder at him. He didn't deserve more acknowledgment than that. "But you won't get whatever it is you need out of Itachi. If it's closure that you're looking for, move on already."
Shockingly, the words weren't cold or filled with any negative emotions – the first time he'd ever spoken to her without hatred or anger or envy. It even surprised Naruto, from the looks of things, to hear such sincerity in his tone.
And because that freaked her the hell out (because Sasuke was the monster who'd slaughtered her parents who'd only just started their peaceful retirement that they'd earned after decades of service), Sakura reacted in a totally healthy, mature way.
She slapped herself harshly across the face, inhaling deeply at Sasuke's head snapping sideways.
"That's for throwing a rock at my face."
"Oi."
Glancing up from painting her nails a fresh, vibrant shade of green, Sakura met the sheepish gaze of Naruto, narrowing fractionally in question when he slid down the wall opposite her.
He seemed completely uncaring for flashing her – given how old he was, Sakura supposed he'd grown used to being naked and having others see him naked. However, that didn't mean she appreciated or wanted to have to look at his flaccid manhood, her eyes automatically drawn to the appendage since it remained in her line of view even when focusing on her nails.
Out of pity for his equally shitty situation (and partly because she was sick of seeing it), she returned the varnish brush to its small jar and reached into her duffel bag with the hand not yet painted, tossing him the fluffy comforting bathrobe Ino had packed for her.
"Why haven't they brought you clothes yet?" she questioned blandly and spared a glance up at Sasuke, who merely stared in response, refusing to answer. "Surely you own some, right?"
Leaving him in just Itachi's blazer was inhumane, especially considering they were the bastards who'd dragged him into their mess. At the very least, they could have sent the guy a pair of underwear or pants in general.
"Thanks," he said rather than answered the questions, not thinking twice about shedding the blazer and tossing it to the ground between them.
Unfortunately for her that stirred up two different scents – one of which sent her mind careening into the past, clinging to her old life with Itachi and she fiercely fought the memories back, doing all that she could to mask the reaction from her features. It was the second scent, Naruto's, that guided her back down to reality for it was such a pungent stench that it instantly turned her stomach.
"You smell like a wet dog," she muttered and once more opened her nail varnish, thankful for it covering the other smells.
Snickering, the blond asked while shouldering her bathrobe, "Does that mean I get to keep this?"
"Consider it the only apology you'll get for my being so greedy last night."
His grin was wide and shockingly infectious, though she did all she could to hide her own that tried to respond to his. "Then I'll cherish it forever."
The silence wasn't uncomfortable or unbearable while she continued to paint her nails, however she was acutely aware of their gazes fixed on the purposeful strokes of the brush. Pretending that she wasn't aware was a ridiculously difficult task and so she showed her irritation in a single, annoyed exhale.
"Just spit it out if you have something to say."
Naruto's cheerfulness simmered at the order, and it was the first time that he showed his true age, Sakura realised. She finished off the final pinkie nail and returned the nail varnish to her bag, head tilting in intrigue. It was quite the unusual sight considering how young his appearance really was and if Sakura was to estimate the age he was turned, she would say eighteen at the youngest. To have him sitting opposite her looking like an ancient but weirdly wise veteran was… Well, weird.
"Is confronting Itachi right now the best idea?" he questioned without any hesitancy on his part, which she commended. Up until that point Naruto had seemed pretty submissive – when it came to her, that was. "None of us know where that guy's head is at–"
"Naruto–"
Glaring up at Sasuke's interruption, she muttered disdainfully, "Let him talk."
Naruto offered a small, thankful smile before it slipped away with a heavy sigh. "I won't pretend like I know everything that's gone on – apparently, I don't even know the half of it," he added in his own annoyed mutter, also looking to Sasuke coldly. "But I do know that last night, we both…" His head fell back to the stone wall with a loud thud, and blue eyes shut in a grimace. "We both lost a lot of good people. Is it really worth pushing forward at this point?"
She didn't feel bad for having a part in wiping out his pack. After all, Sakura had warned Naruto and offered him a way out. Their deaths were on him, just as her own clansmen's were on her. And like with his pack, she did not feel a shred of remorse for her clansmen's deaths either, for she'd warned them from the very beginning what their lives meant to her and what their joining them the night before could entail. They chose to accompany her and paid for that decision with their lives.
Packs were extremely different to clans, from what she'd gathered over the past fifty or so years. Packs were about unity and family. Clans – her own especially – were about numbers and strength. They were a literal army fighting for and protecting their territory at that point. Packs simply didn't do that and were more about protecting one another, fending for their young. They were a community.
For Naruto to disregard his community's well-being the night before, all for the sake of protecting Uchiha Sasuke, was perhaps one of the reasons why he was where he was now.
"I offered you an out last night," Sakura responded calmly and folded her legs in front of herself. "You chose to keep coming at me knowing I had originals and an entire coven on my side."
Guilt had his jaw clenching and eyes dropping to the ground between them.
"What were you expecting to happen?" she questioned at his despondent silence, frustrated because this guy – this man – was at least a thousand years old too, just like the other originals. Surely, he wasn't as naïve as he seemed? "That I wouldn't fight to protect what's mine?"
Aware of Sasuke moving, Sakura looked to him from her peripheral, gaze narrowing suspiciously when he dropped to the ground beside Naruto, their shoulders brushing briefly and confirming her previous suspicions. It was evident from the way the blond's head tried to drop to Sasuke's shoulder that he found comfort from the gesture and wanted more of it but wouldn't allow himself to seek it. Was it because of her presence?
"We have both lost a lot," Sakura agreed quietly, sighing when Naruto reluctantly looked to her like a kicked puppy. "But this isn't the first time I've lost people because of that clan. In my heart, I know last night wasn't the last time either. There will never be a last time – not until they eventually kill me too."
And Sasuke's silence proved that hunch to be true, much to Naruto's visible disappointment. But because Sakura had suspected as much, she didn't show the way it disheartened her. No, she used it to strengthen her resolve for that bastard's eventual arrival – if he even had the balls to turn up, that was. It certainly seemed as though he was taking his sweet time.
"Don't blame me for fighting to protect the precious few that I have left," she concluded softly, seriously. Meeting Sasuke's stoic gaze and belatedly realising this was the closest they'd ever physically been without attacking one another, Sakura added, "You've already taken enough from me."
It still hurt thinking of her parents. The first memory she recalled when thinking back to their final days was how excited they were to show off their cabin out in the woods, and it was always warped by the heart wrenching questions such as how long did they actually get to spend there before being slaughtered? After slaving away for decades and giving their all for their town, did they feel at peace in the end? Were they content with their lives? How badly had they suffered?
They were pensioners who'd only just started their retirements. The kinds of people who never skipped out on their taxes, who tipped generously, who did their best to make everyone feel at home and welcome. Despite their hectic schedules, they volunteered at hospitals and care homes and cared so deeply that to that day, it continued to shake her. Sakura had yet to meet anyone who reached the high standards of her parents and pessimistically, she knew she never would. There would never be two greater people. She'd yet to find anyone to restore her faith in humanity like they had.
So forgive her for so effortlessly falling into the darkness. For despising the world and those in it. For stooping to such unforgivable levels to try and protect the town that her most precious people had adored and fought for. Grief changed a person.
She wasn't half the person they were and honestly, Sakura was okay with that, because their deaths proved to her that it didn't matter if a person was good or bad. Cruelty and death spared no one. They had lived their whole lives being the best kind of people imaginable yet had died in the most horrific way.
Shutting her eyes at their defensive gazes when the visible effects the thoughts were having on her caught their attention, Sakura willed her demon eyes to deactivate, grounding herself back to the moment by feeling grateful that she hadn't smudged her nail varnish while clenching her fists.
"You said I killed them during that same ripper binge – the first one you witnessed."
Surprised that he'd even said anything, Sakura looked to Sasuke and frowned at his contemplative expression. "It was confirmed that they died around the time you tore apart those college students."
He nodded once, slowly like he was in deep thought. "I remember the faces of everyone I have ever killed. Their names too."
She was on her feet in an instant. The battle to remain in control long lost and her demon eyes reactivated, glaring down on him furiously, but Sasuke didn't move an inch and calmly met her livid stare. Even when Naruto stood over him protectively, he remained unmoved until he waved dismissively for the blond to stand down.
"Where the hell are you going with this, you sick fucking bast–"
"I don't recall the name Haruno."
Her upper lip curled and Gods, she could feel her entire body trembling. "That's because you're insane and probably forgot–"
"I don't forget."
Her jaw clenched to the point where her teeth ached.
"…I can never forget."
Dejectedly, Naruto leaned back against the wall and buried his chin into the thick collar of her bathrobe.
Sasuke stood with an air of weariness that had her growing more defensive, because for over fifty years, she'd envisioned him as the monster who'd destroyed her life. Uchiha Sasuke was supposed to be a bloodthirsty menace who took and murdered and–
"Stop playing games with me," she ordered in a shaking, low growl.
"I'm just as confused as you are," he pointed out without a care for her unravelling. "If I did kill your parents–"
"You did!"
Just as she took a threatening step towards him, Sasuke had her pinned to the wall. One hand locked her jaw to shut her up more than anything else, other firmly pressing her hips back. The strength behind the seemingly pointless restraining hold was surprising, for it was extremely lacking compared to the other originals. Why had she never noticed that before? Why did it take Mitsuki pointing it out the night before for her to notice?
Why was he weaker than the rest?
"After Itachi stopped me from killing you, you know that he had me locked away in a coffin and forced me to go cold turkey, just as he has many times in the past. Just as he will in the future." Snarling with annoyance, he pushed against her more harshly and muttered disdainfully, "Look at the facts, you loose cannon. It wasn't me."
But…
The only thing keeping her up when her knees grew weak was Sasuke, and Sakura despised herself for showing such a level of vulnerability in front of him.
"Then… Who…?" she whispered, heart in her throat.
How much of her memory was a lie? What exactly had Itachi planted in her head when he compelled her and was that also undone like the rest of it was? What was she even supposed to believe in that moment?
Was she in the wrong? Had she been going after the wrong person all along?
She was conflicted between recoiling in disgust from his touch and feeling thankful that he kept her standing without making it obvious, because without a doubt, collapsing completely was shameful.
"That is what I'm going to find out once we're out of here," came Sasuke's surprising vow. Looking down on her, he said, "I will not sit back and let somebody use me as their pawn. Not even Itachi."
Naruto nodded once in agreement, features almost scarily grave.
Everything was a lie.
It was all a fucking lie.
So far, the only person from the Uchiha clan to share the truth was Sasuke – a total contradiction to everything she'd ever learned about him.
Her mind was a shitshow. A pile of mush. If Sasuke was no longer the monster she knew him to be, then where did that leave her? What was she protecting Konoha from at that point? What actually caused their town to fall into such a state of poverty and defencelessness?
No, Sasuke had still done that. He was still the cause of their despair. That ripper binge was still very much real, and lives were lost – it was merely two names, two faces, lighter than what it once was.
Sakura wanted that to not mean something. Her head screamed at her to let it not mean something. But…
Grateful for the darkness that they'd been submerged in hours ago once the sun set, she shut her eyes and allowed just one tear to fall. That was all she would allow for now while out in the open and so vulnerable.
The bigger picture, Sakura reminded herself while attempting to rein in that cold persona she'd adopted over the past half a century. Regardless of whether he was the one to kill her parents or not did not matter. Their deaths… couldn't matter. They couldn't change anything.
Konoha was the priority.
Still, she couldn't stop from curling in on herself, features scrunching up as the strain to remain silent made her chest and shoulders shake.
How pitiful, she scolded herself. Crying in front of the enemy.
She fucking hated herself.
It was two days later when Itachi finally darkened the doorway, tossing a large bag filled with supplies not just for the two men, but surprisingly for her too.
Like hell she would go near any of it though and to prove she wasn't grateful in the slightest, she remained propped up against the wall, glaring at the man who'd wrecked her life from the corner of her eye.
It'd been three days altogether since she ordered Mitsuki to send a summons to Itachi. She'd had three days to plan what she wanted to say or do, but it proved to be all for nought. All Sakura could do was sit there angrily, silently seething about the lies that he'd carelessly tossed her into.
"Thanks, Itachi," murmured Naruto tiredly. The first thing he did was rip open a pouch of blood only to pause just as he brought it to his lips, frowning over at Sasuke's struggle. "Sasuke–"
"Just drink, dobe," he muttered, but the strain in his voice was obvious to them all. His need to binge was at risk of overwhelming him. She wondered what was causing him to unravel so rapidly, though decided after just a moment that she truly didn't care. "Take as much as you need."
Unfortunately for her, she too was experiencing the side effects of his withdrawal and a couple of times already, Sakura was tempted to hand over her secret stash. However, she wasn't an idiot. There was a reason why the ripper in Sasuke hadn't stolen it from her.
He knew it wasn't human blood, unlike Naruto who'd repeatedly tried his luck in sweet talking her into sharing.
Naruto was quick to empty three whole pouches before he let out a relieved sigh, eyes rolling shut. He blindly held out the bag to Sasuke who snatched it away, stunning Sakura with the shaking of his hands as he struggled against his ripper urges. But like any addict when they were in the withdrawal phase and offered their beloved drug, he quickly caved and she saw the way Itachi looked away from his younger brother, eyebrows almost knitting together at the animalistic, low growls that came from him.
Wisely, she kept her distance from Sasuke while he fed. She'd learned long ago not to interrupt him.
"You wished to see me?"
Jaw clenching, Sakura rolled her head back against the stone wall in Itachi's direction, offering nothing in her expression as she muttered lowly, "I did."
Her nerves were rapidly being trodden on and she was down to her very last few – the lack of patience exacerbated by Sasuke's withdrawal. The realisation of her parents' deaths not being by Sasuke's hand but by someone who was framing him, using them like they were nothing more than pieces in a game of chess, had started the dwindling of her patience. The state of her poor hair lit a fuse beneath her already flaring temper. The never ending itch and eventual burning of her throat that demanded she fed right now set her blood on fire and caused physical tremors just like Sasuke's. Living like a fucking animal was–
"Sakura."
She stood up slowly, still very much aware of Sasuke's binging – impossible not to when he was already six pouches deep and didn't appear to be letting up any time soon – and refusing to provoke him. She'd come across several rippers in her lifetime and knew that while they were extremely dangerous in their own right, they couldn't hold a candle to how absolutely lethal Sasuke really was.
Holding her head high, Sakura approached the doorway and met Itachi's eye without faltering, even though the beast within her wanted to tear him to pieces for what he'd done to her. Abandonment was one thing. Warping her mind with his lies and forcing her live a life that she wasn't even sure was hers anymore, was… It was too far.
Was she becoming unhinged? Honestly? Sakura inhaled deeply to try and quell the ferocious raging fire within, distracting herself by spinning her mother's ring around her finger, but that only proved to heighten the already dangerous fury.
"You're lucky I can't get out of here," was the first thing she said, and Sakura could tell that Itachi believed every word of it.
He nodded once in agreement, jaw clenching.
"Did you mean to do it?" she quietly demanded, voice wavering with her weak composure. "Undo your first compulsion?"
There was no way for him not to be aware of what he'd done. While their time together was short in comparison to everything else, Sakura had always known how intelligent her ex-lover was. He hadn't spent a thousand years sitting on his ass and using brute force to get his way – no, Itachi was crafty and manipulative. Even without using compulsion on others, he could bend them to his will to get what he wanted. Forever ten steps ahead of everyone else and at the rare times when he wasn't, when he was forced into a corner with seemingly no way out, he still managed to twist the situation, to turn the tables, to work in his favour. He was extremely powerful sure, however it was his intelligence that they needed to be concerned about. He always had some kind of plan.
Itachi inhaled deeply but didn't look away from her rage. She wasn't sure if the stare down made her angrier or not. "No."
Her left eye twitched. "Why?"
She'd had three days altogether to play around with scenarios. Ranging from his being on vervain and being too weak to remain in full control of his compulsion, to somehow not being at full strength some other way (like too thirsty, for example). But that made no sense because of his little pet – he should have been well sated.
But the paleness of his skin and the dark circles under his eyes said different.
Somehow, Itachi had been strong enough to briefly fight against Madara back in the bar. So why wasn't he now? Why wasn't he the night before? It wasn't even about relying on werewolves to complete the rescue mission – hell, it was a brilliantly unpredictable move, even she could admit that.
"Answer me!"
"Sakura-chan," Naruto tried.
She shrugged out of his hold just as his hand came to her shoulder, despising the fact that her enemy was showing her any semblance of kindness after all they'd done.
"You compelled me to forget," she accused, jaw setting.
"I did."
Apparently fourteen pouches of blood took the edge off his hunger, for Sasuke finally managed to breathe easy and met Itachi's eye, accusing, "You let somebody frame me for a crime I didn't commit."
"Sasuke–"
"All this time I hated this girl believing she was the reason we didn't have our home anymore, but you were the cause behind it this whole time," he seethed quietly and tossed the final pouch to the ground. "Who killed them?"
What was going through Itachi's head? What the hell was he playing at? Sakura was frustrated to know that she couldn't figure him out or read even a small fraction of his impassive expression. She'd hoped for him to show some form of discomfort at the discovery of hers and Sasuke's revelations, but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
It was making her antsy as hell.
He definitely had something planned.
"What is the point in hiding shit at this point?" demanded Naruto angrily. "Look at what your lies have done up until now! They've been at each other's throats thinking they were enemies, when really, they've both been played by you."
"Don't get it twisted," Sakura murmured dangerously and looked to the fuming blond, eyebrow raising. "Sasuke is still my enemy. He's still a threat to Konoha."
"You–"
"Look at him," she interrupted him swiftly and without a care. "Ruled by his ripper tendencies. I can feel his madness now and what this does to him. I don't want that danger in my town. Those people trust me to protect them."
Just because he wasn't the one to kill her parents didn't mean he was off her hit list. Perhaps they had a common enemy. Maybe they would even team up somewhere down the line, if only to take down said common enemy. But she had a deal with Sarutobi to uphold, a town to protect and precious people who needed her. She wasn't about to lose anyone else.
Returning her attention to the stoic Uchiha on the other side of the barrier, Sakura squared her shoulders and told him, "I don't know what you're hoping to pull by unlocking those memories – whether you're trying to stir up old feelings to gain some kind of hold over me or whatever. However, just know that this changes nothing, Itachi."
If he was saddened by the news was a mystery to her because he refused to give anything away. However, she had a feeling that he was due to the way he softly murmured, "That was never my intention."
"Did you kill them?" questioned Naruto suddenly, blue eyes narrowing.
"Are you stupid–" Sasuke started to accuse.
Itachi never looked away from her even as the two behind her began bickering and within moments, Sakura had her answer, the weight of the connection she'd struggled to keep buried baring his love for her effortlessly now that the compulsion was lifted, reopening her eyes. No, Itachi never laid a hand on her parents and had in fact given them the retirement they'd always longed for, but she would never forgive his part in the aftermath. And she sure as hell would not pity him for the predicament that he put them all in.
Acknowledging that there was still a connection between them, Sakura murmured, "I know you didn't kill them. You cared for them – you care for all humans." Was she seeing things? Was that really relief in his eyes? Shut it out, a part of herself warned. "But you're still covering for the person who did. Was it an accident? Was it Shisui-san?"
Although she'd become friends with Shisui during her relationship with Itachi, Sakura wasn't about to start spouting about knowing the guy on a meaningful level and being close. They could joke around and were comfortable in one another's presence – that was about it. She didn't know his feeding habits, whether he chose his victim at random or not. More to the point, aside from Itachi and Sasuke, he was the only other Uchiha knowingly in the area around that time.
"Leave it be," he murmured in warning, but lacking the coldness that accompanied his tone last night. Now, he just sounded tired.
Her gaze lowered to his chest distrustfully when she spotted a flash in his eyes and she muttered, "Don't try to compel me again."
"Madara."
Sasuke's surprised words had Itachi sighing irritably, but she could barely hear him. Instead, she slowly turned to face the youngest Uchiha in horror, stomach feeling like lead at the mere notion of her poor parents facing someone like Uchiha Madara in their final moments.
"What makes you so sure?" she questioned thickly, thankful that she could even use her voice.
But Sasuke ignored her and stepped up to Itachi, glowering at him when he apparently picked up on something she didn't. "You're using me to cover for Madara?"
"I will come back when you are both ready for this conversation–"
"Don't you dare–"
"That's right," she snarled and joined Sasuke at the doorway. "Walk away, Itachi! It's what you're good at, right? Right?"
Even the man by her side was stunned by Itachi suddenly being in their faces, snapping at her, "Walking away from you was the hardest decision of my life." She swallowed hard, uneasily, when he purposely crossed the barrier and into her personal space, glowering down at her and ignoring Naruto's stuttering at how easily he'd just imprisoned himself. "Leaving you in your time of need when you needed guidance the most was agonising. I despise that you were led astray by someone like Gaara-kun–"
Was he suddenly stupid? Was this really the man she'd fallen in love with so long ago?
"Gaara did nothing wrong," she rebuked fiercely, uncaring for Naruto's grimace at pushing her luck against an original who clearly had no care for his own well-being. "Stop complaining about the fact he didn't baby me or shield me from the shitshow that is our world. He showed me how to make good out of a shitty situation. Truth be told, I wouldn't be standing here today without his presence in my life. He gave me a new purpose!"
Firm hands came between their fuming bodies and gave forceful shoves to separate them, Sakura's back hitting the wall and Itachi's the one opposite her. Furious, she continued to glare at him, upper lip curling at the thought that she was now trapped with him for a whole month. The man who abandoned her, who covered up her parents' deaths, who turned his back on Konoha and let it fall into ruin.
"Stop," ordered Naruto lowly with a menacing, glowing gaze and stood between them, watching closely for any sudden movements. "This sucks enough without having you guys tearing into each other."
It was way too crowded now in the already cramped space, granting them less than a foot of personal space to move around in. If they moved too much further, one of them would be tumbling down those stairs and straight into the dungeon. But she couldn't stomach being in his presence just as much as she couldn't stand being down there, and without a second thought, Sakura scooped low to grab her bag and shoved Sasuke out of her way, deciding to brave the prison below.
She sensed Naruto's hesitating before he followed closely on her heels, other bag in hand so that he could finally wear something that wasn't held together by a meagre fluffy rope.
It was purely the mental effects and the history of the slave prison getting to her (since she didn't get cold anymore), but there was no masking the shudder that ran down her spine in response to the drop in temperature at the bottom of the stairs.
Everything was cleared out for the most part and all that remained were a couple of rusted chains connected to the walls – chains that Naruto instantly yanked down and tossed aside. Sakura was surprised she could even see that much considering there was no light and in that extremely rare moment, she envied Naruto's werewolf (well, hybrid features since it was no longer a full moon) features as his eyes glowed ominously in the darkness, granting him the ability to see without any issues.
"You must really hate him to be able to stomach being down here," he quietly murmured, and came to stand by her side.
She refused to answer him. Instead, Sakura chose a spot directly opposite the stairs since it offered her the best view of the prison, keeping the only exit in full view. There was no way to sneak up on her in her position, and she set her bag down resolutely, soon sitting beside it and crossing her ankles.
Sighing, Naruto joined her. "I'm not saying he wasn't wrong–"
"Don't you dare sit down like we're friends and tell me to go easy on him."
But he persevered her bad mood in a way that was almost similar to Ino's stubbornness, and a pang of loneliness shot through her cleanly in response. "You can't spend a thousand years with a family and not learn their tells. I know he's hurting too, y'know. Look at how easily he lost control just now – Itachi lost control."
"Good."
"You don't mean that. You're just hurting."
Just… She looked to the blond disbelievingly, angrily, and snapped, "My parents' limbs were purposely thrown around their two storey cabin. It took them weeks to find everything. And he covered it up."
"Yeah–"
"Why aren't you angry?" Sakura demanded and stood up, yanking Naruto to his feet too by the collar of the bathrobe. "Don't you love Sasuke? Aren't you mad that he let everyone believe Sasuke was the one to tear innocent people to pieces? That he took advantage of his addiction and thought that lowly of his own brother–"
"Stop it already," the blond yelled as he finally lost his patience, pulling himself free and batting her hands away. "You don't know what Madara is like, so hear the guy out."
Sakura turned her back on Naruto and returned to her bag, choosing to focus on powering up with the aid of Gaara's blood now that it was three against one. It also had the added bonus of bringing a bout of comfort that she relished in, although part of her couldn't help but wish he was there with her in that moment. Obviously, it was better that he wasn't, and Sakura understood the multitude of reasons as to why. She just… selfishly wanted him with her.
Gods, she hated that Itachi had returned those memories to her. It was threatening the personality she'd adopted after Ino convinced her to turn her emotions back on all those years ago, making her an irrational mess. While Sakura would never deny that she was a hothead, it wasn't to such extremes.
She needed to make the supply last since it was only about a week's worth, Sakura reminded herself just as her fingers brushed against another packet. There was no telling when she would receive her next load of supplies after basically telling Ino to stay away.
"Where you always like this?"
Breathing deeply to try and control the urge to strangle Naruto, she demanded, "Like what?"
"So… defensive," he murmured thoughtfully and returned to her side, curiously peering over to gauge her expression. "I don't even think you're feeling territorial at this point – I mean, I thought that you were. But after hearing about your parents, I think you're more scared to see everything disappear on you again."
"We're not doing this," Sakura warned with a harsh laugh. "You – the man who still hasn't gotten dressed out of a fluffy bathrobe despite now having clothes – are not about to sit here and psychoanalyse me."
"Psycho-what you?"
Deep breaths.
But then he gave her another one of those sunshine grins and held out his hands defensively, saying, "I'm kidding. I know what it means!"
She grabbed his bag for him and shoved it into his chest harshly, ordering, "Get cleaned up and dressed. You might be a mutt, but that doesn't mean you have to look downright feral."
The grin widened wolfishly.
A/N - Happy birthday Shikabootay!
I finally have a plan for this story that was only supposed to be a one-shot haha! Next chapter will be the end of the first arc, then from there I'm thinking two or three more maybe? I tend to go with the flow a lot with my writing, so who knows where we'll end up!
We're going to have more characters and other types of supernatural beings (from The Vampire Diaries series, of course) coming into the story, but I just wanted to ask for those of you who don't know what they are or haven't watched TVD (in case it takes a while for it to be fully explained to Sakura in the story, since it's mainly her POV), would you like for me to put little rundowns in my A/Ns? Or do you guys want to be surprised? I'll go with whatever answer crops up the most.
Anyways, I've rambled for long enough. Hope you all enjoyed!