Bet you guys thought I was dead 'cause I didn't update for TWO WHOLE DAYS. Schoolwork and life got in the way, boo. At some point I suppose (though I hope I won't be) that I'll stop being surprised by how awesome you guys are. You leave such lovely reviews and more than half the time they make me crack up. Enjoy!

She could still feel his lips on her skin, so soft and tender as he attempted to pour every feeling he had into the gesture. She closed her eyes as the wind pulled tendrils of pink hair free from her bun. He was still there, in her mind, walking away from her with his shoulders pinched by the burdens he carried. The longer she replayed it behind her eyes, his devastating words echoing there, too, the more she felt her heart sink.

Would she be confined to this state of limbo with him so frustratingly close and so horribly far away all at once? This constant push and pull she felt, like threads wound through her body, was a relentless thing. She had any man to pick from, she thought, and yet she knew they could not hold a candle to Sasuke. He commanded her attention with his presence and somehow gave Sakura much the same whenever they were together.

She blinked her eyes open and began to trudge through the snow to her chambers. Another night alone, she mused, tangled in the unending net of her desire for him. The door was still open for her and so she slipped inside, but stopped dead in her steps. Her guard lay slain on the floor by the fire, blood pooling to the center of the room and stretching through the cracks in the wood until it reached her feet. As she opened her mouth, the cold steel of a blade pressed against her throat.

"If you scream, I will kill you."

For the first time in a long while, Sasuke sat with his fellow soldiers in the mess hall. The room was loud, filled with the chatter of genial persons. He felt out of place, seated by himself, and yet entirely interchangeable as they were a sea of the same uniforms, partaking in food so tasteless in comparison to what he'd enjoyed with Sakura. He pushed the rations around his platter, remembering the way Sakura would dissect their meals and separate them accordingly.

He was quickly losing his appetite; he had no hunger for food, he yearned only for her. He felt himself caught in a conundrum of sorts. If he stayed in this uncomfortable room, eating this abysmal food, he would be hounded with thoughts of her, improper things to be thinking at the dinner table. And he could not promise himself that he would be able to keep them at bay. But if he retreated to the barracks and attempted to sleep, he was certain the nightmares were waiting for him. He was not sure what terrified him more at that moment.

A guard approached the seat opposite Sasuke and took it without preamble. Sasuke recognized him as the one who had delivered Naruto's letter. He was a broad, albeit squat man with a noticeable scar that ran down his left cheek. He offered Sasuke a polite nod before tearing into the charred meat with his utensils on his plate. He caught Sasuke's gaze as he lifted his fork.

"I knew your brother," the guard said through a mouthful. Sasuke frowned, it was not uncommon for other soldiers to know a general in the Emperor's army.

"He is well known," Sasuke answered, attempting to be pleasant, but finding that he was content in his solitude.

"Naruto? Yes," the guard nodded as his knife scraped against his plate, "The Uzumaki's have always been a prominent family in Konoha, always in high favor with the Emperor. Interesting that two brothers of the same upbringing end up in such different rankings. Why is it that you are merely a palace guard while the other Uzumaki is a respected general?"

Sasuke bristled; he did not care for this man's attitude. He picked up his plate of sparsely eaten rations and stood brusquely. The man banged his fist rather forcefully on the table, but it was hardly heard over the chatter in the room.

"Sit down, Uchiha," the guard hissed with a sneer, fixing Sasuke with a cold glare. Sasuke froze, eyes darting to the other tables in fear that somebody had heard that name. But it appeared nobody had as they all continued on in their blissful ignorance. The man had paused the enjoyment of his dinner until Sasuke resumed his seat. Sasuke fisted his hands on the table, sweat beading at the nape of his neck, "You resemble your brother greatly, one might think you and Itachi were twins."

"How do you - ,"

"Do you prefer to be unknown? Is that why you have not joined the army?" the man scrutinized him for a brief moment, "No, you are restless in the shadows. Is it that you are afraid somebody might recognize you if you step too far out into the light? Letting fear control you, how alike your brother you are," Sasuke furrowed his brows; what was he getting at? "He never could sit still for long."

The cold prickle of unease crept up Sasuke's back as the man spoke. He set down his utensils and rested his arms on the table. Sasuke caught the beginning's of a tattoo on the man's forearm, before he shoved the sleeve of his shirt down.

"Yes, I knew your brother well. He gave me this," the man tapped the scar on his face with a bemused look, "He used to come to my family's home in Konoha, to court my sister. He was quite taken with her. He brought her flowers, wrote to her everyday. He had the intent to marry her, but your clan would not hear of it. The next leader of the Uchiha's marrying outside of the bloodline, to a commoner no less; it was absurd. It failed to stall his interest in her, however."

"Who are you?"

"I was a farmer," the man paused, losing himself in thought for a moment, "Now, I am a warrior. I never thought I would be; I was satisfied by my life in Konoha. But your family ruined that, didn't they?"

"My family did nothing wrong," Sasuke protested before he could stop himself.

"They did everything. My sister is dead because of Itachi," the man spat venomous words that silenced Sasuke abruptly, "They had made plans to marry in secret one night. She waited for him at the gates to Konoha when the Akatsuki came. They slaughtered her and left her to die in the open like an animal," the man's voice raised, causing a couple eyes to dart in their direction. He took a deep breath before continuing, leveling his voice then, "And now she is gone forever."

"Are you one of them?" Sakura's lip trembled as she stood in the puddle of another person's blood, "Are you one of the Akatsuki?"

"Quiet!" the man behind her tightened his hold at her wrists, blade still pressed to her throat.

"If you wish to kill me then please just do it!" she said suddenly, "Why do you wait?"

"I should like to keep you alive, but if you insist on talking so much, I may have to reconsider," she heard the man shift behind her, nudging her around the room so that they faced the window. The candle beside it flickered as a wind blew in from the open doors. The man spoke quietly, "We wait for the signal."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sasuke's fingers dug into his palms as the warrior fell silent.

"To keep her alive. To remind myself that she once existed," his voice was barely above a whisper as he stood from the table, "And so that you know you are about to pay for your family's mistakes."

A deafening blast sounded from outside and all heads turned to the window where a towering inferno could be seen on the other side of the lake, spiraling into the sky. As everyone rushed for the doors, Sasuke turned around and saw the man slinking through the crowds, out the back door. Sasuke ran after him, pushing through the frantic bodies and trying to keep the warrior in his line of sight.

He broke through into the chill of the night and caught the man running around the backside of the mess hall.

Sakura jumped when she heard the explosion, but the man held her fast. She assumed that was the signal, but still the blade at her throat did not move. Her breathing hitched as she struggled to pinpoint the sight of the blast. It was just opposite the lake, but far from the barracks or any other palace building. So, what were they trying to hit?

Sasuke ran away from the crowd descending on the sight of the detonation, tearing through the snowy paths after the man. He was heading for the shadows between buildings where Sasuke knew he would lose sight of him. Sasuke pulled a blade out from the belt at his thigh, aiming at the figure plowing ahead of him and threw it at the man, catching him in the center of his back. The man stuttered in his steps and fell to his knees, crying out in pain. Sasuke caught the man before he fell forward and yanked his head back so that he could see the dark of his eyes. He was supporting most of his weight so that the warrior did not collapse in the snow. With a sharp twist of the knife in his back by Sasuke's brutal hand, he let out a sharp wail.

"The explosion was a distraction, was it not?" Sasuke spoke with a monotonous tone. When he was met with silence, he twisted the knife once more, "The explosion was a distraction! What are you here for?!"

"I - F - I found Itachi hiding in the forest that night," he made an odd, garbled noise. Then, there was another twist of the knife and another painful cry, as anger boiled in Sasuke's blood. The images of Kushina handing Itachi the cloak, Itachi darting into the forest, lost to Sasuke forever - they floated to the front of his mind, pressing upon him most insistently.

"Did you come simply to taunt me?" Sasuke felt a sightless rage taking over him, "Do you intend to turn me in to the Emperor as a traitor?!" the man shook his head limply, shifting forward before Sasuke caught him.

"That is when - gave me the scar."

"Were you attempting to take the Emperor's life?"

"Not - his," the man was choking on his shuddered breaths, eyes rolling to the back of his head, on the verge of blacking out. Blood was covering Sasuke's hand as he kept his grip tight on the knife in the man's back, "I killed him - killed your brother," the man took in a rough, shaking breath, "Traitorous snake!"

"Who?! Who did you come for?!" Sasuke yanked the blade out and the man fell forward with a thump to the ground. The man was searching wildly, slipping over Sasuke, unable to focus his gaze. Sasuke shook as he looked down at the warrior. He could kill him, wanted to so desperately in that moment, restraining himself only by the loyalty he had for the Emperor. But this man was tasking him to stack it against the loyalty he held for his clan, for his slain brother, and that was not something Sasuke could keep up for long.

"It's - late. Too late, Uchiha. If I don't come - take her," the man coughed, blood and spittle dribbling down his chin and onto the pure snow, "He will take her, if I don't come. He will take her."

Sasuke felt the color drain from his face, the word cutting through him, opening his veins to filter only fear through his body; her.

"Sakura," his breath hitched and he turned on a heel, darting back to the gardens.

"Shit," the man cursed and pulled Sakura away from the window, twisting her wrists painfully so. He pushed her forward to get her walking toward the doors, just as Sasuke rounded them, stopping in his tracks as he took in the sight before him. Tears were welling in Sakura's eyes, her arms pulled sharply behind her back, as a white-masked man stood behind her, pressing a glinting blade to her delicate throat. But, despite the tremor in her lips and the tear that raced down her cheek, Sasuke could see the relief apparent in her eyes.

"Do not move, or I will kill her," the man threatened with a disgusted sneer on his face. He pushed Sakura to her knees, so as to assure she could not move away so easily.

The blood on the floor took to her kimono as though it were a rag meant only to soak it up. Her shoulders trembled as they were forced back.

Sasuke had a feeling all too familiar infiltrating his body then, a powerlessness that consumed him and rooted his feet in place. But he had to move, he had to do something. It was not just an obligation to his job, it became a baser need that began in the core of his being and coiled itself through his mind. It was imperative that he saved her, that he held her again, and kissed her tears away.

"Sasuke-kun, I - ," the man cut her off with a sharp wrench of her arms, causing her to cry out in pain. Sasuke started to run to her, but the man pushed the blade ever closer against Sakura's neck. It was a sight that burned itself behind Sasuke's eyes, a sound that rang in his ears, and one that he desperately wished to forget. Her ethereal features were twisted and her seraphic voice became gnarled, marred by the agony she was put in.

"I warned you," the man snarled, "Let us leave peacefully and no harm will come to her."

"Sakura, do not move," Sasuke clutched the blood soaked knife tighter and watched the man's eyes twitch to his hand. Sakura stiffened and then tried to twist out of his grasp, but he yanked her closer.

"Let us leave and she lives," the man repeated, clutching the hilt by her neck tighter, but giving no intention other than words that he would use it, "Let us - ,"

Sasuke threw his weapon and it lodged in the man's chest, cutting his breath short. He teetered on his feet, sword clattering to the floor as he reached for the knife, only to crumple to the bloody floor. Sakura scrambled away and Sasuke ran to her, taking her in his arms. He crushed her against him as she cried into his shirt, shaking despite his tight hold on her. The man's last, wheezing breaths filled the space and caused Sakura to flinch with every one he took.

Sasuke pushed her back into the privacy of her bedroom and shut the door behind him. Darkness shrouded them, save for the windows that filtered moonlight into the area, but in there she did not have to see the bodies laying carelessly on the floor in the other room.

"I'm so sorry," he stroked her hair, petted her back, held her waist, hands moving to any piece of her he could grasp. He didn't know why he was apologizing, but he kept on, "I'm so sorry, Sakura."

"Sasuke-kun," her fingers dug into his back and she looked up to him but he silenced her with a demanding kiss. He gave in to his need for her then, pulling free her bun and twisting his hands in her locks to urge her closer. He bit her lip, sucked it into his mouth, laved upon it with his tongue, because he could not bear to hear her say that she had been afraid, that she had feared for her life the way he had, "Sasuke-kun," she broke away, lips still ghosting the other's, exchanging harsh breaths. Sasuke rested his forehead against hers, eyes wide open, searching through the tangle of emotions that lay within hers. His cheek grazed her jaw and he leaned in to kiss her again, but she turned her head to the side, "Sasuke-kun," she whispered again, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," her breath was warm on his skin, inspiring chills down his spine. Sasuke tightened his grip on her.

"Did he hurt you?" Sakura felt his pulse quicken as soon as he'd uttered the question and she shook her head.

"Not terribly," she murmured, feeling the beginnings of sore muscles and bruises along her arms. Sasuke sighed heavily, a mixture of relief and somehow, still, a measurable amount of anger.

"I should not have left you tonight," he admitted, but the notion had not even occurred to her. She was not resentful that he had not been with her; he had still come back.

"Hush," her lips brushed his neck, when suddenly she remembered, "The explosion! What happened?"

She lifted her eyes to look at him, but he shook his head.

"I don't know," he swallowed harshly, "I think it was a diversion, but I do not know if anyone was hurt."

"How did you know to come here?" as soon as the words left her mouth, she saw in the dim light of the moon that familiar shadow fall over his features. Something had happened, she knew. It was that same something that he kept hidden, locked away in that part of him that she wished to know.

"There was another one, at dinner, another soldier, not one of ours," his words were jumbled as he tried to think of a way to make sense of it without speaking the truth, "He came to me and he told me there would be an attack," Sasuke conceded.

"He told you?" Sakura inquired with disbelief.

"Yes. I will speak no more on the matter," he said, then realized the harshness of his tone and reconciled, "Please, do not ask me to."

"How can you expect me not to?"

"Sakura, please. I am just glad you are safe, now."

"Tell me what happened," she persisted, brows furrowed in disbelief.

"There is nothing more to tell," he snapped. She flinched from his words. Sakura pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed it as countless thoughts circled her mind. Unanswered questions lay in wait at the tip of her tongue, but all she spoke was,

"I can not have half of you, Sasuke-kun," Sakura slipped free of his arms and ran out of the doors into her sitting room then into the cold night. Sasuke ran after her, past the lifeless bodies, catching her arm and stopping her on the path. They could see the commotion on the other side of the lake, smoke still billowing up to the clouds, but the fire had died.

"Do not run from me now," he pleaded, but she refused his gaze, "It is not safe."

"I am going to find my father," she said sternly, "I must know that he is okay."

"Very well, but I will take you," he bartered.

"Do not hold any manner of pretense with me that might suggest you would allow me your affections," her words were vicious but he understood her anger. He had lost control of himself in the sanctity of her rooms.

"It is the truth: you, above anyone else, holds my attention."

"Do not say such things to me," she lost the fury in her voice then, her words breaking as they left her lips, "It is not fair to tell me I can have you and yet not give yourself to me fully."

"I am sorry I kissed you," his voice crescendoed as he continued, "He had you by the throat! I thought he would kill you! I thought that I would never see you smile, nor feel your lips, nor be captivated by your words again," he held her face in his bloodied hands, urging her eyes up to his, "I was scared," he admitted quietly, looking as though he might lean in to kiss her again, "So scared."

Her fingers reached up to settle over his, but she pried them carefully free from her.

"I understand," she gulped and dropped her gaze, "I feared the same. But, as I said, I can not have half of you, Sasuke-kun; my heart can not stand it," she began to turn away from him, though her fingers stroked his knuckles absently, "And I wish you would not be sorry for kissing me."

"Haruno-sama! Are you all right?!" a menagerie of men, nobles and soldiers alike, came rushing through the gardens to Sakura. She dropped Sasuke's hands promptly and stepped a safe distance away. Lee was the first to reach her and took her into his side, roping an arm around her shoulders. He led her away quickly, "Your father is safe in a room underground. He awaits you there."

Sasuke watched her walk away from him, flanked by her envoy so much so that he quickly lost sight of her in the crowd. He supposed he should get used to the sight of her leaving him behind, if he wasn't already.

Forcing himself away, Sasuke reentered her sitting room and took in the gory scene that spread itself out to each wall. He was not mindful of where he stepped as he could see no clear path around the streams of blood. The scarlet fluid coated the mantle of her fireplace and had even tarnished a couple books set atop there. The guard that lay there was familiar to Sasuke, but he was not close with any of his fellow soldiers. As he took in the vacancy of the guard's eyes, it only reinforced why Sasuke lacked so many friendships.

And Sakura - well, that reinforced numerous things for him.

He trudged over to the foreign man laying at the foot of her throne and took off the white mask, resembling something found in kabuki, his open, lifeless eyes staring to the ceiling. Sasuke had never seen him before; he was a young man with a smattering of facial hair that approached a tattoo at his neck. Sasuke pulled the collar of the man's shirt aside to reveal a swirling red cloud at the juncture of his shoulder.

Akatsuki. The Emperor was right. Sasuke stood quickly and paced about the room. It didn't make any sense. If that other man, the farmer from Konoha, if he was Akatsuki, did he lie about his sister and Itachi? Why would he join the group that killed his sister? Sasuke frowned, he'd never heard his brother speak about a woman, either.

But then, how could the man know who Sasuke was? And if they had truly intended to harm Sakura, why hadn't they?

"Uzumaki-san," a guard stepped through the doors and blanched upon seeing the gruesome picture awaiting him. He paused, eyes unable to settle on any one part of the room, least of all on Sasuke, "The Emperor needs to see you."

Sasuke nodded and began toward the doors but paused when he stepped by the table at the window. A candle still burned beside her open books. He took up the medical journals and blew out the flame before following the man outside.