Summary: You're not supposed to fall in love with your captor, especially if he is a high-ranking member of the yakuza. Things just never seem to follow that law, however. Completely AU. Mainly Sasuke/Sakura. Rated for violence and language.

Pairings: Sasuke/Sakura, more will be revealed as the story progresses

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, at all. All the characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei. The only thing in this story that is mine will be the OCs and the plot itself.

Conspiracy of the Heart and Soul

Chapter Ten – Fevered Dreams

People avoided her like the plague that she was. Ever since that night, her self-control snapped easily, and she shouted at the people under her, taking out her anger on them. She despised the colors pink, red and green because they reminded them of the source of her anger in the first place. The dark of the night and the lack of light did little to hide the burning fury emanating from every fiber of her body. Even if the incident took place some nights ago, she could not erase the anger and fury etched on Sasuke's face when he rejected her and did not even care to break it slowly. Her heart shattered into a million pieces and she could not even piece two together. The shards were so many that she did not know where to start.

Platinum blonde hair spilled over her face, shielding the burning anger visible in her cerulean eyes, as her grip on her glass tightened, the ceramic threatening to break under the pressure. The green liquid within the ceramic rippled, as she shook the glass, anger writing itself on her face once more. Pairs of eyes concentrated on her for a few moments, averting their gaze when she looked up. Although she wasn't a very influential member of the yakuza, without people like her who seemingly lived normal lives as an employee to the technological business of the Uchiha family, the yakuza probably wouldn't even exist. Even though she was around Sasuke's age, she was one of the most prominent in the legal side of Sharingan, no matter how questionable the legality of the business is.

"Here, you look like you need it," said a voice, the lazy drawl evident in the tone. She looked up and her cerulean blue eyes reflected the lazy visage of Shikamaru, the genius of the yakuza, the one who was able to supply all the weaponry and support the members within it needed. Looking down at the table, she saw a tray with a couple of things atop. One was a plate with a slice of cheesecake, pieces of strawberries and its sauce dripping generously from the top. Beside it was a pot of tea, green most likely. "Go ahead, you look more depressed than usual, Ino." The others glared softly at Shikamaru, trying to warn him to get away but the young genius paid them no mind.

Ino stretched out her arm and grabbed the silver fork, her face crinkling in distasted. The coal eyed male shrugged as he sat down, his arms dangling limply from the back of his chair. Pressing his chin down on the back of the wooden chair, his coal eyes watched her every movement. Deftly, she grabbed a bit of the cheesecake and popped it in her mouth. The tartness of the cheese battled all out with the sweetness of the strawberries, or that's what most food connoisseurs would say about the cheesecake but Ino was no food connoisseur. She was, however, a connoisseur as to what Sasuke would do. She prided herself in knowing Sasuke the most. That, however, was proven wrong when Sakura came into the picture, altering Sasuke's behavioral patterns completely.

"Sasuke isn't everything in this world. There are lots of, uhh, fish in the sea, Ino," spoke Shikamaru after sipping his warm tea. A flash of dark blue appeared in Ino's otherwise calmed cerulean eyes as she continued eating the cheesecake, despite the guilt that was filling her body at breaking her diet. "I mean it, Ino. Go find yourself a nice guy, one who will actually take a look at you and say the three words that makes almost every woman swoon, except for Ayumi since I doubt she'd ever want to hear them directed towards her." Ino growled softly as she dropped the fork on top of the white porcelain. Lifting her head, she gazed at Shikamaru, an even look on her face.

"Shikamaru, sure, there are other fish in the sea. I know, for a fact, that many men want me in their beds but I refuse to be some play thing for them, only to be discarded," seethed Ino, her anger welling up inside her. "Besides that, no one is good enough to take the place of Sasuke in my heart. If there's a fish I want to catch, I want the biggest one of them all and that's Sasuke! It might be futile now, because he's infatuated with that bitch that was brought in here time ago but I don't care! Soon enough, he will realize that he truly loves me and not that bitch!"

Shikamaru flinched when Ino called Sakura a bitch. She wasn't. In fact, she was the complete opposite. And taking into consideration all the lengths Sasuke had gone for her, it wasn't mere infatuation. When they were having a meeting, in which Sakura was always present, Sasuke would occasionally look towards her, a softer gaze in his eyes, before reverting back to his cold, mechanical self and continuing with the details of the next stage in the plan. It wasn't anything at all like what Ino said. In fact, if he himself could have a say in it, Sakura was doing Sasuke a world of good, restoring the humanity he had lost bit by bit. Ino was staring at a treasure that was already taken, never again to be put back to its former place of rest, never to be stolen by another.

"Sure, whatever you say Ino. Though, let me implore to you one last time. Sasuke is not the only thing in this world. Go find someone who can truly make you happy. Seriously, I don't really care if you take my advice or not, but with you acting like this; it will get in the way of Sasuke and Sakura's happiness." Ino stood up, making the chair fall, as she tried to lunge at Shikamaru. As she tried to attack the genius, someone held her back. "Thanks, Neji. For a minute there, I thought she'd really attack me." The opalescent eyed male nodded as he moved Ino aside and dropped her behind him. "I'll see you in a few hours, to work out the final details."

"Why did you stop me?" asked Ino bitterly as Shikamaru walked away, his lazy air still surrounding him.

"It's because I believe what Shikamaru had just told you. The way you act towards Sasuke will hinder his happiness with Sakura."

- Sakura's Room

"I wonder where they are? The package for Otou-san has arrived and I remember him saying it was really important…" mumbled the male to himself as he walked in the dreary hallways of Sharingan. Instinctively, he took a left and walked further on. As he walked, he didn't notice the strange glances thrown at him by the older members in the yakuza, yet lower in power. He was just a sixteen year old boy yet one of the strongest in the ranks because he was one of the two sons of the leader of yakuza, the younger one in fact. Ignoring the people in front of him, the young lad bumped into someone familiar, the older son of the leader.

"What's that, little brother?" asked Itachi, an inquisitive tone in his voice, pointing to the package in Sasuke's hands. The younger Uchiha looked up at his twenty-one year old brother, a grim look written on his face. He never really got along well with his older brother, because he was their father's favorite. It was always 'Sasuke, why can't you be as talented as your brother?' 'Sasuke, look at the way your brother does things. That is the correct way.' It was never 'Good job, Sasuke. I am proud that you are my son.' His mother was no better. "Well, little brother?"

"It's the package for Otou-san," mumbled Sasuke, his jaw clenched tightly. Nodding, Itachi let his hand run over the package. Stepping aside, Itachi let his younger brother pass. Shrugging, Sasuke walked past his brother, their shoulders touching briefly. He did not notice the dark look on his brother's face. The sole thing on his mind was getting the package to his father then leaving him to open it and reveal whatever was beneath the paper wrapping. Walking smoothly across the chrome halls, he took a right and made his way to the second to the last door on the left side of the hallway, the combined office of his parents. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke knocked on the door.

"Come in," came the muffled reply from within the office. Coldness flashing in his otherwise emotionless onyx eyes, Sasuke gripped the door knob and slowly turned the handle. Entering the room, he found his parents inside. His father was tapping away on the keyboard, his eyes focused on the computer's screen, the bluish light reflecting against his eyes. His mother, on the other hand, was busy sifting through a bunch of papers, probably the weekly report on the various missions assigned to the members of the yakuza. "Ah, Sasuke, what is that you hold?" asked his father when he noticed that Sasuke was holding something.

"It's a package for you, Otou-san," replied Sasuke dully as he walked forward. Setting down the package on the oak table, Sasuke stared at it before looking up at his father. The hardened face of his father continued looking at the package. A few seconds fleeted by before Sasuke turned around and shoved his hands in his pockets. "If there is nothing else you need of me, Otou-san and Okaa-san, I will take my leave now. I will be in my room, if there is anything else you need from me," said Sasuke mechanically as he began to walk away from his father's desk.

"Wait, Sasuke." His father's voice rang out clearly, crisp and cold, as it cut through the otherwise quiet air. Stiffening, Sasuke turned around. His gaze first fell on his mother, who gave nothing away, if she knew anything about what his father wanted to say to him. Fully facing his father, his expressionless eyes focused themselves on the face that he had come to admire and hate, think highly of and at the same time. "Open the package. Yes, it was addressed to me but I'm letting you open it." A weird look crossed Sasuke's face momentarily as he stepped forward. Grasping the package, he let the paper wrappings fall away. A box was hidden beneath the wrapper.

"It's a box," deadpanned Sasuke as he looked back at his father. Black velvet covered the box so it seemed to be something important. His father motioned for Sasuke to open the black box. Finding the latch, Sasuke unbuckled it and flipped the top half open. What was inside was beyond anything he had ever seen before. "What, what is this for?" asked Sasuke as he let his fingers run over a ring made of white gold, a diamond in the middle with smaller diamonds encircling it. Next to it was a white gold chain necklace, pink crystals covering a white gold metal cherry blossom, five yellow crystals added to make it look even more real. Emeralds covered the white gold metal leaves. Two other plain white gold rings were there, diamonds set in the white gold, set a bit apart each other.

"Promise me, Sasuke, that you will never grow up to be like your brother. Those pieces of jewelry, it is almost the same as what I gave to your mother," explained his father as nostalgia filled his onyx eyes. "The pendant, however, was different. The pendant on your mother's necklace was a simple diamond, surrounded by South Sea pearls, each unblemished. The white gold ring with the large diamond was fashioned after your mother's engagement ring, except hers was made of sapphires instead of diamonds. The two similar rings were left untouched, simplicity magnifying its beauty."

"Why did you give these to me?" asked Sasuke as he shut the black box.

"Because I fear that something strange is happening to your brother. I don't know what it is but my intuition tells me it is not good. I do not want the same thing to happen to my second son. I want you to be happy with a woman that you love. When you find her, I have no doubt that you will bestow upon here these treasures."

Sasuke bolted upright, breaking in cold sweat, as he remembered that night. Panting heavily, he tried to calm himself down. It was something he hadn't dreamt in so long, so why was he dreaming about it now? Unconsciously, he moved his bare, sweat filmed hand and felt something warm. Feverishly, he turned to face what he had bumped into. He saw her serene face, the blanket covering her bare skin, their clothes thrown haphazardly on the floor. Calming down, he lay back down into bed, and pulled his lover's body closer towards his, her pink hair covering her face, tickling his chest. He needed moral support now more than ever, especially since he felt premonitions that something terrible was going to happen.

"Did they know that the pendant was going to be the name of the woman right next to me?" mumbled Sasuke inaudibly as he loosened his hold of her sleeping form. Sakura shifted against his chest, inching closer towards him. Closing his eyes, Sasuke let his head rest on the pillow. The pieces of jewelry danced in his mind's eye, but the most prominent were the necklace with the cherry blossom pendant and the ring that was to act as the engagement ring. Shutting out all thoughts, Sasuke let himself drift into unconsciousness once more as Sakura's arm wound its way across his chest. "Sakura," he mumbled as he pulled her closer, taking in her scent.

- The Next Day

"Where are you taking me?" asked Sakura as she pulled a multihued red and pink striped sweater over her head. Sasuke had Tenten buy Sakura clothes she would likely wear, since she was no longer a captive in his eyes. She was much more than that, the only human being alive to ever see Sasuke in a state where he was so fragile. Sasuke didn't answer, his onyx eyes focused on her. "Come on, please answer," she said as she ran a hand through her long pink hair, thinking if she should tie it back or not. "Fine then, I guess I'll find out for myself."

Exiting her room, she followed him closely, her hand grasped by his own. Eyes found themselves gazing at the intertwined hands of the brother of the leader of Sharingan and his captive. However, most of the people in the floor where Sasuke's room was located were people loyal to him so they did not question the reason why he was holding her hand in this manner.

"Sasuke-kun, did you have a bad dream last night? Your face shows that you woke up in the middle of the night," said Sakura as she trailed behind him.

"Not really a bad dream but it was an unwelcome one. It's a surprise that I dreamt something and they were a part of it."

"They?"

"My parents," he mumbled bitterly.

"Sorry, bad memories I guess. I can't really remember my parents. I mean, sure I remember some things but that happened nine years ago, when they died."

"Mine died three years ago and I can remember their faces," mumbled Sasuke to himself.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing, Sakura. It was nothing at all." She nodded as she followed him. Taking a left, she was led into another room. Suddenly, they stopped. Sasuke let go of her hand and slid the metal plate on a lock. Pressing a few buttons, a mechanical voice rang out.

Voice Recognition Activated. State your name and the password.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Zero Three Zero Five Nine Nine Zero."

Speech Pattern Recognized. Password Accepted. A green light appeared on the screen as Sasuke slid the metal plate back to its earlier position. Walking in, he motioned for Sakura to enter as well. Entering, she saw white walls decorated with various blue and black articles. The occasional red broke the monotony of the room but mostly, it was black or blue. "Come in. The door will close automatically and the lock reactivated." Hesitantly, she stepped in. Her jade eyes watched as Sasuke began looking for something.

"Do you need help?"

"No, not really. You can sit down on my bed while I try to find it." Sakura made her way to Sasuke's bed as he began looking for whatever he was trying to find.

- Practice Area

"Shikamaru, all set," said Neji to the microphone as he readied the Uranium-powered pistol. Today was the day that the weapon Sasuke was paranoid about would be field tested. Luckily, Neji volunteered to use the weapon while Tenten and Ayumi would help set up the targets. "The LCD screen reads zero and is green. Ready when you are."

"We're ready here," said Tenten into the microphone as Ayumi stood beside the switch and more of the targets that were going to move on the conveyor belt.

"Okay Neji, Tenten, Ayumi. On the count of three, switch on the power to the conveyor belt and start shooting. Remember, at least five hundred targets and at most, six hundred and one." Both parties made their replies as Shikamaru activated the system to calculate the efficiency of the weapon. "One, two, and now!"

It was silent as Neji began shooting black colored lasers at the moving targets. So far, he managed to shoot down ten in the span of five seconds, and he wasn't about to give up on what he was doing. Tenten and Ayumi were slowly reloading the targets as the cord attached to the gun fed data into Shikamaru's laptop. Blue reflected on the hacking prodigy's coal eyes as he began to sort the information automatically. So far, the field test was successful and Neji had yet to report any problems. With the program that he had created specifically for field testing any of his weapons, Shikamaru had the image of the LCD screen attached to the gun in the lower right hand corner of his laptop, the numbers steadily growing higher. Minutes passed by and no tragedy had occurred.

"Neji, flick the switch on the gun found near the LCD screen. It changes the color of the laser from black to white. Depending on the scenario, you might have to make the color black, if it's a night mission, or white, if it's a day mission. It's handy so people don't know you've already shot the gun," said Shikamaru through the microphone. As he continued shooting, Neji flicked the switch and on Shikamaru's screen, white lasers began shooting out of the pistol. "So far so good. You've used up two hundred shots so around three hundred more, at the least. Let's how that five mg is enough to last six hundred."

"What system is this? This gun makes absolutely no noise, is efficient, and one can't tell if a laser has been fired because of the two colors you let it have," said Neji, not losing momentum, as more targets were fired down.

"It's a system I made by myself. The switch you pressed is a filter. The color of the laser is really white, so the switch there deactivates the filter if the laser shot out is black. The filter colors the white laser, so to speak, to black with a special tint. Each cartridge carries that special black tint I made which basically everything it touches turns to black, permanently. I used gloves to handle that, since I really don't want my hands to be patched with black." A sour laughter escaped Neji as he continued firing the Uranium powered gun.

Ten minutes since he started, Neji managed to shoot a total of six hundred and one targets, each dead center. Not a single sound escaped the gun after each shot, making it a lethal weapon. The laser that passed through the targets, made of metal, singed the surrounding area of the point of impact. Shikamaru was examining the weapon, a smile playing on his lips.

"Well, looks like we've got our weapon. I'll just need to manufacture a whole bunch of these things, along with Kotoe, and we're ready to roll."

- Sasuke's Room

"Found it," said Sasuke as he lifted a black velvet box, the same one in his dream. Sakura stood up and walked over towards him, curiosity painting her jade green orbs. "Close your eyes. I'll let you see it in a minute." Sakura nodded as she shut her eyes tightly. Feeling around the edges, Sasuke looked for the same latch he had opened three years ago. Finding it, an invisible smile found its way to his face. Inside were the same pieces of jewelry that he had been given three years ago, to give to the woman he loved. He hardly knew her but he felt so much peace when he was with her. "Open your eyes."

Sakura slowly opened her jade green eyes. Her vision was a little blurred but she could see something sparkling in front of her. Blinking a few times, she adjusted her eyes to the light once more. When her vision was clear, she focused her jade green eyes on the contents of the box. Jewels, pieces of jewelry that were so exquisite that she thought they belonged to the Empress of Japan, no matter how symbolic her status was. "Sasuke-kun! Where did you get these?" asked Sakura, breathless as she ran her fingers over the smooth pieces.

"My father gave them to me three years ago," said Sasuke slowly as he set the jewels down on the wooden desk. He noticed how Sakura eyed the pieces longingly, but she restrained herself. "Go on, take the necklace. The pendant is a cherry blossom and no way could my parents have known that I would give the necklace to someone named after the same flower." Sakura looked at him, surprise written on her face. "I'm not kidding. I'm giving the necklace to you. Eventually, I hope to give the other rings to you as well." Sasuke colored a bit but Sakura didn't notice. "Oof!" gasped Sasuke as he felt Sakura's arms encircle him, his chest getting slightly damp. "Are you crying?"

"No I'm not," mumbled Sakura stubbornly as tears slowly dripped down her face, "Something just got in my eyes, that's all." Sasuke shrugged as he picked up the necklace. Unlocking it, he wound it around her neck and locked it once more. Pushing her away from his body, he examined the pendant resting between her collar bones. "Thank you," said Sakura softly, her voice small, as she hugged him once more, refusing to let go of him, "And yeah, I do hope I'll be the one you give the other rings to. Not because they're beautiful or anything but because of what they truly mean." If she was given the white gold ring surrounded with diamonds in the center, it would mean that Sasuke wanted to marry her. If she was given the plain white gold band decorated with small diamonds, it would mean that she was married to Sasuke because he, too, would be wearing a ring of the same design.

- Tsuzuku…

Okay! Chapter Ten is posted a week after I posted Chapter Nine. I like the story. The end was so nice and it was unexpected too! Not only for you guys but on my part as well! I guess I'll never really know the entire story until I actually finish the entire thing! So, my guess is just as good as yours on the way CotHaS will end!

Speaking of which, I have decided to make something interesting, very, in fact. CotHaS shall now be a series of four stories all interconnected, calling it the yakuza series! The first story is Conspiracy of the Heart and Soul(CotHaS) in which Sakura and Sasuke meet, and the latter is trying to destroy the yakuza he is a part of, killing his brother and avenging Sakura at the same time. The second story is Reaching Out to You(ROtY) in which Sasuke is trying to get used to living in a normal world, trying to forget everything that has happened. The third story is Running from the Chaos (RftC) in which the mere existence of Sasuke in Sakura's life is bringing trouble from another yakuza. The fourth and final story is The Catalyst of Destitution (TCoD) in which Sasuke and Sakura's eldest son can't accept his own father, slowly destroying the normality of Sasuke's life. The titles of the third and fourth story can still change but the plot won't. Hopefully, it will be a fun project!

With that said, all that's left now is for me to actually finish the yakuza series! Also, you won't kill me because I'm not updating Naruto Fanfics since I already have three upcoming stories, connected to this, and I'm not finished with CotHaS and AMT! So… blah!

As usual, here's the chapter preview!

Next Chapter: Chapter Eleven – Nearing the Point of Pandemonium

Chapter Preview: "Three more days until the mission commences," said Sasuke as he looked at the eyes of those he trusted the most in this mission. The others nodded slowly as they clenched their fists tighter. "So far, the preparations have been going well. The field test of Shikamaru's weapon was successful so we're at an advantage there. Also, our preparations will be complete before theirs." Murmurs began moving about as they began talking amongst themselves what could possibly become of this plan. "Again, if you feel uneasy about this plan, leave and do not mention it to anyone. I have ears and eyes beyond your imagination. Spread the world and you will die. Those, however, who will stay, there is no going back once this plan takes action on the night of the 24th of September."