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 Fourteen – The Conflict to the War

Dark hazel eyes focused on jade eyed girl. She had stopped crying, at least, but her breath was still slightly labored. She could understand her pain, the pain of being worried for someone so close to the heart. Her brother was risking his life for this mission as Sakura's love was risking his own. She blinked back the tears that were forming in her eyes as she turned around and faced a table. Picking up a rather stiff piece of cloth, a small smile wound its way to her face. It was a cross stitch pattern she had been working on for days, nights to be more exact. Her brother always teased her that she still did this sort of thing but she was okay with it. She loved to sew, to embroider, to do all sorts of things that involved thread and a needle. After all, that was what their family name meant, embroidery.

"Kotoe, could you get me that motherboard over there and the box underneath it?" asked Shikamaru as he continued working on something. At the moment, there was nothing happening. Sasuke was going to contact him when they reached the next point in their plan. Snapping out of her reverie, Kotoe walked over to the motherboard, picked it up and handed it to Shikamaru. "Thanks," he said as he took the things from her and began laying out various green boards on the table. Her eyebrow arched slightly as she looked at what was on the table. From the looks of things, he was going to build a computer but what did he need another one for? Shrugging it off, she turned to look at Sakura whose jade eyes were focused on Shikamaru's own laptop.

"Sakura-san, he will be fine," said Kotoe, a reassuring tone in her voice, "He is a man of his word. He will keep his promise and return to you." The dark hazel eyes of hers shone slightly as she offered a smile to the withdrawn girl. Sakura blinked and looked at her, biting her lower lip unconsciously. Kotoe ran a hand through her long burnt sienna hair before stretching out an arm, offering a hand to help Sakura stand up. Shyly, the pink haired female took it and stood up. "There, there. It worries you that Sasuke-sama is out there as it worries me my blockhead of a brother is out there," she said plainly, awkwardly hugging Sakura who was surprised at the gesture. Letting go, she offered another smile to the pink haired female. "Maybe it will do you some good to think of something else. Would you like to work on some needlework? I have quite a few left."

"Thank you, Kotoe-san," she said as she ran a hand through her long hair, "I would really appreciate that." Motioning for Sakura to follow her, Kotoe made her way to a back room where she placed all her sewing materials. A slight smile formed on Shikamaru's face as he watched the two women try and take their mind off of things. It worried them, that someone they truly cared about was risking his life for a cause. They could do nothing about it, but sit back and watch as the events unfolded themselves before their eyes. "Kotoe-san, did you sew all of this?" asked Sakura as her jade eyes roamed around the room where various pieces of cloth were pinned on the wall. Kotoe nodded slowly, blushing. "They're beautiful!"

"Shikamaru here, how's everything going?" he asked as he set the microphone and peered into the screen of his laptop. The plasma screen showed what was happening elsewhere. The screen of the laptop showed what was happening with the core group. "Over here, everything seems to be going according to plan. Blocks A and B have successfully cleared their floor, with only a couple of casualties. Block A is on its way to help Block C on the west wing of the upper floor. Block B is on its way to help Block D on the east wing of the same floor." His coal black eyes focused on the plasma screen as he explained what was happening. The other Blocks were doing fine so he didn't have to report on them.

"How's Sakura?" asked Sasuke bluntly as they moved forward, hiding from the suspicious eyes of those not part of his ploy. Ever since the disturbance started, the entire building had been put into Code Red. Any disturbance brought out the fear of the incident from three years ago. It was normal for this to happen. It was just a year ago that there was a personal argument between two people which brought fear and anxiety to the entire yakuza. They were promptly killed afterwards, for causing such a ruckus for something so simple. It was a lesson for all. "We're all okay. Kenta is up front, scouting, since people know him less. The rest of us are behind, waiting for the signal to move forward." Shikamaru looked towards the back room before replying. "Well, how is she?"

"Kotoe's keeping her company for the time being. I think their talking about needlework but I'm not sure," said Shikamaru casually as he continued working on the frame of the computer he was building, laptop to be exact. "You don't need to worry about her, Sasuke." The Uchiha merely grunted a reply. Shikamaru's coal eyes flashed as he looked at the screen of his laptop. "Stop, Kenta. Don't let them move forward. A couple of Itachi's trusted cohorts coming your way. Go and hide, quickly!" Shikamaru tensed, gripping the screwdriver he was holding tightly as the core group hid, invisible to the prying eyes of two of Itachi's trusted men.

"Zabuza-san, do you really have to be so worked up about this?" asked a slightly feminine voice, the owner possibly being around as old as Sasuke was. A demonic flash appeared in Zabuza's eyes as they pressed on, not replying to his companion's query. "Let's go hurry to Ayumi-san's practice area. Itachi-sama told us to go there, look at the surroundings, go back to him and send someone else to do the clean up work. If it's any worthy of his attention, I mean. Zabuza merely nodded without replying, his hand tightening on the hilt of the overtly large sword that was slung on his back. "You're excited for the battle, aren't you, Zabuza-san?" said the younger one with a smile.

"What makes you say that, Haku?" asked Zabuza with a sadistic grin on his face.

"Let's just say I know you too well," said the one named Haku simply.

Everyone in the core group froze. So, Itachi knew of the plan. That made things all so different.

"Will we continue?" asked Shikamaru uneasily as he looked at the small box of the plasma screen that was focused on Itachi. "Your brother looks so calm and collected. Who knows what sorts of traps will be laid out before you!"

"We will continue. This merely changes the plan slightly, to showing absolutely no mercy to those who side with my brother," said Sasuke coldly as he pressed his body even further against the wall.

Ayumi's Practice Area

"Brutal, just plain brutal," murmured Zabuza as his eyes focused on the mutilated corpse on the wooden floor. The body had obviously begun to rot and its vile stench coated the entire room. "It seems Ayumi no longer cares about this room," he said thoughtfully as he crossed his arms and looked around the practice area. It reminded him of those age old ancient Japanese dojos where they would practice swordplay. Unconsciously, he felt his hand grip the hilt of his large sword. He loved his sword, and it was unique because no one else but he could wield it and that's what made it special. He simply loved to see people suffer by his blade, by his hands. It was his sole existence in the world, besides being of service to the Uchiha Itachi. "What do you say about it, Haku?" The feminine looking male merely smiled.

"Zabuza-san, if I am allowed to speak my mind this time, I would likely disagree to what you have said about Ayumi-san," spoke Haku as he bent down and looked at the body. He didn't even seem fazed at all by the stench. Zabuza raised his brow, with the lack of it actually having one, as he looked curiously at the younger male. "This room is very well taken care of," he spoke as he reached out and touched the now caked blood on the wooden floor. "Everything is in order, is spick and span. It is well kept," he continued as he stood up, brushing his hand against the cloth of his pants, "Except, of course, this mess right in front of us. It seems that she no longer needs this room. If she was to use it afterwards, she wouldn't need to leave a mutilated body for someone to find." Zabuza nodded slowly, following the logic of the youngest of Itachi's favored men.

No other words passed between the two men as they continued to examine the practice area. The note written on simple paper and the victim's blood lay unnoticed as it rested on his white shirt. Eyes roamed as they wondered why in the world Ayumi had just killed one of the men of Itachi. A frown crossed Haku's face as a certain countenance flashed back in his mind, the more he thought about the mutilated body. It reminded him of her, it truly did. No way she looked like any one else so it should be her. Striding over to the body, he bent down, his eyes focused on the neck, to see if it was a mask of some sort. Near the aorta, he found some of the flesh separating. Gingerly, he peeled the flesh away. He stared at the face in front of him, ignoring the mask in his hand. It was Nanako. The rest of her light brown hair was pinned up, so that it would seem like she wasn't herself.

"Oh, it's her," said Zabuza indifferently as he looked down on the body. Indeed, whoever had dressed her up was a genius. The fleshy mounds on her chest were very ample but his work, they looked even flatter, as if they didn't exist in the first place. The long brown tresses were pinned up in such a way that they wouldn't fall, giving away her disguise. "She said she'd do anything for Itachi-sama and here was her chance. Too bad she screwed up though," he said as he looked down on her lifeless body, cold and unfeeling. Haku frowned as he stood up, dropping the mask. He didn't have any outstanding friendship with Nanako but he pitied her nonetheless. She was just another pawn for Itachi but he remained loyal. After all, if it weren't for Itachi and Zabuza, he would probably be dead. "Anything wrong, Haku?" asked the other male, a suspicious look on his face, "Not going soft, are we?" Haku shook his head.

"No, not at all, Zabuza-san. I was just thinking about how pitiful Nanako-san looks. I mean, she didn't live very long, did she?" he said as calmly as he could. Deep down inside, he was boiling. How could Itachi let an innocent person, more especially, an innocent woman do his dirty work? It just wasn't right any more. He also couldn't believe that a girl like Ayumi could do such a thing. Then again, looking into her past, she was raised that way. She was the perfect assassin of Sharingan. If controlled properly, she was a very dangerous threat to any of Sharingan's enemies. Looking back at the other in the room, Haku spoke. "You, Zabuza-san, do you feel any pity about Nanako-san's brutal death?" Zabuza looked at Nanako's body, at Haku's face, then, he laughed. Haku's face twisted in confusion. "What's so funny, Zabuza-san?"

"Nothing really," he said calmly as his laughter subsided, "It's just that I remember that I've always envied Itachi-sama about being able to get the women and not really caring. Here is the embodiment of that truth. I mean, sending Nanako to try and kill Ayumi is a suicide mission, for her anyway." Haku looked at the dagger that lay near Nanako's body. "Why, feel anything special towards her?" said Zabuza with a sneer, a glare in his eyes that sent shivers through Haku's spine. The feminine looking male shook his head as he crossed his arms. Deep within, however, he felt the complete opposite. "Come on. I'm sure Itachi-sama wants to know what happened to her," said Zabuza as he wheeled around and began walking out.

"Yes, I'm sure Itachi-sama does want to know," said Haku in reply, his blood boiling at the loss of an innocent woman. He did not care for her particularly. He did care about the lives of civilians in general. They did not belong in the battle field. That was what he believed in. Trailing after Zabuza, Haku said and thought about it no more. He didn't believe that Itachi was a bad man, as most people said he was, if they weren't one of his favorites. He was blinded by his sheer loyalty to the man. Of course, he knew Itachi rarely had the same woman for long but that was his way, but he never thought that Itachi would send any one of them into a suicide mission such as this. Now, he was beginning to see without those rose colored glasses blocking his view.

Shikamaru's Laboratory

"AAAAAHHHHH!" shouted Sakura as she dropped the thin needle she was holding. Shikamaru and Kotoe were trying to reach Sakura but the intruder had thrown some powder at them, slowly paralyzing them temporarily. Sakura's screams reverberated, entering the microphone, causing Sasuke, Neji, Tenten, Ayumi and Kenta to stop, fear gripping their bodies. Did they know of the plan? Did they know that Sakura would be in the laboratory? Most likely not but who knew? Itachi had many ways to find out everything that was happening within Sharingan and finding out about this wasn't something hard for him. Tears of fear and anguish began collecting in her eyes.

Sakura backed away into the wall, fearful for what might happen to her. Shikamaru and Kotoe were trying their best to help her but it seems that what had entered their bodies was starting to take effect. They could not move. Sakura's life was hanging in the balance as fear darkened her jade green eyes as her body touched the wall. Looking around, she tried to find something she could use to defend herself with but everything was lethal. She did not want to kill; she wanted to help continue life. It was why she was a doctor in the first place. Without any other choice, Sakura clenched her fist before speaking. "What have I ever done to you?" she rasped out as she fell down to the floor, shivering under the intense gaze of the person in front of her.

"Sakura! Sakura!" shouted Sasuke hoarsely, trying to reach the hysterical girl. It was no use. She could hear it. She could not think straight. In front of her was a person, poised for attack, with a dagger gripped, the blade pointing towards Sakura's throat. "Stay here," growled Sasuke to the others who were with him. He could not go on. Sakura's life was in danger, the very life they were trying to liberate from this hellish lifestyle. Fear and panic seized his body as he waited for some kind of response from Sakura. For the mean time, they were a bit ahead of schedule. They planned to reach Itachi's place at ten. It was only 8:45. They had an hour and fifteen minutes left. In the laboratory, the person in front of Sakura laughed maniacally, as if the pink haired girl asked the most stupid of questions.

"What you have done to me, you ask?" said the intruder with a maniacal gleam, a dark look on the intruder's face. Sakura nodded slowly, trying to dissuade the intruder from continuing her actions and effectively silencing her. "You've taken my Sasuke-kun from me that was what you've done you whore!" shouted the intruder violently as her own tears of anguish began spilling generously to the floor. "He was supposed to be mine! Mine I tell you! You were never supposed to appear in the picture!" she screamed as she let go of the dagger, Ino towering over Sakura effectively. "God damn it would have been a happy picture! Me and Sasuke-kun, forever and ever, until you appeared in the picture!" she seethed, her cerulean eyes darkening substantially.

"I never meant to hurt you," she whispered, Sakura's tears falling unconsciously. Ino paid her no mind as she picked up Sakura's glass of water and threw it on the wall, breaking it. Water spilled onto Sakura and the shards fell on her face, cutting her. Her blood mingled with the water inside the glass, causing her to wince. "I didn't want to see him kill that night. Really. All I wanted to do was to go to the convenience store and get a couple of things," she continued, the salty liquid escaping from her eyes touching her small wounds, stinging them horribly. "I was just going back to Tony's, after a delivery. Do you think I wanted to see someone die so brutally, in such cold blood, afterwards?"

"It doesn't matter how you felt then! What matters is how I feel!" screeched Ino, trying so hard to make Sakura suffer before slowly killing her. She would feel the pain for doing this to her. She would kill her, for doing this to her. After Sakura died by her hands, Sasuke would realize his mistake and go back to her, like it really should be. Her mouth twisted itself into a demonic smile as she bent down, picking up the fallen dagger. "Hey, Sakura, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine," said Ino with a dark grin. Pressing the dagger close to Sakura's artery, she smiled. "Sakura, meet Dag, short for Dagger," she said confidently as she pressed the blade closer to Sakura's neck, a small wound opening, "And he likes to see blood. Why don't you be a good friend and show him your blood, Sakura?" She had officially gone over the edge. This proved it.

Sasuke froze, unable to do anything. He was too far away from Sakura to stop Ino from killing her. He didn't want to lose his family all over again. The minute his parents died three years ago, he had none left. The other four looked at him helplessly. They wanted to help but if they went back, Itachi would have enough time to prepare for a counter attack. They had to hope that Shikamaru and Kotoe could stop Ino before she did anything rash. The Uchiha gripped his hands tightly, his nails digging into his skin that he almost started to bleed. "If you do anything to her, Ino, I swear you will die by my hands," hissed Sasuke, his onyx eyes flickering.

Tsuzuku…

A cliffhanger! I usually don't do this but now seems like a perfect moment for one. –dodges all things thrown at her- I'll try to update soon!

And Itachi is mean! He sent Nanako to spy over Ayumi! Wah. TriGemini's question in the review sort of sparked that idea.

I shortened CotHaS from the planned twenty chapters to a total of eighteen chapters. After this one, four more left until I take a short break before moving on to Reaching Out to You. I expect ROtY to be about… ten or so chapters long, since no "action" happens there anyway.

As usual, here's the chapter preview!

Next Chapter: Chapter Fifteen – The Climax to the War

Chapter Preview: "You have lovely blood, lovely blood," said Ino happily, "That's what Dag's saying to you. He's smiling! Aren't you happy Sakura, happy that you're making a friend smile because of your sacrifice?" A maniacal grin appeared on Ino's face as Sakura backed away even further, trying to get the knife away from her. She gripped her neck, trying to stop the blood from flowing from the small wound on her neck. It wasn't deep, at least. Ino made another wound on Sakura's left palm, though it was a very shallow wound. Despite that, blood dripped from the thin wound. "Come back, Sakura! Dag's still not done inspecting your blood!" said Ino in a sing song voice, the maniacal grin still on her face.