Change in plan, ladies (and gentlemen if there's any). I told you that this fic is going to be ended in the ninth chapter. But considering that the chapter 9 is too long, I'm 'kind' enough to separate it into two chapters. So, this story will ended in tenth chapter.

About this chapter, I planned to make this story as detail as possible. But since I'm lack of vocabulary, so this chapter isn't going to be that good. Oh yeah, and the next chapter is so OOC. So sorry. A lot of 'romantic' conversation that I guess they never even started.

About the grammar, the winner from the English Olympic in my country herself was the one who check it. If you still complain about the grammar, go blame her, of check your dictionary.

Standard Disclaimer Apply

Chapter 7

Night time sharpens

Heightened each sensation

Darkness stirs and wakes imagination

Silently the senses abandon their defences

Helpless to resist the feelings…

Slowly, something changed. Love which formed from the silence and grew within the emptiness. The feeling which came unnoticeably by the owner.

Walking with her, melting in her smiles, jokes and laughter, unable to balance in her scent and eyes contacts. Even when those fingers reaching for him, one thing that often happened from the beginning, and one little whisper in his ear. And something in his chest… pulsed faster than he expected.

And when those eyes of heart opened…

XXXXXXXXXX

Itachi was the one who arranged the battle.

I don't want to lose her, he thought; I know that she will prefer my little brother when she sees him.

And I know that I have no right to separate them.

"Come here, my little flower." He said after she trained non-stop for five hours. She obeyed.

"Hn." Since when have I been yours?

And now I'm influenced by that one single vocabulary. Great.

"What?" She stared straight into his crimson orbs. Suddenly, the coma around it swirled slowly. She felt like drowning into them.

"Wh-what are you doing?" She managed to yell out, but it became harder and harder as the ruby red eyes hypnotized her. Making her unable to turn away.

A voice rang inside her head. 'You will obey all my demands…'

No! Like hell I will.

'Don't resist…'

Damn it, my body can't move! I can't escape from his eyes!

In the other hand, Uchiha Itachi was amazed. Other person will easily be hypnotized. This girl was… strong. Was… different.

She is really a tough girl. I'm happy that my little brother didn't claim her as his.

Sakura still struggled to break off the eye contact with him, which unfortunately couldn't.

I don't want to be controlled… please help me…

Sasuke… help me…

The other voice rang through her mind, 'Sasuke won't help you. You know that yourself.'

Involuntary, a tear slid down her cheek.

"I've got better things to do."

'Sasuke… never gave a shit about you.'

At that time she gave in. No more struggling. She didn't care whatever would happen to her.

Because lies and such are always kind. Always… beautiful.

…yet I don't want it.

Because I don't need more of this world.

Because no one wants me… no one ever cared…

After that, her mind became blank. She couldn't think anymore. The voice inside her head just made her more hypnotized.

'Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dream—purge your thoughts of the life you knew before… Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar…'

'Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in, to the darkness that you know you cannot fight…'

'In the dark, it is easy to pretend…'

"Because the light will make you belong to the truth, and the truth isn't what you want to see..."

'Bar all the windows and shut out the light…'

The voice stopped. At time, her eyes were blank. The emerald green eyes had lost its sparkle. Just like a moving doll. Itachi stared at her for a long time. Slowly, he hugged the girl in front of him. She didn't resist, for she let her head landing slowly on his chest.

'And you'll live as you've never live before…'

"From now on… you just obey me, just hear my voice. Understand?"

"Yes, Itachi-sama."

"Only then… can you belong to me?" His voice was barely audible. She didn't answer.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke stared his opponent in disbelief.

"Sakura…?" Her appearance was totally different than the last time he saw her. Her hair was now short. Her clothes were also different.

But she looks kinda cute that way…, he thought. What? Cute? What did I think? Darn!

But the biggest difference was in her eyes. Those eyes weren't the emerald green eyes he once recognized. In many times she stared at him, in so much time they look each other, he couldn't remember that she ever looking at him like this. Maybe happy, maybe angry, maybe sad, or lovingly, and many more expressions. But never like this. Never this… expressionless. Never… so blank.

After a long time, he laughed emptily. He stared at Itachi.

"Do you think that I would be tricked? How could I know that this… not your clone and use Henge no jutsu and became Sakura form? Or someone else was using her form?"

"You have the Sharingan, foolish little brother," Itachi answered calmly. As Sasuke heard this statement, he sharpened his Sharingan. That figure… that's real. Nothing changed. Sakura stood before him, defiantly he could tell.

"This is not an illusion. The real Sakura is here." Itachi stated.

"How could you do this?" Sasuke said spitefully.

"Enough talking. Fight more. Sakura," Itachi called her.

"Yes, Itachi-sama?" Sakura responded.

"Defeat him." Itachi ordered.

"Yes, Itachi-sama." She stepped closer to the Uchiha heir.

She stared at him blankly. Sasuke was sweating and little bit… nervous. This was the first time he fought Sakura.

But…, he thought, who will be defeated by a little weakling? He couldn't help a hint of underestimating in his brain.

"You underestimate me," he said slowly, "Do you think that you can win with such a… dress?" Yeah. Her dress was not like a ninja. It was more like a fairy. Too complicated to fight, he thought.

She didn't answer. She just stepped closer. He saw she grabbed some kunai and shuriken. With a clear motion, she threw those kunai and shuriken. Pretty slow for any ninja. Very slow for an Uchiha, actually.

Fool, he thought, even if I don't use sharingan, it's still clearly shown. Hello? Are you kidding me?

He dodged them easily. She threw more kunai and shuriken. Same, with clear motion. He jumped back pretty far.

…I don't want to fight her.

Suddenly, a crash sound heard from behind. He glanced. A tree behind him fell freely, aimed for his body. Automatically, he jumped towards the right side. Without his awareness, another tree—which far bigger from the first one, successfully hit his back. Fortunately, his reflect caused the tree missing to hit his head.

"Argh!" His bones felt like they were crushed, and all of the air seemed gone from his lungs. He managed to get off. His taijutsu training fruited something.

"I got it." He stared at Itachi as he could stand again, slightly panting. "You make her your doll, and control her movement. Bah. Fighting her would be the same as fighting you. I won't hold back anymore."

"Wrong again, brother," Itachi replied calmly, "I just ordered her, and she did it with her own way. I have no control of her body, just her mind."

"What? Impossible!" he shocked, "She's never…" His eyes widened as he remembered something. It was after he came back to Konoha. They were from a mission.

"Sasuke, would you like to train with me tomorrow?" Sakura asked.

"…I've got better things to do." Sasuke answered coldly.

"Oh… that's so…" Sakura smiled, as usual. She glanced at Naruto. "Naruto, would you like…"

"Aaah! I'm tired and hungry! I want some ramen!" Naruto yelled out loud. He didn't seem to hear Sakura.

Sakura just smiled and sighed. "Well, in this case I think I must train alone again…"

He closed his eyes. He remembered that Naruto and he himself never gave her a chance to fight in the mission, nor have they ever kept an eye of her in their training session. Thinking that she was just a little weakling…

Thinking that she was no more than a burden…

I'm sorry… Sakura…

"I see now." He talked to Sakura, hoping that maybe she could hear him. "You're a genjutsu type, but you will never use your genjutsu to a Sharingan user like me. Considering that the sharingan will get rid of any genjutsu type. Then you will just use taijutsu, which is the Sharingan weakness. You're strong. Not only that, you're smart too."

She stared back blankly. Not answering. He tried again. "That taijutsu, you threw them slowly, so I didn't think to dodge by jumping, and although that kunai was slowly thrown, you didn't give me a chance to step closer to you, and I just dodged by stepping backwards. Great. Very smart."

She didn't answer. Sasuke looked at her, helplessly. "Sakura!" he yelled out, almost desperate, "Listen to me! Open your eyes! I know that you can get rid of that hypnotize jutsu by yourself! You even broke Ino's jutsu!"

Still, she stared him as if she didn't hear anything. Itachi's cold voice spoke, "She just listens to me, and no one else. She will do anything if I say it. You can't do anything. The jutsu could only be broken if I cancel it, or if she has a very strong will to release herself, which is impossible."

"Liar!" the younger Uchiha hissed, "She has the will to break that jutsu. She never wanted to be a doll!"

"She did, but it was you who made it easier, little brother. In her mind, she called for your help, and then her experiences and her feelings denied it. Making her obey to whatever I say."

He stared in disbelief. Itachi spoke again, "It's useless, she's mine."

"She's not yours, you bastard!" he exploded. His cold temperament was always unseen when he saw the S-rank criminal. "She's not a property that you could own. She's a human, dammit!"

"But you didn't treat her as such." Itachi replied calmly. Sasuke's face was red with anger. "I"LL KILL YOU!" He rushed towards Itachi, swung his katana, ready to separate the older Uchiha's head from the body.

Clank!

The sound of katana meeting each other rang clearly through the air of the battlefield. Itachi stayed still. Sasuke stared in disbelief to his team mate. Sakura used her katana to deflect his. "Sakura… why did you protect him?"

"Heh… Sakura, fight him again. Kill him if necessary."

"Yes, Itachi-sama." It was actually hurt him when she called himself '-sama'. He wanted her to call him as an equal. By his name. Pure. No '-san', '-sama', or 'Uchiha'.

"Sakura! Open your eyes!"

"You better keep your eyes on her or else you'll die." Itachi said. Sasuke gulped. He clenched his fist.

In a blink of an eye, Sakura's face was already in front of his face. He quickly jumped back to dodge her fist. He raised his fist, ready to hit her. But another hand which already aimed for his face hit him—although not full-power because he realized it—leaving a blue-greenish bruise.

He stared at her for a long time.

No… she isn't the Sakura I know…

Sakura is kind and would never hurt others…

Sakura always smiled and never attacked her own team mates…

"…I really don't want to use this, Sakura. But I think, in this case…"

A flash of light chirped in his hand. Sasuke's trump card.

Chidori.

XXXXXXXXXX

She looked at him still. Calmly. Seemed not afraid of the dangerous jutsu. And it made uncomfortable feeling in his heart.

"Here we go." He rushed towards her. Weird, he thought. She didn't move at all. Not even raise her weapon to deflect it. Her face muscles were barely reacted.

Craash!

I've got her! Do I… kill her?

His eyes widened as he realized the supposedly injured Sakura disappear, leaving a puff of smoke. He felt the air behind him rushed. He quickly glanced. Sakura jumped towards him, swung her katana. He jumped backwards; her katana hit him, but not cut him into two. Although it wasn't a deep wound, a long starch painted his pale flesh.

Blood spattered around them. Some to the ground, some to Sakura's face and dress.

"Very smart, using Kage Bunshin to trick me…" He panted, gagged some blood. "You're strong. I don't know why I just realize it now…" He laughed bitterly to himself. He couldn't even put a starch against her, despite his blood was now painting the pale pink fabric she wore and her white-porcelain face.

"I will be strong for you Sasuke, I promise."

Sakura… I'm sorry.

He sighed. I must use the Sharingan seriously, he thought, this would be a very dreadful fight.

He raised his head. His eyes narrowed. "I thought I would…" he stopped in the middle way.

Tears painted Sakura's face; leaving streaks in the blood trail.

Sakura…?

More tears came out from the emerald green orbs. Yet the owner didn't seem to realize it. Her face was just blank.

A trick…?

Sasuke stared at Itachi, who seemed surprised as well. His brother's eyes were wide, and his expression wasn't as stone statue as usual.

She's… crying? There's no way she could…

Sakura turned her back to him and walked towards his elder brother.

…did she break the jutsu from within?

Sasuke stared bitterly at Sakura. Guilt, sadness, and other feelings he never felt before mixed in his heart. Mingling each other. He never felt so much feeling as he felt now.

Even when you're unconscious, I still hurt you…

I'm sorry… Sakura…

"Enough playing, Sakura. I know that was just a warming up for you. But… well, as long as you can kick his ass I won't complain…"

"Yes, Itachi-sama."

Sakura…

He saw her disappear from Itachi's side, rushed towards him. Even with Sharingan he could saw the attack easily (learning from the previous experience), he didn't dodge for everyone's confusion.

Blood once again spattered around the battlefield. Fell on to the ground, painted her face and her dress with crimson red.

Her katana buried deeply in his waist. He received the attack. Suddenly, his arms curled to her shoulders and her waist, pulled her to his embrace. She didn't resist, yet she didn't seem willing either. Her face was still blank. So did her eyes. Yet the tears still pouring out from the sea-green eyes.

"Sakura, listen to me. I know that you always help me, always by my side when I needed you. You always with me, giving me more than we both thought possible. But… I'm sorry! I always close my eyes of your kindness. I always hurt you even after you gave the cold dead world of mine the warmth which I never felt after the massacre."

Silence.

"Sakura, I need you! You're the most important person in my life. Please… Open your eyes—let your soul take you where you long to be…"

"I love you, Sakura…" His tight hug made her Konoha necklace—which he gave to her—hit her on the hollow of her breast, making her mind back and struggled free. Tears came out even more.

Something rang from the back of her head, "Sakura, when I'm with you, it was a priceless treasure to me."

Everything was simply a lie.

She shifted free from his embrace while saying, "Liar."

Do you think that I must continue this story? I got very… erm… mean flame, that makes me think to stop this story right here, especially because the next chapters filled with romantic yet sucks conversation. (If you know 'phantom of the opera', well, some copied from that movie, didn't I tell you that?) Besides, the next chapter just filled with argument, argument, and some... well, can't tell you that, but it won't be as good as 'Incurable Pain', (if you think it's good. I mean this story just much sucker) because I made 'Incurable Pain' just after I'm broken heart, and the beep beep things Sasuke said to Sakura was the same as my crush shouted at me, basically some was my own experience, so I can make it more real. (But I don't allow you to say 'you should get broken heart more often. No.) So… well, the decision is yours. Well, I'll update next two weeks… (maybe, depends on your will)

One thing again, I hope you add me in my messenger, because I have a picture (Sakura's dress) in this chapter, but since I didn't explain it, and I don't have any deviantArt, you could add me in your messenger if you want, and then I can send it to you.

Have a nice day,

£exy The Thief