Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, never have, never will. It's the
property of Masashi Kishimoto (and all those other companies..blah! I
dunno, but it's mainly his) and I think it's best that way :D
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Torn
Chapter 2
By Shanpuu
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Sakura shot up in bed, startled, a harsh, ragged breath caught in her dry throat. As her wide eyes slowly adjusted to the scarce light in the room, she desperately gasped the air back into her hitching lungs.
A sudden image of crimson, luminous eyes flashed into her vision and she clenched her own in shock, trying frantically to force it away. Hot tears formed in the corners of her eyes and ran tracks silently down her cheeks.
A… nightmare…? She wondered, as her breathing finally steadied and she was able to think clearly. Though her vision was obscured, she looked anxiously around the darkened room and out the window, and almost laughed in relief when she saw the sea, shimmering in silver under the moon's pale light. There was no doubt about it; this was the same hotel room she'd stayed in since her arrival in Shunyou.
It was a nightmare, She thought giddily and flopped back onto the bed, closing her tired, tear-filled eyes. Sakura sighed and couldn't help but laugh again, shaking her head at her own stupidity.
Nineteen and I'm still letting silly little nightmares scare the hell out of me… But still, She frowned, A nightmare about the Akatsuki? I wonder what brought that on…
Still giggling slightly, she raised her hands to wipe the tears from her clammy skin, but nearly screamed out when she realised that they were bound at the wrists.
…No!
Panicked terror shot through her, and she quickly rolled off the bed and onto the cold wooden floor, standing shakily on her bare feet.
No no no! It wasn't a nightmare! Wide green eyes stared in horror at her tightly bound hands. Unless she'd gotten really drunk last night, it looked as if she had indeed been captured by Akatsuki. Then… this isn't my hotel room…?
Looking out the window, she noticed the many differences that her tear-filled eyes had failed to spot earlier… among other things, in Shunyou there'd been a long wooden peer stretching far into the distance, and unless someone had decided to break it down and hide the evidence while she slept, she was definitely somewhere else.
I have to escape. She thought urgently, But first thing's first…
She needed to get these stupid bonds off of her wrists. They looked to be a few lengths of black wire… innocent enough, but she knew there had to be more to it; 'A ninja must look underneath the underneath', as Kakashi-sensei would say. She doubted she'd be able to slip her hands out, or cut the wire on anything… but maybe if she used her 'monstrous strength' -as Naruto called it- she could force the bonds apart.
That decided, she focussed her chakra into her hands, but before she could gather even half of what she needed, the strange wire began to glow a brilliant blue that reminded her of Sasuke's chidori. As she watched the crackling energy in morbid fascination, a bolt suddenly shot up her arm and plunged into her torso. A paralysing pain exploded into her chest and she felt as though someone was squeezing her lungs with all their might. The stunned girl crumpled to her knees, gasping and spluttering for air.
As the pain slowly ebbed away she lay her forehead on the floor and tried to steady her coarse breathing. "Wh-What the hell was that…"
A low, rumbling chuckle was her answer. "Heh, I don't think you'll be trying that again anytime soon…"
Stunned, Sakura lifted her head and turned to see who had spoken. She was startled to see the looming figure of Kisame by the now-open door, his small, fish-like eyes watching her intently. He towered over the considerably shorter man beside him, who Sakura might not have noticed if it wasn't for his unmistakable, piercing red eyes.
"We would like you to come with us," Itachi spoke in that steady, irritatingly calm voice of his and it only succeeded in grating on the young medic's frazzled nerves.
"I-I don't know what the hell you've brought me here for, but whatever it is… you can just forget about it!" She huffed indignantly and shakily rose to her feet, wanting to seem closer to their height. As she didn't feel like glaring up at Kisame, she turned her anger to Itachi instead, "No I'm not gonna be bait for you to get Naruto! I'd sooner bite my tongue and bleed to death than let you use me for that. So unless you came in here for a friendly chat, or better- to let me go, you can just turn around and march your stupid Akatsuki asses right back out."
A few laden silent moments passed, Sakura glared and Itachi only stared. And maybe she was imagining it, but Kisame seemed to be trying to suppress an amused smirk.
Finally… "Sakura-san," he spoke again, "You will come with us now."
The same words he'd said before casting a sleep genjutsu over her... Was he threatening to do it again? That no matter if she screamed and kicked off a storm, they'd still get their way, so it would be useless to even attempt to resist them? Well right now, Sakura didn't give a damn. If she was going to die -and she was sure that she was- she'd make things as difficult for them as possible.
Her lips curled into a wicked smirk. "I refuse."
Her mind set, she hardened her jaw and stood as confidently as one could in front of two ridiculously dangerous criminals. If they wanted her to follow them, they'd just have to drag her out kicking and screaming.
Yeah, there's no way I'm going to-
Suddenly, Itachi was standing in front of her. She hadn't even seen him move.
His long, pale fingers slid under her chin and gently raised her head so that her bright green eyes met his. Caught in the peculiar moment, Sakura couldn't help but notice how long and thick his dark lashes were, and how perfectly they framed his deep, crimson, swirling eyes.
Wait… swirling?
Not agai-
She hadn't even time to finish her thought as her world once again fell into darkness.
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… better wake soon." A deep voice was saying as Sakura slowly came to.
Again, it felt like no time had passed since she'd fallen into Itachi's enticing red eyes, and Sakura felt frustrated at how easily he was able to subdue her. She'd always been talented when it came to dispelling genjutsu, but Itachi had managed to capture her in his enchantment twice now… and each time, she'd been powerless to resist it.
Just how powerful is he? She wondered as she sat up slowly, her eyes gradually adjusting to the inky blackness surrounding her.
"Ah, she's awake…" It was the same deep voice she'd heard as she'd gained consciousness. Turning to where the voice had come from, she could just barely make out a figure bathed in shadows, lying upon a low mattress about a few feet in front of her. Why was it so dark in this room? Glancing about her, she realised with great confusion that there were no windows… and with growing trepidation, she wondered why she'd been brought here.
"Haruno Sakura, right?" The man's voice cut through the darkness, it was soft and strangely soothing, but filled with subtle undertones of authority. She nodded and he seemed to have seen her, as he quickly continued, "The Hokage's little apprentice, hmm? You certainly lucked out this time, Itachi."
Never one for idle banter, Itachi merely stared down at the man with his usual indifference.
"Wh-Who?" The fearful medic inquired softly, her eyes never leaving the concealed figure before her.
"My name? It doesn't matter, but I suppose you might call me the leader of Akatsuki."
Sakura bit her lip and frowned in confusion. But you're meant to be dead… she felt like saying, but restrained herself. She might as well have, as the man seemed to have read her thoughts.
"You're aware of the battle Orochimaru and I fought, no doubt," He spoke, and Sakura listened with undivided attention, "My old subordinate believed he had taken my life. Well, as you now know… he left me very much alive."
"Only," His tone grew quiet, filled with bitter mirth, "I am unable to recover from the… wounds he left me with. And after three years of searching for a med-nin with the capability to heal me… we have found no one..."
And? Sakura wanted to demand, she could tell where this was going, Am I supposed to care? To help out the man who intends to extract the Kyuubi for his own twisted purpose, and in doing so take the life of my best friend?
Are the Akatsuki really that stupid?
"You are no fool, you know what I'm asking of you Sakura."
Feeling anger building up inside, she raised her narrowed green eyes to glare at the feared leader of Akatsuki. "To help you murder someone I love, right?" She spat out bitterly, and she continued when she saw his eyes widen questioningly. "Uzumaki Naruto, my best friend. Or the 'Kyuubi Jinchuuriki' to you evil bastards. He's been hated and shunned for all of his life… but because he's such a wonderful person, he's come through it…
…and I won't allow his end to come from a cowardly bastard like you!"
A low, humourless chuckle, and if he'd been able to move, she was sure he'd be clapping mockingly. "A cute little speech, Sakura. But it won't help your current situation. You will either heal me, or die like the others who've stood in your place."
"Then… you'll just have to kill me." It really wasn't a hard decision.
A few moments of silence passed, and Sakura shut her eyes, patiently waiting for her end to come. But then, surprisingly, she heard the man speak again.
"Then I suppose I'll have to offer you a proposition," He said tiredly, despondently and Sakura's eyes shot open in shock, "Perhaps it's only a hunch, but I believe you do have the skill to heal me. So, if you succeed not only will you leave here with your life… but I'll give you my word that the Akatsuki will never again pursue the Kyuubi."
"Th-That's ridiculous… you've all been hunting the Kyuubi for so long now, why would you just give up on it? And besides… I don't even know if I can heal you!"
"Sakura," His tone was harsh, cautioning, the same as her mother's when she'd done something wrong, "What use is the Kyuubi to me if I can't use even one jutsu? Don't you think that it's a worthwhile sacrifice? I lose the Kyuubi, but regain the usage of my body…and Akatsuki will still be able to attain the rest of the bijuu."
And suddenly, the reality of what he was offering her fully sunk in. To have complete access to the Akatsuki leader's body, inside and out. Without his little Akatsuki lapdogs, he was practically helpless lying there… He had even admitted that he was unable to move or use any jutsu at all; he was entirely vulnerable.
A reckless, dangerous idea entered her head… and as she thought on it, it only became more appealing.
…I… could pretend to heal him, but while I'm doing it…
…If I waited for the right moment… could I…
So much had happened, she didn't know if she was thinking straight or not.
Am I just afraid to die…? No, I've been close to death more times than I can count. I'm not afraid… but with a chance like this… can I just ignore it?
The opportunity to rid the world of the Akatsuki for good had just been offered up to her on a silver platter and although it was riskier than anything else she'd done, the temptation was too much to resist.
"Sakura, you have my word," He said firmly, interrupting her thoughts, "If my word is not enough for you, you may shake my hand… although I am unable to shake back. Come here."
If I don't heal him, he'll eventually find someone else to do it anyway… If I go through with this, I could make sure Naruto never has to worry about the Akatsuki ever again!
Decided, she knelt at his side, slipped one of her bound hands into his -it was large, calloused and greatly dwarfed hers- and shook gently, her jaw set as she stared fixedly into his angled eyes. Her mind was running a mile.
But I have to be careful, if they suspect what I'm doing I'll be killed right away. I-I'll do it gradually… With my chakra in his body, there are so many ways I could kill him! And he wouldn't even realise until it's too late.
"We have a deal?" The shadow-hidden man asked impatiently at her silence.
"It's a deal…"
As her hand lay in his, she had never felt so determined in her life.
You'll regret writing me off as a gullible, naïve little girl, you bastard… You'll never get your hands anywhere near Naruto or the Kyuubi or any other Jinchuuriki in the world… because I swear, on Konoha's spirit of fire, that you will die by my hands.
The Akatsuki leader smiled; his eyes closed, and he revealed a row of sharp, gleaming white teeth.
"Go. You will begin healing me tomorrow morning, Sakura." The way he drawled her name made her feel sick.
Kisame's strong hand hooked under her armpit and roughly pulled her off her knees. Then, he began pulling her towards the room's exit. But a thought suddenly struck Sakura, and she twisted violently out of his grasp.
"W-wait!" She cried, and the man on the mattress opened his eyes curiously, "The med-nin from Konoha! He went missing in Shunyou too, did you…?" It was blatantly obvious now that he'd suffered the same fate as she, but in the shock of the whole situation, it had only just occurred to her.
Suddenly, the leader's earlier words echoed in her mind:
"You will either heal me, or die like the others who've stood in your place."
"N-no…"
"I suggest you enjoy the rest of this night, Sakura, because if you fail, it will be your last."
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Enjoy the rest of the night, he'd said.
As Sakura lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, she couldn't help but wonder what she'd gotten herself into. After her little meeting with the Akatsuki leader, Kisame had practically dragged her back to the room she'd woken up in and, from the many clicks and clonks she'd heard, bolted the door about ten damn times. That she'd been locked in didn't bother her too much; she wasn't keen on attempting escape anyway, but why the hell had Itachi stayed in the room with her?
The Uchiha prodigy was now calmly -was anything he did not calm?- sitting beside the window, staring indifferently at the beautiful night outside. Bathed in the pale glow of the moon, he sat silently, unmoving, and Sakura wondered if he wasn't an intricate statue carved of ivory. And although his crimson eyes had not fallen on her once, she was unable to keep her own from frequently glancing at him.
She tightly closed her eyes and tried to ignore him, but it was in vain. His refined profile entered her mind, and she found herself reminded of a certain other black haired boy.
Sasuke…
I haven't seen his face in three years now… I bet they look alike.
Involuntarily, she opened her eyes and studied the Uchiha's face again. If his eyes were black and those lines -what were they?- beside his nose were gone, she'd be hard pressed to tell the two apart.
Suddenly, the image of Sasuke dying under her blood-covered hands flashed across her vision, and she cringed in shock. His brow was creased, his breathing deep and deafeningly loud… and parts of him that should have been inside, weren't.
He… he did that to him…
Her eyes were fixed unseeingly on the older Uchiha.
To forget the terrifying image, she forced herself to remember back to when Team 7 had just formed and Kakashi had taken them out to the training grounds for his infamous 'bell test'. Even then, Sasuke was consumed by hatred for his brother… she remembered the words he'd spoken to her when the two were alone. It'd been the first time she'd seen such raw pain on anyone's face…
'There's a man that only I can kill.'
'I am an avenger. I have to become stronger than that man. So I can't just stay around here…'
Back then, she'd been so young… and so blinded by her undying 'love' for him, that she hadn't realised the true weight of those words. But now she knew better, she had thought about those words so much she could recite them in her sleep. In short, it was the story of Sasuke's life. Never resting, never enjoying and certainly never loving; he only lived and breathed revenge.
All his pain and suffering had been caused by the man but two meters away from her…and as she cursed his name and the ground he walked on and imagined all of the gruesome ways she'd love to see him die, Itachi sat peacefully by the window, blissfully unaware.
Frustrated, she turned brusquely on the bed and stared at the plain wall, instead of the infuriatingly serene Uchiha.
I can't stop you from destroying your brother… you've practically already done that anyway. But… I'll make sure you can't do the same to Naruto!
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A/N: Okay, so now we know what Akatsuki wants with Sakura and what she intends to do about it. And nope… no Deidara this chapter -gets pelted by tomatoes- but he'll appear soon, I promise!
Thank you for the reviews! A few responses (these are allowed, right? O.o):
EnV: She found him, in a way I guess… poor little nameless guy.
Miakoda: Although my Itachi hasn't really done much yet, I'm glad to hear that! He is difficult to write, especially in a romantic story… I hope I can do him justice. Also, I checked out your DA and I don't have an account to comment there, but I love the ItaSaku pic in your featured! You're very talented.
Mind At Loss: Looks like you're right! And yeah, DeiSaku has so much potential but it seems difficult to find stories on them… we need more!
Animeaddict & inosentengtabonista (jebus that's a long name: Glad to hear you like DeiSaku, too! The story is going sorta slow right now, but I'm sure you'll enjoy what I have in mind!
