Since they sort of go together and this was how I originally posted them, here are TWO chapters, #'s 34 35, to keep you satisfied for a bit haha. 35 will be its own chapter of course. Hope you like them, and as always, thank you :)/p

Alsoooo, I've had a few people wonder about Sasuke's feelings in the last chapter, and yes, poor little Sauce does in fact love Kokoa. They are romantic feelings, as I've hinted. So we'll see how he deals with that o.O

This is the story of a girl who sits in the dark room,
wondering what's to become of her.
Her makeup is smeared, and blood fills her dark heart,
the addiction is slowly sinking in.

With bloodshot eyes, she starts hallucinating,
the track marks fading from her arms.
She's as white as the snowfall,
and she's clung to the ceiling.

"Oh?" Kokoa noticed some of her books were out of place. She glanced at Sasuke who sat on the couch, skimming over a paper. He peeked over.

"Did you move these?" she said quietly.

"I was looking the other day and accidently dropped the folder. I put it back," he replied.

"Which folder?"

"The red one."

"Oh." She ran her thumb along the edge of it.

"I saw it, the picture," he said suddenly. She stiffened. "Those were your parents, right?"

"Oh – yeah."

"You look just like your dad," he said. She nodded in agreement. "I saw the other photo too."

"Oh," she swallowed hard, fighting to keep it together, but before he could say anymore and before the tension in the room knocked her down, she marched out, never looking at him in the process.

Dancing dirty needles broke the tip off in her skin,

The promises and false hopes are injected in her veins.
It's almost Armageddon as she falls to the floor,
Guilt straight affliction, now comatose.
Emptiness, (In her head)
She feels the room spin, (She forgets)

Somebody call a doctor, (Her reason)
We need an ambulance. (For living)

"Sasuke! Oi, Sasuke!"

"What is it, moron?" the Uchiha sighed, facing Naruto with a bored expression.

"You're lucky I'm not going to punch that look off your face, bastard."

"What are you talking about, Naruto? I don't have time for you."

"You sure? Because you don't look busy to me."

"What do you want?"

"Kokoa. What's going on with her?"

"Kokoa?" Everything about Sasuke relaxed a bit. "What do you mean?"

"She's acting different."

"Ever think because she was just released from jail, dumbass?"

"You're the dumbass, Sasuke."

"Say what now?" The irritation returned.

"The other day I saw her about to cry. I wanted to get lunch, but she kept walking, saying that she wanted to be alone and all."

"So? Believe it or not, Naruto, sometimes people need to be alone."

"But she told me not to tell you where she went if you had asked."

"Huh?"

"She's not herself. I get being in jail was rough. I understand she's going through a rough time. She and I have a lot in common, Sasuke, but there was this look in her eyes like – like she would hurt herself or something."

"You're just imagining things –"

"Why would I imagine that!"

"But…" He fell quiet, thinking back on what he was told.

"You had a nice little chat before becoming hysterical and begging him to kill you; that any bit of pride, dignity, and resolve you had went right out the window the moment you set eyes on him!"

Sasuke swallowed hard. Was she really suicidal?

"Well? Sasuke?'

"What?"

"What are you going to do?" Naruto crossed his arms.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"What do you want from me, Naruto!"

"To help Kokoa! I understand what she's going through; the looks and the comments from everyone, but whatever is happening between you two and your brother, I don't know how to help! Besides, you've been together for years. You live together for crying out loud! She's not herself."

"I have no clue –"

"Don't you care, Sasuke! At all! In any way, don't you care –"

"Of course I do!" he spat, narrowing his eyes. "More than anyone, more than anything! Of course I care about her –"

"Then do something before it's too late. She needs someone and that someone is you. She's always there when you fall on your ass, so it's time you did the same." With that Naruto left, rubbing his belly in a circular motion. All that yelling had made him hungry. Sasuke stood in place, lips parted, eyes wide, speechless.

A mess. Kuroki Kokoa was a mess in every way. Her mind raced, her heart nearly burst through her chest, she hadn't been sleeping or eating, the rumors were an everyday thing. Chaos. It had gotten so bad, to the point where she was desperate to escape, even if only for a little while. She and Sasuke were still…awkward, and Kakashi had been busy, not that she would run to him if he wasn't, but still, and she didn't want to dump her problems on Naruto, so there it was again, that utter loneliness that gnawed at her.

Stopping before a small shop, she let her shoulder fall, knowing she wouldn't get away with it.

"Why's such a pretty girl like you lookin' so sad?" A man probably in his early thirties commented, sitting to the side of the front door. She looked down at him, at his torn and dirtied clothes, the grime in his hair, the yellow of his teeth. She stayed silent.

"What, is there something you need that I can assist you with?" he smirked. She curled her lip, ready to leave when she spotted the bottle of alcohol lying beside him. Still 18, she wouldn't be permitted to buy any, but…

"As a matter of fact, there is."

Trapped in this black hole,
Abandoned, alone.
And I'm here for you.
I am so sick, I am so sick.
I am so fucking sick of this.
The roses are red, violets are blue,
These petals fall like tears.

"You've been acting quite different since we returned."

"It's been a while. What are you talking about, Kisame-san?"

"You've been odd, more than you usually are, Itachi."

"It's nothing," he replied, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"That doesn't look like "nothing" to me."

"I'm tired is all."

"No, that's not it."

"I don't –"

"It has something to do with a young lady about this tall with black hair and these fierce blue eyes."

"What about her?" he inquired, never looking at his partner.

"What about her? Everything, Itachi-san. Ever since your little meeting, you haven't been the same. Has she affected you in some way?"

"Not at all."

"Are you sure? Because I think she has."

"You're entitled to your opinion."

"I'm entitled to my opinion? Heh, cut the bull, Itachi."

"Why does it matter? What are you getting at?" he said, not in the mood for this.

"What did that conversation with her mean? Kokoa, right? That's her name?"

"Why are you so interested?"

"Because as your partner and as a member of Akatsuki, I need to know where your loyalties lie, Itachi-san. Are you having doubts? Second thoughts –"

"Of course not."

"So then why have you been fixated on nothing but her since then?" Kisame pushed.

"She was…a part of my past. We were involved," he said quietly, eyes still never leaving the floor.

"Well jee, I hadn't noticed," he sneered.

"I left without telling her my plans. She didn't know anything, and I left Konoha and Kokoa behind. I just didn't think seeing her again after all this time would be so…"

"What, it stirred some feelings?"

"Memories perhaps. I'm not doubting myself or regretting what I did. If I wanted her to, she would have followed me here, but I severed my ties. I left everything. I don't want or need it. Kokoa was the last connection to that miserable village. I suppose I was just surprised to see her like that after so much time had passed."

"Oh?"

"My place is here. I am loyal to Akatsuki. I left her behind because like the others she was blind to everything. I don't need someone foolish like that by my side. You saw how she begged, how she fell apart over ancient history. We're through, she and I. No need to worry, Kisame-san. I was only thinking, reflecting a bit is all."

"You're always so convincing, Itachi-san. Just know who you are. Know what you've done, where you are, and who is above you." Kisame left it at that, shutting the door behind him as he left.

"Tch…" The Uchiha slipped the old photograph out from beneath his thigh, holding it gently by the edges as he slid the candle on the side table closer towards him. Kokoa. For the longest time this photograph was the only thing he had. Seeing her those weeks ago, it was nice, in a twisted way. To have heard her voice, seen her face, touched that skin…

"I am so sorry," he whispered, gazing down at her. "I can't make it go away this time. I can't fix it like I promised." He brushed a thumb over her figure, imagining her there beside him for a brief moment. If Kokoa had been there with him, perhaps he would have better handled what he was doing to Sasuke. If she was there, someone would be on his side; he wouldn't feel so helpless, so alone.

"But now you're here, and I can finally tell you. I can finally get it off my chest. For the longest time, Itachi-san, ever since we were young, I ha –"

"I thought you said this wouldn't take long," he interrupted, not wanting her to finish the sentence. He couldn't let her. He wouldn't.

"For the longest time – I just – I need to tell you. Always, I've always –"

"Kokoa, I don't want to hear it. Don't waste your breath on trivial things. I'm obviously uninterested," he spat, worry clouding his mind. She couldn't finish. She had to stop. Now. He wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Itachi, I lov –"

She swallowed hard, shivering from the cold kunai pressed against her throat. Lowering his head to meet her eyes,

"I said that was enough,"

He never let her finish because he already knew. Uchiha Itachi knew that Kokoa loved him more than anything, more than life itself. He had known for years, starting back when they were young. He knew before she realized it herself. He didn't let her finish because allowing her to confess would only cause more pain, pain for the both of them. He couldn't bear to hear the words leave her lips. Saying she loved him meant that she hadn't forgotten him, that she hadn't moved on, and he wished more than anything that she would just do so, so they could both walk away from it. And yet, while he wished for all this, deep inside he wanted to hear of her love from her own mouth. He fought with himself in that moment, and it still hurt to this day.

Maybe she needed that confession. Maybe it would have eased her, lifted a weight from her shoulders. He wasn't sure of anything, only that that she loved him, and he loved her.

That photograph eased him in dark times, but it also haunted him, and after seeing her for the first time in a while, he found himself staring at it for hours at a time, torturing himself with guilt and old memories as his eyes faded a little more each day.

But Kisame was suspicious. Kisame knew, and if Itachi kept acting out of character, if he kept moping around for this silly, little girl, he would get in trouble. He would risk ruining it all, and so he reminded himself who he was and what he had done like his partner had said to. And he kept telling himself "there is no way things will ever be ok again, even if Kokoa is willing to listen to your story, Itachi, it will never work."

He gasped softly, realized the dark dots on the photograph were a result of his own tears. He said he severed any and all ties, that he walked away, that Kokoa meant nothing. He had to let go. He had to let go.

Holding it by one corner, he dangled the photo above the small flame of the tableside candle, watching it dance and reach up. He closed his eyes, giving in and accepting his reality, and lowered his hand, watching the flame eat away the last proof of his happiness; the only evidence that he was a human who loved and cried. It curled, and burned, and fell to ash, and all that was left was the monster who had let go.

The petals fall...
Her picture's worth a thousand words,
So light it up and watch it burn,
Ash to ash, lust to dust.
Strike a match, incinerate, feel the flames of suffering.

Finally arriving, Kokoa fell to the grass before sliding up to lean against the fat tree trunk. She sighed loudly, letting the bottle roll from her hands. She slowly lifted her head.

"Tsk, if you're going to stand there and judge me, at least make it a little less obvious, Zaji," she barked before blinking and finding him before her.

"Who said I was trying to hide it from you, Kokoa?" he sneered.

"What? You're not going to arrest me again?"

"What for?"

"Underage drinking."

"It's unopened."

"So? I had someone buy it for me. Shouldn't that get me, I don't know, five or six months in prison?"

"Sassy little bitch today, aren't you?" he laughed. "While being in possession of and drinking alcohol at your age is prohibited, it isn't my job."

"Oh?"

"I'm to keep an eye to make sure you aren't running off to you murderous boyfriend again, or that miserable organization he's gotten himself into. I'm to make sure you know your place, that you don't step out of line, that you know we are always watching, and if you even think of betraying Konoha, we will end you. Babysitting you and the illegal, rebellious shit you want to mess with isn't on my to-do list, Kokoa. Do as you please. If you want to get drunk, be my guest. Perhaps you're more alive and interesting when you're completely trashed."

Heart racing, teeth grinding, she snatched the bottle and launched it at him. Zaji easily dodged, facing her with a laugh.

"I don't understand!" she shouted, aggressively rubbing her face.

"Ho?"

"The most I have ever done to you is talk back! I have never hurt you, or – or framed you, or touched you! Why do you keep doing this to me!? I get that it's your job. Fine! But you go out of your way to see me hurt and groveling in the dirt like some piece of garbage. Why are you ruining my life?"

"Your life was ruined ages ago. You've been this big mess for years, Kokoa. Stop acting so surprised, and stop blaming me. The only person you can blame other than yourself for being so weak is that bastard Itachi."

"But I –"

"You're a shinobi for God's sake. Act like one. Get your shit together. You're pathetic."

"I don't care about being a shinobi or being strong. I don't care about anything anymore."

"What about Uchiha Sasuke –"

"Sasuke is the only person I care about, but other than him, I couldn't care less."

"So training?"

"Why try?"

"Education?"

"Too much effort."

"Hobbies?"

"Waste of time."

"…Konoha?"

"Why should I give two shits about a village who feels the same about me?" she spat. "Why should I care about those elders, those people, the ones who turn their faces and spit insult after insult, after insult!? Why should I care about anyone or anything that has any relation to this godforsaken village!?" she screamed, pulling at her hair as she did so. Taking a few long breaths, she collapsed against the tree, with blurred vision and an aching head.

"You were more fun when you were younger. You had good comebacks and some spirit behind those eyes. Now you're just hollow, a shell of your former self, and so weak for letting a man like Itachi do this to you. You're a mess. When was the last time you combed your hair or had a good night's rest? How about a decent sized meal, you look ill. I liked it better when Kuroki Kokoa faced me with her chin held high, not slumped against a tree like a lifeless slab of meat."

He was gone. Kokoa's head wobbled, tilting from side to side before finally falling back against the bark. She blacked out.