Hey everyone!

Before you read this chapter, I want to make it very clear that in Japan, family honor and pride is very important. For example, it's the reason Sakura didn't want to tell Sasuke about the falling apart of her finances - because in a lot of ways, that's shameful, even though as readers we know the real reason. I hope this gives you enough of a preface to not think Sasuke some unloving asshole. This is an attempt to be realistic because in real life, people can't just abandon everything for the sake of love. Yeah, some do, but I don't know anybody who has had that work out well for them. Sasuke's pragmatic. That's all I'll say. It doesn't mean he doesn't care or love her any less.

But to really understand, just read on. I hope you enjoy the chapter! It's a little short and a little slow, but I feel like there needed to be an introspection chapter. That's what this is, but some fun stuff happens too! Enjoy!

12

-Family Honor-

Uchiha Sasuke sat in stunned silence as his father relayed the news—he was to be married to Uzumaki Karin in two months, given that they got along well enough. Mikoto hadn't been present while the news was delivered, but he thought he could hear quiet, feminine sobs coming from the front parlor.

"We won't get along," Sasuke told his father coldly. "I'm not ready to marry, and I'm sure as hell not going to marry someone that I will never care about."

"Language, Sasuke," Fugaku reprimanded, but he sounded tired. "I'm not sure what spurred on Madara-sama's decision, but it is nothing less than an order. You'll behave yourself, and you'll be married May thirty-first. We will obey our clan head."

"No."

"Sasuke…" Fugaku looked at him long and hard, trying to see what was going on behind his youngest son's eyes. However, Sasuke's black orbs were shuttered, not a single emotion other than anger displayed on his face. "We can't defy Madara-sama like that. It will bring shame to our family and disgrace us in the eyes of the rest of the clan."

Sasuke flinched. He understood how important their standing was in the clan hierarchy and, while he still dearly loved Sakura, he would not be the one responsible for his family's fall from grace.

"I'll go, but I won't promise anything other than that."

Fugaku nodded. "I'm sure there's some way we can convince Madara-sama to do otherwise. There hasn't been an arranged marriage in almost one hundred years; I don't see why he would start up that tradition again." It seems rather arbitrary, went unsaid, but Sasuke didn't think it was arbitrary at all.

Somehow, this was connected to Sakura. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like something of a coincidence that Madara would allegedly force himself on her, be the one to deliver the news about Sakura's so-called unfaithfulness, and now, suddenly, he was going to be forced into a marriage. Sakura had sounded scared, and she had mentioned an incredibility to her story that she was sure thought it made it not credible, and while she hadn't told him everything—rather, she hadn't told him much at all, except that he wouldn't believe what she had to say—but whatever was going on, whatever the purpose was of raping Sakura, effectively kidnapping her, and now arranging a marriage for him, it seemed a little too perfect.

Did…Madara want Sakura for something?

He knew Madara was single—hell, what Uchiha didn't, since everyone was falling over themselves that Madara didn't have an heir yet—and unmarried, but Sasuke wasn't sure about the connection between Sakura and Madara himself. He knew that Madara had been weirdly invested in her, letting her intern at Uchiha Corp. like that, but did that really equate to rape and kidnapping? He was certain she was kidnapped because he had heard Madara's voice over the phone, right before the line had been cut off. He'd attempted to call back, but the calls went straight to voicemail.

But by the time he was worried enough to really make the decision to piss off his clan head—because he truly had a lot of pros and cons to weigh—his father was pulling him aside and telling him that he was to marry someone he'd never heard of, never met, and certainly didn't love.

Sasuke wasn't a hopeless romantic in that he thought he'd marry Sakura, or was entirely determined to marry for love, but this? This wasn't any usual arranged marriage. He hadn't been told of it until it was already completed and agreed to, hadn't even been introduced to the girl to see compatibility. It seemed more of a way to get rid of him somehow, to make him unavailable.

He didn't want to think conspiracy because he didn't believe in such things, but this was just too…perfect to be anything else, if what Sakura said was true.

But what, exactly, did Madara wan Sakura for? That was the real question.

His father was still watching him warily, as if he expected Sasuke to explode at any moment, but all the younger son said was, "Can I take the car out for a drive? I need to think for a little while."

Fugaku nodded, seeming a little relieved it hadn't turned into a full-blown fight. "The keys are on the kitchen counter," he said before standing up and probably going to go comfort Mikoto. It was obvious knowledge that Mikoto had really been rooting for Sasuke and Sakura to be together—unlike Sasuke, who wasn't thinking that far ahead, Mikoto had wanted pink-haired, black-eyed granddaughters and black-haired, green-eyed grandsons.

Sasuke went to retrieve the keys and then walked out to the car. It was parked on the street, as usual, and he got into the driver's seat before quickly turning the ignition and pulling out of the driveway. He hadn't been to Madara's house many times, but he had a general idea of where it was and what it looked like.

He didn't play music as he drove, didn't rehearse what he was going to say, didn't imagine what he would do in a given scenario—he simply drove, the quiet hum of the Toyota calming his mind and keeping him focused. He knew his goals—was single-minded in them—and this time was no different: he was going to talk to Sakura, away from Madara, and find out what the hell was going on. He knew Madara well enough. The man was a predator, always alert, always one step ahead of his prey, but never quite within reaching distance. He was also slippery, both in mind and word, but when he latched onto something, it was likely that he would never let go.

A single thought broke through the placid pool of calm that was Sasuke's mind.

What if Sakura was Madara's prey; what if she was what he had latched onto?

The only woman that Sasuke could remember in all of his years alive that Madara had ever shown true interest in was a woman named Uzumaki Mito, now Senju Mito and married to Senju Hashirama, whom Madara loathed with every iota of his soul. Funny that Sasuke was to have a bride from the Uzumaki clan when the one woman Madara had ever cared for beyond sex was from the same clan and also the one he couldn't have.

That was a story from before his time, but Mikoto spent time with other Uchiha women who were all rabid gossips and he knew a little. Mito and Madara had dated for a little while, but they were rather on-again off-again. Then, during an off period, Mito met Hashirama. Long story short, Mito moved on and Madara was left alone.

To be fair, though, no one really knew how Madara felt about the whole thing. To say that he had cared wasn't really true because no one actually knew whether he had or not—all the Uchiha clan knew other than that Mito was the closest he had ever come to having a serious relationship was that Madara had not dated since. The gossips of the clan liked to say that it was because his heart was broken forever and could only be mended by his former love, and that was quite an entrancing, beautiful tale if not for the fact that Sasuke doubted any of those women had ever met Madara in person.

Madara didn't pine after someone that was lost to him. Madara wouldn't admit defeat that easily if he'd been truly interesting in winning Mito's hand in marriage. Madara was a famous businessman across the globe for a reason—he made a decision and come hell or high water, it was going to happen. Although Sasuke admitted he didn't know much, because of his father's position as Madara's second cousin, he was closer to the clan head than many others could claim—hence why completely disregarding Madara's wishes regarded the arranged marriage was a very bad idea. They had a lot to lose.

But Sasuke did know one thing for sure—Madara was not the type to let anyone, not even another clan head, get in his way between himself and something he wanted.

Screech!

Sasuke slammed on the breaks and narrowly avoided rear-ending someone, so horrified by the sudden connection he had made that he had stopped paying attention to the road. Wide black eyes stared straight ahead, and even though he tried to focus, the realization of what was probably going on making him sick.

For whatever reason, Madara had decided he wanted Sakura.

After passing through the stop sign and turning away from traffic towards the wealthier, more suburban area where his relative lived, Sasuke's foot became like lead on the gas pedal.

…was not the type to let anyone get in between himself and what he wanted…

Shortly after Madara left, Sakura turned on the shower for the second time that day. Taking off her borrowed clothing with undisguised relief and hoping to wash any lingering scent off herself, she stepped into the heated water and relished the firm pelting on her back. After wetting her hair and her face, she sat down on the shower floor, leaning against the wall opposite the showerhead, and let the hot water spray over her.

Despite the hardness of the tile beneath her rear and how chilly the wall of the shower was, Sakura opted to stay inside the shower until the hot water ran out. In here, she was safe to feel her feelings. She could cry and she wouldn't get Madara's concern, false as it was to her. How could one truly be concerned about the hurt they intentionally caused?

Sakura knew very well how Stockholm syndrome worked, having done a project on it in her Honors psychology class. It was the sickening combination of tenderness and violence that caused it—the victim could be kidnapped, beaten, raped, abused in every way, shape, and form, and for most that would simply breed hatred. But if the abuser rewarded good behavior, or comforted the victim after, eventually the victim would form a very unhealthy connection to their abuser. It sickened her to think that Madara might already be grooming her for that—he was destroying her life one brick at a time, and in his last attempt had knocked the whole structure down in its entirety, but when she showed distress, he comforted her. He rubbed her back and brought her a blanket; he held her hair back while vomited and gave her the space she needed when she requested it.

Did he know he was doing it?

Was it happening intentionally or was he really just that sick?

Would the fact that she knew it was happening stop her from falling victim to it?

If she could stop herself from developing the syndrome through knowledge alone, how long could she hold out before it became more of a burden than help? The syndrome wasn't necessarily a bad thing; it was formed to help the victim survive. The brain was amazing in all its facets, but the truth was that everything it had was geared towards survival. Stockholm syndrome wouldn't have been developed needlessly. It was a coping mechanism—sick, twisted, and wrong as it was, it was still meant to help in its own distressing way.

Would she suffer more or less if she developed it? She couldn't help but wonder vaguely whether its development should actually be considered a good thing in her situation. She would empathize with Madara, love him in her own dysfunctional, demented way.

Sakura's eyes shot open. Was that what he meant when he said she would come to love him? Most likely, he wasn't alluding specifically to Stockholm syndrome, but he seemed very certain that she would develop feelings for him. Too certain, given the circumstances.

The hot water was not as soothing anymore. This was just one more reason she had to get away before his plans came together. She could go to Sasuke's—she didn't care if she had to fucking walk. She would get there, and they would talk, and they would run away to America together.

Guilt assaulted her then. But what about her father? She couldn't leave him behind. And they would be living off the Uchiha clan money after all, and certainly Madara would come for her if he got even an inkling of where she was. He had gone to enough trouble to get her in this position; she doubted he would give up just because she left the country.

Scenario after scenario of escape passed through her increasingly harried mind, but in all of them, eventually marrying Madara was the endgame. The only thing that varied was how much more difficult Madara made her life in each scenario.

In the end, the only thing she could conclude was that giving into Madara's demands on his timeframe and without any further fighting was the way everyone ended up happy—or, at least, safe and content enough.

Except for herself, of course.

Tears slipped out from under her lashes, but she didn't notice. She wasn't sure how long she had been in the shower. Taking long, deep breaths eventually calmed her mind enough for her to shut it off, and she eventually dozed off, curtained from the word by steamy mist.

Sasuke tried calling Sakura again as he was pulling up into Madara's driveway, but yet again there was no answer. Something had happened to her phone, of that he was certain.

So, with growing trepidation, Sasuke parked, got out of the car, and walked up to the front door. He hesitated once before knocking sharply three times.

No one answered after a few minutes of waiting, so Sasuke tried again. This time, although it was another few minutes, Madara answered the door. He looked like he had just come back from a business meeting, although his hair was somewhat mussed. Sasuke tried not to imagine why his hair might look like he had just gotten out of bed.

"Sasuke-kun, what a surprise," the older man said, sounding not surprised at all. He stepped outside and closed the door. It was not lost on Sasuke that Madara had created an imposing barrier between himself and the door. "May I ask why you're here?" The unspoken word, 'uninvited,' hung thickly in the air.

"I want to see Sakura," Sasuke said bluntly. It was a test to see Madara's angle—Sakura was obviously here since Madara hadn't invited him as was usually polite to do, so if Madara lied, it meant he had something to hide. If he admitted she was there, then he would get a better idea of what was going on.

"I'm afraid she's in the shower right now," Madara said, almost sounding contrite. Damn it all, he knew that Sasuke was testing him. Then, he threw a curveball that Sasuke was embarrassed to admit he hadn't seen coming. "Should you really be talking to your ex-girlfriend when you're about to be married?"

Sasuke froze, and in the next moment was trying very hard not to start shouting at Madara. Improvising, he said, "We were friends before this, and things ended on a bad note. I just wanted to clear the air between us so there's no hard feelings."

"No hard feelings?" Madara asked, cocking his head slightly. His eyes gleamed in that predatory fashion that made Sasuke realize this was all just a game to him. "She cheated on you, Sasuke-kun, not the other way around. Although I do express my regrets that I was the one who came between you."

Sasuke was glad he had even self-control not to shout 'Bullshit!' at his clan head. However, he couldn't help the way his eye twitched at Madara's clear lie. However, propriety had to be maintained or Madara could use it against his family. "I admit, it was hard to hear, but if it's what she wants, I'm willing to let her have it. I love her enough to let her go. That's what loving someone's about, right? Putting their happiness before your own."

There, that hit a mark. The gleam in Madara's eyes flickered out and his expression shuttered. Sasuke did his best to hide the satisfaction he felt at finally landing a blow.

Then Madara ruined it all. "I promise to treat her well and not waylay the faith she had put in me. I appreciate your sacrifice."

Sasuke was flabbergasted at how blatantly his clan head was lying to him. Sakura had sounded scared, had wanted to leave. Seeing this now and hearing what Madara was saying—despite being the exact opposite of what Sakura had told him, Sasuke now knew who to believe. He should never have trusted this bastard to begin with. Slippery words, indeed.

"If that will be all, Sasuke-kun, I was going to make Sakura some lunch," Madara said, examining his finely manicured nails. "Do tell me how your meeting with Karin-chan goes tomorrow."

Sasuke stood still, unable to speak, until Madara looked up at him curiously.

"Is something the matter?" He didn't sound concerned at all, though. His tone of voice was entirely dangerous. His question was a thinly veiled threat to leave.

"Not at all, Madara-sama," Sasuke said. Now was the time to retreat. But he promised himself he would be back for Sakura soon.

He just had to come by when Madara wasn't home.

So now you see what I mean. Sasuke feels just as strongly for Sakura as Madara does, but Sasuke doesn't have the power to meet Madara on equal terms, nor does he have the life experience Madara does at winning these kinds of censored arguments. Yes, he grew up in the clan, but he wasn't groomed for clan head like Madara was, nor does he have a long history of business interactions and subtleties the way Madara does. Not that he wouldn't if he were Madara's age, but there's a big gap between their ages and life experiences. Madara was already the head of the clan before Sasuke was even in middle school. I hope that puts things in perspective.

Anyways, please review! :D

Cheers! Hearts! Love!