How long has it been? Over one...month. But Thanksgiving was great, by the way. :D And my aunt being here, things are a little better and we got the house in time for Christmas.

No excuse for keeping you all waiting, having been on a roll with "Allure of Darkness" and "The Gutsy Jinchuuriki", and as always: disappointed for no reviews. :(

Or is it that people are too scared of this content to speak? There's definitely more triggers happening in here. Be wary of more gross-out moments in this new chapter.

Chapter Seven

Worst Nightmare

Sasuke's funeral came and went, but before all attended, there was the major problem of what to do about Sarada. They couldn't just leave her alone, but if they did, who knew what would happen in their absence.

He could never stop thinking about the fact SHE killed his brother, her own father - but he had to remind himself it wasn't her, but that monster, whatever it was that lived in her and had to be driven out.

But before this day, Itachi allowed his wife to get a hold of someone from the town's Buddhist services. Someone who might be able to help them. There was one man who didn't seem like the first option, but Naruto and Sasuke knew him when they were all boys. He was said to be a tad lazy, but he always got the job done and had a better brain perhaps than the rest of the younger servicemen around him.

However, there were also a couple problems: he recently lost his father whom he had been very close with, but hadn't been there when he died, and it seemingly affected him so much.

"To see if he can...exorcise our niece," Itachi stated, shaking his head as they both sat on the sofa. "Someone who had gone through loss could perform this life-or-death -"

"Itachi!" Izumi stood over him when she interrupted him, hands on both hips, and she was viciously glaring at him. Which spoke volumes in that there was no time to fight and argue, that he had to agree or else. Sighing with defeat, Itachi relented.

Why have we gotten to this? Fighting and arguing more than we always did? Thirteen years of marriage, now with what is happening to our niece...it feels like we might not repair anything even if we save Sarada!

"I'm sorry, Izumi," he said quietly, looking down at his lap. He had never been so ashamed of himself.

"You should be. You're just like this because Sasuke is gone - not to be insensitive - and because of everything. But what can we do about US in the middle? I feel like we can still make it through, but you don't seem to want to try and take enough off your shoulders, and I have no idea what to do anymore!"

Itachi lifted his head, looking to his wife - his best friend and soulmate - who was on the verge of crying now. He knew she was right, that he should do something because she didn't deserve this any more than he did. Sarada, their niece and the child they never had, was an innocent party suffering for something that wasn't her fault. Izumi had done the job of doing the last resort for them when medical science did nothing but fail them, and Itachi had no real religious beliefs of his own, not in years.

Because whatever that thing speaking and spewing the most terrible things to them was, that beast wasn't Sarada. Her face had turned so monstrous neither of them could recognize her now, and what happened recently made matters worse that Izumi ran to him sobbing, clutching onto him and weeping that she wanted to hit that thing, but it was still Sarada. This was before she contacted Shikamaru Nara.

"What did she say?" Itachi remembered demanding, and her tears continued to pour like molten lava as she blubbered out what made him want to go back up those stairs to do what she wished.

"Oh, poor Izumi, looks like you failed both as a wife and a mother, although I can't say I didn't expect it from someone who can even give your love a family, as he desired to live in a house that holds such promise of joy and laughter from children, and yet you are unable to see to such. I'm surprised that Itachi doesn't think to find another to fulfill such obligations."

How could...how could you...?!

If he'd lost his temper, he would have broken the poor child's neck, knowing Sarada never would have said such things, but damn whoever this beast butchering their lives was.

And now, after Izumi hysterically contacted the shrine, he held her for the rest of the night, but wished he could have comforted them both in another, intimate form like he did after she recovered physically from the surgery and miscarriage. Except this time meant his work was cut out for him. He wasn't sure if making love was a good idea at a time like this.

"When does he come?" he asked his wife, standing up and taking her into his arms just as she was collapsing off her feet.

~o~

She had nightmares about Sarada, waking up sobbing and sometimes screaming that it woke her husband up as well. And this time was when the demon in that child taunted her, telling her that her husband wouldn't love her after all these years, because of how barren she was and the joke they all lived this entire time.

What do you know, demon? Our family has endured more suffering than you think! You don't know what you're talking about! Some all-powerful entity who relishes pain...

Today, she was out and needing fresh air, maybe a walk in the park - because that was where she and Shikamaru Nara were going to meet. The sun was shining, the air was sweet, the flowers were in bloom, and tonight would be one of many summer festivals for fireworks. It was supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, many flocking at this time of day to the beach, and being out here helped Izumi clear her head a little. She stood atop one of the bridges that arched over the stream, wearing a high ponytail, a laced denim shirt and a purple peasant skirt, finished with her jewelry. She tried to convince Itachi to at least come with her, but he was stressing himself out by being there at the house with "Sarada".

"Mrs. Uchiha, glad I could find you here."

"Oh, Shikamaru!" She was so happy that she wanted to cry, and she did. But she pulled out a tissue from her purse and wiped her eyes. "Thank God you're here."

"Yeah," he mumbled. He was dressed in a navy blue rain jacket despite this weather, paired with gray sweats and a t-shirt. He must have been jogging to take his mind off whatever. "I'm sorry your family is going through more than just a drag. That's why whenever I go through that, jogging does it for me, even in this weather - and just laying back to enjoy the clouds." They were walking across the bridge at this time.

Their conversation involved him specializing in psychology, which was not boring for him as it involved helping people in order to understand, since these weren't the Dark Ages where you executed a murderer or a criminal based on word alone. Nara attended the university in Tokyo to get his degree before coming back home to Konoha, because his father was priest at the shrine - but his father recently died from lung cancer.

Izumi wished she could say something besides the fact she was sorry for his loss, even if Nara told her he was sorry for the loss of her brother-in-law - and that was her cue to bring up Sarada. Because the monster controlling her killed Sasuke, which meant she might not remember a damned thing. That was only a small comfort on her part. "Shikamaru, what if a person who was a...murderer or a criminal, or something, came to you for help, some kind of help, would you have to turn them in?" she had to ask.

"Well, if he came to me for special advice, if that's what you mean, then I'd say no. Though I'd try to convince him to turn himself in - or her."

Which means that there is no real help other than proper punishment. Time to change the tactic, which was why they were here: "And how about getting an...exorcism?"

Shikamaru looked troubled at the topic, and not surprised in the slightest. "Oh, right, that." He cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulders once. Now they stopped to find a bench to sit on, and she smoothed her crinkled skirt out. "The first thing to do is to get a time machine and get them back to the medieval ages. It just doesn't happen much anymore, not since we started learning about...mental illness, paranoia, schizophrenia and the likes. But Mrs. Uchiha, since I joined Buddhism, I haven't known any priest personally who performed one exorcism," he said, and he sounded almost in regret that he couldn't even help her. "Now, about your niece..."

"Yes." She swallowed the tightening of her esophagus. "She just...isn't Sarada. My husband at first thought it was insanity, and I was inclined to agree with him, but the doctors couldn't even diagnose what was remotely wrong with her, and we just can't let it tear our family apart. Whoever that person is, it's not Sarada. Shikamaru, it's our little girl..." She couldn't keep it in anymore and leaned forward into his shoulder, crying her heart out, and his single arm came to wrap around her back.

"I believe you, but first, the church needs to conduct an investigation as to whether or not this is not just mental illness. It takes time. I wish I could do that myself, but I need approval. Now, I could see your niece, but as a psychiatrist -"

Izumi jumped up then and there. "Oh, not a psychiatrist! She needs a priest! She's already seen every doctor in every field, and they sent me to you - but are you gonna send me back to them?!"

She calmed down when he finally agreed to see Sarada, but until he was convinced enough that he would go to the shrine to speak about the case, she was NOT to get her hopes up. No matter if the country believed in spiritualism, ghosts and demonic possession.

When they got back to the house, Itachi was leaving the girl's room, and he numbly greeted Shikamaru and told him he was glad he was here; Izumi was not surprised but still shocked by his appearance. His normally sleek ponytail was a frizzy mess, and there were dark circles under his eyes; she knew she had them, too.

But he had something she didn't: a reddening black eye to the right side of his poor, handsome face.

In his hands was none other than the lynx necklace he gave their niece, and one side of the chain was torn apart. He never would do such a thing; did it get like that when invisible forces made everything in Sarada's room fling about? Seeing it tore her heart all over again.

"Just take small, quiet steps towards the room," Itachi told Nara, and kept his sharp eye on the younger man until he approached the closed door and slowly turned the knob to see the horror on the other side.

~o~

He was so relieved that his wife and their potential savior had arrived. He was breaking internally now that the last act of destruction occurred in that room; this time, it involved the present he specially bought his niece, and the chain was broken if the charm got lucky.

"Oh, God," Izumi whispered, her eyes glazing when she took it into both hands, closing every finger over it and putting it over her heart. "She didn't..."

"No, IT did," Itachi answered, glaring at the cracked door. That thing which is massacring everything. It was then that he decided to have a peek inside, whispering to her to come and join him. She obliged, apparently having the same thought on her mind, so that they could see what was going on.

Inside, because her personal possessions were damaged, the room was cleared out, so this was what was left: the bed configured with four posts, all covered with sheets, and roped with heavy duty bindings. All to keep the possessed in place, prevent her from maiming herself again as well as striking out at others - and there "she" was with her face cracking and showing bloody crimson in places. The eyes were inhuman yellow, like a serpent's, and attached to the nose was an oxygen tube. Staining the collar of her provided hospital gown was green-yellow vomit which was enough to make Itachi's innards boil like acid - especially the SMELL.

Even Nara was disturbed by the appearance. "Hello...Sarada," he said uncertainly. "I'm a friend of your aunt and uncle's. I'd like to help you."

The door was closed in a crack, but he had to open it ajar enough for him and Izumi to have a watch at the scene. And the creature tied to the bed replied in that same croaking baritone: "Undo these straps, son."

But Shikamaru wasn't going to cave in, having figured out the purpose of the ties. "I'm afraid I can't. Because you might hurt yourself, Sarada," he told her as he approached her form.

"I'm not Sarada."

"Well, if you're not Sarada, then who are you? My name is Shikamaru Nara."

His attempt at friendly introductions aggravated the being. Yellow eyes bulged widely. "And I'm your worst nightmare. Now, kindly undo these damned straps!" it snarled, lurching forward only a little. Except the young priest wasn't scared in the slightest.

"If you're a real demon, then you can do something about making these straps disappear. Your kind has all the tricks up the sleeves."

"That is much too vulgar a display of power for us, Nara." Or you're just playing around with us. You could make objects float around the room.

Shikamaru grunted with dissatisfaction at the response. "In that case, can we cut to the chase and you can tell me where Sarada is, if you're not her?" he offered, slightly insulted.

The creature cracked a small grin, displaying rotting teeth. "In here...with us. But she doesn't know what is really going on as we speak. However..." That horrid smile grew enough to resemble that of a hannya mask.

"Your father is in here with us, Nara. Would you like to leave a message?"

The air froze like ice in the north. So, that was the play now: the demon was bringing up Shikamaru's dead father to also screw around with him. Monsters from the other side always used friends and loved ones against each other as those in the western civilization. Itachi gritted his teeth so hard that he thought they were going to shatter. Izumi squeezed her eyes shut, and he was tempted to do the same.

"Well, if that's true, then tell me what my father's name is - as well as my mother's."

Unfortunately, he didn't get the satisfaction of hearing the names of both his parents, but something far more repulsive: the monstrous girl opened her scarred mouth and unleashed a torrent of sickly green gunk which could be mistaken for pea soup, and the smell was rancid as rotten fish.

Izumi had to bolt away, muttering that she needed a drink and was going to have his and the priest's ready if he wanted it - or perhaps he would indeed need it.

~o~

She decided to spend her time ironing the priest's shirt which had been washed out, while Shikamaru spent his time looking at the paintings Sarada sometimes made in her spare time, waiting to have his t-shirt returned to him when it was done.

"Thank you," he said quietly, accepting it, but when he saw the look on her face as well as Itachi's, he sighed. "Look, I'm only against the possibility of doing your niece more harm than good. I know I can't make it any worse, but I can't do this illegally if I wanted to. I need evidence that the order would accept as true signs of possession."

"Like what?" Itachi asked impatiently, but composed.

"Speaking in a different language, for one. But I don't know the rest; I'd have to look it up," Shikamaru said, folding his shirt up.

Izumi scoffed. "I thought you were supposed to be an expert."

"There are no experts," Nara said in exasperation. "Look, you only know so much about exorcism as the other priests. Your niece doesn't say she's a demon, or gave a specific identity. I've seen many who claimed to be from the other side which only says the same thing as you being Amaterasu incarnate. You asked me for what was best for her, and six months under observation is probably what is best."

Itachi refused to accept this. "Every day we look at that face and listen to that voice as well as endure those horrible things spoken from that rotten tongue, we know it's not Sarada. That thing upstairs is just - don't you tell us for a fact you don't know what is wrong with her except in her mind!" he almost shouted before pulling himself together.

"Yeah, you tell us for a fact an exorcism won't do any good!" Izumi added angrily, wishing she could get something made of glass - anything from this room - and throw it into the wall when it wouldn't solve the problem.

Shikamaru could only look back at them, knowing his gut was agreeing with them, but he still had to go by the strict regulations. Regulations be damned!

Bloody hell, disgusting is all I can say. :& Reviews appreciated.