TW: blood, scenes of torture, death and sex
Gaara was a genius. Absolutely terrifying at the best of times, but undeniably a genius and after their phone call, she felt the burdening apprehension slip from her shoulders. Now all she had to do was put the plan into action, comforted by the magical link that would keep Sasuke from permanently ending her life by tearing her to shreds if it all went wrong.
"Sakura-chan?"
"Come in," she sighed.
They were crashing at the mansion the Uchiha trio had taken over, and Sakura was displeased to find it was decorated as tackily as the living area. She supposed that ought to be the least of her concerns, though found it the easiest issue to focus on.
All too aware of the mess from Itachi's latest human blood bag, Sakura had taken herself off to the master bedroom's elitist bathroom after a brief exploration – perhaps the only decent part of the whole gaudy mansion. The conjoined bedroom reeked of Itachi and the woman's sex, but she merely threw the windows open and refused to succumb to the monstrous jealousy that had no right in existing.
The bath itself was heavenly and she relaxed further into the bubbles and steaming water, the jets alerting the others to proceed with caution. Annoyingly, that didn't seem to concern Naruto in the slightest, so she supposed it worked well in his favour that she was feeling calm in that moment. That and he'd brought not just one bottle of wine, but three. He was learning.
That calmness threatened to shatter around them when his apology for interrupting was to strip without a care and join her in the tub. Although it was big enough for at least four people, that didn't mean she liked to share and Sakura growled at the reckless sloshing of water that prompted her to adjust the jet settings, lessening the bubbles.
"Ah," he sighed happily and spread his arms across the porcelain, grinning so widely that his eyes shut. "This is what I'm talking about!"
"Na-ru-to," she growled.
But he was unaffected. Reaching out and effectively dripping water over the marbled tiles, he popped open one of the bottles and poured them two hearty glasses, handing hers over with the same dopey smile that threatened to chip away at her annoyance. The audacity had Sakura snarling even as she accepted the wine, glowering over the glass at him until a specific burning sensation tingled in the back of her throat, weakened now that she'd been ingesting vervain for over a week.
Fury had her reaching out with her free hand and mercilessly locking his jaw, demon eyes glaring down at him murderously as she loomed over him. All the while, she kept her poisoned wine raised in her other hand, never spilling a drop even as the water and bubbles of the bath splashed over the sides and onto the tiles noisily at her sudden kneeling.
"You–"
"Courtesy of Ino," he snickered.
Ino…
The grip tightened until she drew blood. "What did you do to make her talk?"
Naruto scoffed at that and took his time in responding as he admired her nakedness, soon swallowing when his cheeks flooded with colour. "I didn't do anything. I'm offended you thought you could keep it hidden from me." Finally looking back to her and grabbing the hand making it difficult to talk properly or be understood, Naruto effortlessly broke the lock and manhandled Sakura back into her previous spot, much to her annoyance. Then, he tapped his ear in silent warning before adding soundlessly, "You're putting Sasuke through it too, so of course I know. Ino realised that too. Just thought I'd let you know that he's all for it."
Suspicion had her sipping at the poisoned wine, not missing the impressed look at how easily she could now handle what previously rendered her motionless. "Why?"
More hesitation. Then he awkwardly shuffled closer, once more disturbing the water and making it a more difficult approach. "He has a theory about how easily you and Itachi parted ways." A pause. Careful consideration. Then, "What prompted you to turn your humanity off after your parents were killed? You were a newbie, after all and I doubt Itachi mentioned it even in passing."
That was…
Not above the realm of possibility. She'd been so disgustingly naïve back then.
Frowning as she found she couldn't recall the specific moment, Sakura looked back to him and voiced her suspicion, "I was compelled."
"And considering you can't recall any of it even after Itachi undid his own compulsion, it was likely by Madara to create a greater division between you and Itachi," Naruto mouthed and glanced over his shoulder at the opened door. Even if it was shut, it wouldn't have offered them any privacy due to a vampire's supernaturally enhanced hearing. "Vervain doesn't really affect Sasuke–"
"Why not?"
"Madara overused it, I guess," he said offhandedly and shrugged like it was no big deal. "They're all impervious to it to an extent."
…They.
Sakura slumped back against the porcelain and finished her wine in one large, unladylike gulp. The mutt was making himself useful by refilling it the second it was empty, and she stared at the deep shade of red with a stupidly reactive heart. Why she was suddenly so affected by the thought of Itachi being tortured by Madara was beyond her.
No… It wasn't.
Sighing in regret, Sakura allowed her head to fall back so that she could admire the floral LED ceiling panels above her. They covered the bathroom in an almost romantic dim glow that attempted to lull her into a state of relaxation – would have, had it not been for Naruto's words. Replaying them in her mind had Sakura looking back to the hybrid as he copied her position, but whereas her knees were kept pressed together, he was reclined with his legs bent at the knees and spread wide to accommodate her like they were in an ordinary sized tub.
Despite her fouling mood, she couldn't help but chuckle.
He grinned wolfishly.
She didn't ask for more information. Her heart was too weak in that moment and needed time to strengthen, lest she wished to open herself up to Itachi worming his way back in. Thankfully, for the most part, Naruto seemed to notice that and responded by keeping the glass topped up without her ever asking for more. Not only did she eventually obtain a pleasant buzz, but the added reassurance that none of the originals could compel her.
"So…"
Sakura's eyes travelled up to the ceiling and she begged the Gods for their patience when Naruto broke the companionable silence with noticeable uncertainty. It hadn't even been ten minutes.
"Babies, Sakura-chan?" came his gentle question, hidden from outsiders by the gushing of him adding more hot water to the bath they were now apparently sharing.
Too tired to keep fighting the overbearing blond, she merely nodded and confessed, "That was the plan."
He hesitated in his next question, finding it difficult meeting Sakura's eye as he kept his trained on the pouring water. "How…?"
"Would that even be possible?" At his curious but sheepish nod, she sighed heavily and shut her eyes in the hopes of blocking out the memories of yearning and peace. Comforted by the notion of their conversation being kept secret, she answered in a weary whisper, "We froze my eggs with the intentions of implanting them – fertilised – into a human woman once we were ready for children. Even if they weren't his biological children, Itachi said any child of mine, is his."
Realisation had him softening up. "That's why you instinctively trust him with Mitsuki."
He could tell?
Sakura's stomach churned uneasily and she eyed the gushing water. "I can accept that his feelings for me are real now that his compulsion is gone – they weren't some sort of fabrication to try and screw with me." Another large gulp of wine and she held out her glass for more, ignoring Naruto's understanding sadness. "Mitsuki-kun is my son. Maybe not biologically, but neither of us care about blood. So, I… get him. I get what Itachi meant more than ever now." She sighed heavily. "And it is because of our past that I know I can trust Itachi with my future."
A hand coming to her knee and squeezing comfortingly had Sakura assessing Naruto quietly, damning herself when that empathetic pang stunned her into remaining silent. He knew the pain of losing a child – many children – and unable to resist that sudden blistering pain in her heart, she reached out and covered his hand with her own, the move causing his eyes to widen before they grew glassy.
"No more children," he repeated his vow to her gruffly. "Even…" The weight of his words left him mute for several moments, but then he had her lips parting and the pain overshadowed with the surge of warmth and affection by telling her resolutely, gravely, "Even if I have to stand against the one I have been devoted to for over a thousand years now, I will stop at nothing to protect Mitsuki – to protect any child."
It wasn't her, Sakura realised with a bout of relief so intense she was lightheaded. She wasn't the one to step between Naruto and Sasuke. Mitsuki was. No, Naruto's beliefs were.
That could be trusted.
Emboldened by their conversation being between them only, she told him wholeheartedly, "You would have made a remarkable father, Naruto."
Just as the tears started to fall, he brought his other hand out of the water and drenched his face before covering it fully, though for once she didn't call him out on his bravado. Instead, she held tight to the hand that clung to her with equal strength, her heart yearning in a way that reminded her of how desperately she ached to ease her soulmate's suffering.
They really did possess similar hearts.
"Thank you," came his shaky, breathless cry that screamed of the trauma he continued to struggle against, his next inhale stuttering.
The returning influx of empathy and love was going to be her undoing, Sakura despaired with a helpless sigh, but unless she had another original compel those emotions away once more, she knew she was powerless to prevent the change. Like many times in the past, she had to endure and adapt and pray to the Gods that she didn't misstep at any point.
Hearing movement that she didn't at first due to being so wrapped up in her returning emotions, Naruto's head quickly turned away from the doorway and her aching heart leapt into her throat when she noticed Itachi coming to stand in the opening.
"What is this?" he asked quietly, voice inquisitive but not jealous or angry as far as she could tell.
Emptying the last of her glass, Sakura placed it to the ledge and in the sweeping of her glance, realised that Naruto needed more time to compose himself.
Very well.
She stood out of the water without a care for modesty and noted that her former love was instantly ensnared by her soaked nakedness. His hungry eyes followed the path of the water dripping down her body, and she smirked upon witnessing Itachi clench his jaw, swallowing. That was until he belatedly recalled Naruto's presence that prompted him to approach in purposeful strides, shaking out a large towel in the process.
Sakura's smirk widened playfully, temptingly, when the only move she made was to raise her arms demandingly and forced Itachi to wrap her up. She took great interest in the hands that lingered on the towel before they settled possessively on her hips for a brief moment, and she glanced down at him through a lidded gaze.
"What's wrong, love?" she questioned seductively and leaned into him, ignoring the part of her that fluttered when he lifted her with ease out of the tub and set Sakura down gently. "Can't handle a little nakedness?"
"Why are you in here?"
"You were a rude host who didn't show me to my room," Sakura accused, pouting.
"I wasn't aware you would be staying," Itachi stated, and she was satisfied to see the flash of pleasant surprise at the news.
A simple and uneven intake of Naruto's breathing had her trailing her fingers down Itachi's arm and grasping his hand to distract him just as he made to look over at him. Then, as he took the lead and turned his back on them, she shot a glance over her shoulder. The blond met her eye gratefully, smile watery, and she winked in response.
As she promised Naruto the other night during his welcome party: he was officially part of her clan now – maybe one day he would even be a part of her inner-circle. Whether that was an honorary member or something with more weight behind it didn't matter. What mattered was that one of hers needed a moment to gather his bearings.
Besides, it was the least she could do when he confessed to willingly turning on Sasuke if it came down to him or Mitsuki.
"I didn't realise the two of you were so close," Itachi remarked, causing her to snort when they travelled all of five seconds to the room opposite the one that he'd clearly claimed.
Still trying to worm her way under his skin, Sakura told him earnestly, "He's very similar to Ino. It's hard not to find comfort in his presence."
Tacky, she inwardly whined at the sight of her bedroom and could tell Itachi caught onto the thoughts. She pouted over at him while taking it all in, finding no comfort or empathy in his smirk.
"Do you require any clothes–"
"Absolutely not," she hissed at the mere thought of wearing any of his latest woman's clothing. Raising her chin haughtily, Sakura approached the super-king-sized bed and sat back to cross one leg over the other, her hands planting themselves on the bedspread invitingly. "I already compelled a human who happens to own a lovely boutique nearby to bring me everything that is my size. She should be here shortly."
"In the meantime?"
Sighing like it was all one big inconvenience, Sakura reached upwards and toyed with the top of her towel, knowingly loosening it all the while holding his heated gaze.
"I washed her blood off," she reminded him of their previous conversation. "I can tell you showered also."
His pupils dilated impressively. "Gaara-kun?"
Gaara was well aware of her plans to do whatever was necessary to make Itachi one of her pawns – praised her on said plans and dedication too.
The workings of their relationship could never be explained to or understood by Uchiha Itachi. He simply wouldn't get their ease of caving to their wants and indulging in the bodies of others while remaining devoted to one another. They didn't see it as being unfaithful or a betrayal, especially when they were parted for as long as they could be. If she had to use only one word, then liberating was the best way to describe her relationship with Gaara.
That was why she was comfortable with sharing Itachi's condition for offering his assistance over the phone while the bath was running, and why the redhead had laughed throatily in response. He wasn't threatened in the least, the laughter told her. Just in case there were any reservations, Gaara then proceeded to tell her that Uchiha Itachi was an arrogant fool. "Allow him to revive his old place in your heart," he chuckled darkly. "As though that rights his wrongs and will return things to how they once were."
"You don't have to worry about Gaara," she told him truthfully. "We're open in our relationship."
Itachi hummed at that, then asked, "Even if there is the risk of rekindling an old flame?"
Sakura shrugged and lowered herself to her elbows, exposing more of her throat in invitation. "I suppose only time will tell."
Her right-hand and soulmate was the one who taught her that the heart was capable of loving more than one at a time. After all, Ino's heart still ached viciously for Sai, but over the years was able to open up to others in a way that was inspiring to Sakura. Was she scared? Hell yeah, Ino often told her. But that was the whole point of falling in love. Enjoying each day with that person as it comes, living with them to the fullest. If it worked out? Great. But it was okay if it didn't too. "It's human nature, right?" she'd giggle.
"Remind me like you said you would," she goaded seductively.
The shutting of the door echoed in her mind, though Sakura was unsure if she liked the anticipation that curled in her belly. It was definitely pleasant physically; already her body was thrumming at the reminders of how passionate and raw it was with Itachi. Mentally, however, Sakura couldn't quite shake the notion of it being… out of place, in a sense.
As always, it seemed Itachi was on her wavelength as he came to sit beside her on the bed. The proximity and his recent shower drowned Sakura in his tempting scent, and she found herself shifting closer to him, her mouth watering and throat burning with the need to taste his blood.
"I am not a fool," he reminded her with dry amusement. "Going off all that I have witnessed since awakening, I know now that sleeping with you will not make a difference in our situation. What's more, just once wouldn't put a dent in the deep yearning I am experiencing." The lust in his gaze hit Sakura at full force when she looked up at him at the insistence of his hand to her chin, mercilessly reminding her that this was the man she'd learned most of her techniques from. "Even though my body aches to reacquaint itself with yours, I am capable of waiting."
When she spoke, she was stunned to find herself breathless. "For?"
"For our time to return," Itachi softly murmured while guiding Sakura into meeting him halfway, drowning her in his delectable scent. "But for now…"
It was purely instinctual how her fingers tangled themselves in his shirt, how her lips parted at the briefest of electric brushes of his.
"Banish what was supposed to be our goodbye kiss from my mind before it drives me insane," he requested. "Indulge me just this once."
She smirked faintly and shut her eyes to savour the crushing tension. "You really think we could stop ourselves from going too far?"
"I suppose only time will tell," he repeated her earlier words.
Sakura was the one to close the distance, stomach clenching fiercely at the teasing tastes of her former love. His kisses were as dominating and passionate as she recalled them being, and it wasn't long before her demon side's eyes were subconsciously activating in response to the heightened arousal and hunger clashing. The hand in Sakura's hair did nothing to silence the demanding predator's need to feed, couldn't when it was used to guide her closer until she was straddling his lap.
The meeting of their fiery gazes alerted her to the awakening of his own demon side's eyes, allowed her to see the colour staining his cheeks and the swelling of his lips. It all demanded that she continued and Sakura did so with a low sound of urgency that prompted eager hands to tug at her thighs, closing the distance between them.
Everything was heightened for a vampire. Everything. So his touch didn't merely please Sakura, it left her skin electrified. His kisses had her dizzily standing on the brink with the weight of their need. Arousal so potent they could already smell it lingering in the air.
She knew from previous experiences that the high would last for days rather than minutes.
Fingers swept through her hair before fisting at the rolling of her hips into his, their breathless moans as tangled as their tongues. Tasting Itachi again sent Sakura spiralling and she clung to him in a bid to control herself, sighing at the returning pressure that ensured they never parted.
Those scorching kisses travelled to her jaw and neck and Sakura groaned at the tormenting nips at her skin, head falling back to expose more of her throat to him. As expected of her talented former love, he returned to her most sensitive spot as though it had been mere moments since their last night together, effortlessly setting her body alight with the crushing need to have his. Ruled by that want, Sakura rolled her hips once more and dragged Itachi's face upwards, slanting her mouth over his and losing her hands in his hair, body arching up into his and feeling only the briefest of relief at the familiar feel of him.
She ached to remove her towel, to rid him of his clothes. That feeling only exploded to unbearable heights when she witnessed the lustful haze clouding his eyes just as it did her own, their shallow breaths shaky and uneven, skin flushed.
But true to his word, Itachi reluctantly ended their heated kiss with an apologetic brush of their lips, his fingers smoothing out the mess of her hair.
"That can be our until next time kiss, my love," he whispered. Then, tilting his head to the side, he added, "It appears your own personal fashion show has arrived."
Parting from him had never been easier.
She was irritated that there was no getting her hands on the designer stuff for the duration of her stay (by the time they arrived, it would hopefully be time to dip), though she supposed the one-of-a-kind boutique was okay. Maybe she would even have another Kurenai on her team, seeing as every piece was an original and from what she'd seen so far, was of decent quality. At least she wouldn't be seeing a nobody wearing the same clothing as her.
"Turn," she ordered from her reclined position on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other.
Ignoring the curious gazes coming from the home-styled bar was easy with her critical assessments of the clothing. She did wish Ino was present, though. At least one of them could have snapped at the men to leave them be until they grew the balls to say whatever it was that had them hesitating.
"You," Sakura called out a redhaired woman, instantly capturing her undivided attention. "Refill my glass."
There was no faltering in completing the order, the woman's smile wide and beautiful just as she'd compelled it to be. Each of them sported pleasant enough expressions per her instruction, dressed up in the pretty clothes and presenting accessories, shoes and lingerie like they were all her dolls.
A familiar gargling sound had Sakura groaning and dropping her head back, not needing to look to know what happened. The sudden fear sweeping through the group of models was the biggest giveaway and so she stood with a deadly grace that had them cowering behind her.
They immediately backed up when she saw the state of the dress the redhaired woman was modelling.
"Ripper bastard," Sakura snarled, launching a heel at the bane of her existence and only growing angrier when it became embedded in the wall rather than his shitty face. "I liked that one!"
Sasuke straightened up with a large, relieved inhale, the blood smeared across his chin making her grit her teeth. "Get over it."
The only reason why she didn't lunge for him for ruining yet another outfit was due to the ripper rush coursing through them both. Euphoric in its own right and leaving Sakura with a pleasant tingle. He knew that too. His gaze daring, smirk bloody and smug.
"You two fight like siblings," accused Shisui with amusement that evaporated as soon as it showed. He sighed while glancing over the bar at the lifeless woman, her butchered parts prompting him to tell Sasuke in a drawl, "I expect that to be scrubbed clean within the hour, you brat."
Why they even let Sasuke out knowing he was struggling to regain control of himself was a mystery she didn't really care to investigate. So long as he was feeding then Sakura was happy.
…Although, that was a helpful step towards setting the plan she'd created with Gaara into motion.
She just needed to save the outfits first.
Losing interest in the bickering of the cousins when Sasuke tried resisting, she turned to face the models with a darkening expression, snapping, "Did I say you could rest?"
A sigh to the side of the room threatened to distract her, but Sakura forced her eyes forward to watch the strutting of the women, lips pursing when they took turns in slowly spinning to offer up a three-sixty view.
"You, you and you," she addressed the dark-haired ones. "Go take the dresses off before that moron ruins them. I want them back in their garment bags with not a mark on them. Same goes for the lingerie."
"Perhaps one should stay behind for now," suggested her former love, voice patient. He moved to lean his side into the archway and when Sakura looked to him, noticed how his attention continuously strayed to admire her body. "You are in the company of others, my love."
Green eyes narrowed, half playful, half daring. "Are you trying to tell me what to do, love?"
Itachi's jaw clenched when she toyed with the edge of her towel and he threw a warning glower from the corner of his eye over to the other men in the room. Not caring about their presence in the least, Sakura kept her focus on Itachi, chin tipping arrogantly at a slight tug that threatened to loosen the towel.
"Here, Sakura-chan," Naruto called out proudly as he descended the stairs two at a time, smile wide and happy. Clutched in his arms was the very same fluffy bathrobe from their time in incarceration and Sakura allowed the surprise to show in her expression. "You can wear this, but I want it back."
"You're offering to lend me my own bathrobe?"
Taking it back was undoubtedly a crime when Naruto presented it with such happiness and love, yet Sakura didn't fight him when he draped it over her slender shoulders with great care. Stains of blood and dirt were faded compared to what they'd originally looked like, showing that he had done his best to remove them. Had she taken it back herself, it would have been promptly tossed out with the rest of the trash, but something within her warmed to see how attached to the robe he was.
"You said I could keep it," he shot back with a pout.
Humming like she was debating on taking back the words, she had Naruto shifting uneasily until she decided to put him out of his misery. "Like I would even want it back when it stinks of dog."
He grinned in relief.
Sakura made a point of keeping the bathrobe untied to expose her loosened towel and she shot repeated glances in Itachi's direction whenever a riskier move threatened to expose her also. Several times, she witnessed him glowering at the others like the stare alone could make them leave, but she rectified the risk to her plan just as Sasuke turned.
It seemed about the right moment to put hers and Gaara's strategy into action, anyway.
"Oi, Sasuke."
Fingers interlacing with one of the human's, she gently guided her over to the ripper who froze in his spot upon realising what she had planned. His pupils blew, nostrils flaring at the delectable human scent that had his fingers locking in the space between them.
"Don't–"
She shut the stiffening Itachi down with her own warning glower, muttering, "Quit babying him."
Naruto straightened.
"You can't cry about his lack of control if you keep taking it from him." Looking to the suspicious ripper and his narrowed, guarded gaze, Sakura raised their joined hands in his direction, saying, "However, if you don't learn to control yourself while you're weakened like this, then you will never be trusted enough to have your curse lifted."
Dark eyes narrowed further. "Why are you trying to help me?"
"I can't help but wonder the same," added Shisui. "What is in it for you?"
Easy. The stronger his willpower and self-control, the less likely the rest were to starve him to the brink of insanity. An insanity he'd displayed only an hour or so ago when fighting nothing but thin air. Seeing as she had no intentions of unlinking them anytime soon, it only made sense to do all that was in her power to lessen the cons of said link.
"Reassurance," stated Naruto like he could read her mind, eyes growing wider and happier than ever. "If he's in control, you don't have to worry about the madness getting to you too."
"Your son," Shisui sighed and he looked to Itachi with a single eyebrow raising, asking, "What do you think, Itachi?"
"We have already tried portion control."
It was as her conniving lover predicted. Itachi didn't want to hand over control, especially not control over Sasuke. She tilted her head in his direction, saying without really looking at him, "You have tried telling him when's enough. Sasuke needs to put it into practice."
He huffed without humour. "Your remarkable self-control cannot be transferred to him."
No, it couldn't. But she was willing to do whatever was necessary to keep her son safe. If she had to spend a decade being Sasuke's drinking buddy before it sunk in for him, then so be it. So long as Mitsuki got to live a long life.
The human in her grasp was well-behaved as she was compelled to be, though there was no ignoring the fear in those wide brown eyes boring into them. She wondered if that was helpful in grounding Sasuke or provoking his humanity, soon assessing his stance to get a read on him. However, other than intense thirst, he showed no signs of being affected by the human's emotions.
Did that mean he shut his emotions down when it came to feeding?
His jaw clenched rhythmically while Sasuke's demon eyes darted between her and the human, and she could feel the intensifying of his thirst in her own burning throat.
"Hand," she ordered, holding out her free hand.
But as Gaara again predicted: he couldn't resist the temptation and if they treaded carefully, soon enough, the ripper would positively associate her with feeding.
She would be the one who seemingly granted him more independence, opening that door to bringing him to their side.
It was after several moments of suspicion that Sasuke took her hand and Sakura guided him closer, sandwiching the human between them, demanding that his eyes remained locked on hers as she watched him imploringly. Only once she deemed him ready to touch her did Sakura guide his fingers down the human's arm, caressing the soft skin until they reached the pulse found on her wrist.
"Focus on it," Sakura instructed and leaned forward, tasting her with a sensual swipe of her tongue that had him subconsciously leaning towards them. Her thoughts of Sasuke blocking out emotions were soon confirmed when his eyes glazed over.
Still, certain he was ready for the next huge step, she reached around the ripper and gently tugged him closer until they were each pushed up against the human, eyes remaining connected. Her fingers locked in his messy dark hair and Sakura offered a single, encouraging nod that had Naruto grinning over excitedly at the other two Uchiha men.
"Feed," she whispered breathily, nuzzling one side of the woman's neck while he grazed the other side with his teeth. She trembled in their holds, hands unsteady on Sasuke's forearms and displaying her panic in the scratches already marring his skin. "It's not a race. No one will dare to take her from you like they have in the past. I won't let them."
Sakura was the one who trembled that time as Sasuke sunk his fangs into the human's neck. The ripper rush surged through her with such a potent intensity that it threatened to weaken her legs, but he rectified that by grabbing at her waist instead of the woman. Her body was able to better withstand the grip of a ripper, healing within seconds of damage being inflicted.
Green eyes darted to the others in cold warning when they shifted at the scent of her own blood filling the room, narrowing on Itachi especially. He was the most likely to intervene if he believed Sasuke was hurting her – which, admittedly, he was. However, they wanted him to have better control over himself. She needed him to have better control.
"Focus on her pulse," Sakura murmured once her attention was back on him, stomach clenching at the sight of his eyes rolling shut, the hands on her body shaking in their attempts to resist tearing her to shreds. "It's weakening, isn't it?"
His groan was enough to redden Naruto's cheeks, and the mutt tried covering his enjoyment by clearing his throat and tending to the other frightened humans as they cowered together.
"If you don't kill her, there's more to practice on," she encouraged heatedly, fingers pulling on his hair to keep them both grounded. Gods, the tingling was on another level, and she felt that knot in her stomach steadily tightening. "If you kill her, you can't have the others."
Sakura bit back the pained grimace as her bones creaked in warning, back burning at the digging of his fingers. From what she could tell, they were buried to the second knuckles, her back warm with her own blood.
"Sakura–"
"Get out if you can't handle it," she warned Itachi, keeping her voice level.
He was interrupted from arguing further when Sasuke broke his lock with a pained gasp, eyes squeezing shut like he couldn't handle looking at the human as she was ushered out from between them. Naruto was quick to steady the woman when she stumbled in her heels, offering up his wrist to heal her with his blood.
Cautiously, Sakura loosened her hold on the ripper but never let go, watching closely until he opened his eyes and showed her that he was fighting to regain control. Luckily for her sake considering how volatile rippers were towards one another.
"We tell those in my clan to snatch, eat and erase," she said more to keep him occupied than anything. It was obvious from the death grip he continued to have that Sasuke wasn't fully there yet, her spine cracking harshly enough to make Naruto cringe. Dipping her head to lock eyes with him once the damage to her spine was healed, Sakura asked, "What do you think our next move should be?"
She knew exactly what he wanted to do. Could feel it in the cramping of her muscles and the searing agony of her throat. Every fibre of their beings was demanding that they caved to their predatory instincts and feast on the gathered humans clogging up the air with their heavenly scent. And shit, Sakura wanted to, especially when the horrifying itch swelled to life within her.
"I…" Sasuke swallowed hard. First meeting her eyes then Naruto's, he shocked her by seeming to appreciate their support before he gritted his teeth and just barely managed to say in a low rasp, "I will limit myself to two a day."
Even with her back to the blond, she could still sense his shit-eating grin that somehow managed to lift the overall mood of the room. It even allowed her to release a deep exhale that almost had her body sagging with relief.
At least she wasn't torn to pieces by him.
Sakura smirked teasingly to keep the mood light and had him snarling when she played with the hair at the nape of his neck, batting her eyelashes at him. "Now, is there a reason you're still holding onto me for dear life, or do you just really need a hug?"
Sweet, sweet relief pulsated through her rapidly healing wounds when Sasuke released her like she'd scalded him, and she laughed heartily at the hand that covered her face to push her further away.
All the tugging and dragging that had transpired during Sasuke's eagerness had Sakura growing smug and glancing in the direction of her irate former love, only for that smirk to widen into a grin to find the space already empty. He appeared before her with vampire speed, hands deliciously rough while tugging the robe together just as her towel dropped to her ankles.
Looking up at him only amused her further, though she was pleasantly surprised to find the stirrings of arousal in response to the possessive fury in his demon eyes.
"Get dressed."
"Ah, but you didn't ask nicely~"
"Sakura."
"You know, I don't think I like any of those dresses, after all," she sighed with mock dejection. Her touch was fleeting as it grazed Itachi's forearms until she was gripping at his shoulders and stepping closer to his warmth. "What a shame."
"You're such a menace," snickered Naruto. Then, elbowing Sasuke, added, "Looks like your brother can't handle her."
She grinned wickedly.
But Itachi was far too proud to be backed into a corner so many times in one day, and Sakura couldn't deny the faintest of quivers when he grabbed her jaw roughly, or the brightening excitement in her gaze as he stepped impossibly closer. It was supposed to be intimidating, but Gods, it just turned her on more than anything.
"Put one of those dresses on," he warned coolly before his own maddening smirk had her focusing entirely on the lips that were so passionate with her own only an hour ago. "Or else I will be forced to dress you myself."
Amusement had her demanding, "Oh?"
Dark eyes narrowed, though there was no mistaking the playfulness lingering behind the frustration. "And it will be off the rack."
She deadpanned, suddenly serious. "You wouldn't be so cruel."
"Try me, my love." Glancing in the direction of his cousin, he asked thoughtfully, "What do you think, Shisui? I do believe our host had a few dungarees spare for her gardener–"
"Okay, okay!" she snapped and shoved against him to approach the cowering women, pretending not to see Naruto's barely contained laughter or Sasuke's surprise. "I'll put one of them on!"
It wasn't right.
Irritation had Sakura pacing with a drink in hand, swelling to new and unbearable heights whenever she happened a glance of her reflection.
The dress was okay. Workable. She'd worn stuff a hundred times worse back in the eighties.
…That was what she continued to tell herself.
Naruto was working overtime trying to lighten her horrid mood, but no amount of music and alcohol could loosen her rigid muscles. Besides, it wasn't exactly a party when only the hybrid was enjoying himself amongst a group of compelled women. Sasuke was skulking around the bar in a bid to ease his debilitating cravings; Itachi and Shisui had taken up residency near the fire once more, seemingly unseeing to Naruto's antics.
The growl under her breath during her approach had Sasuke meeting her eye before tossing the bottle he was drinking from at her. Sakura draped herself into one of the stools and knocked a hearty mouthful back, eyes shutting at another failed attempt of soothing her ire.
"Maybe we should just kill them all," she sighed irritably and spun on her stool, each turn faster than the last as part of Sakura hoped it would quicken the effects of the alcohol. She'd burned the effects of the wine off hours ago. "That should tell the owner of the boutique that her dresses are inadequate."
"Are you still bitching about your dress?"
"Are you still crying to the dead about how sorry you are?"
A hand twisting in the fabric of the dress had Sakura coming to an abrupt halt, and she met his eye unaffected by the intimidation.
"Watch your mouth," he snarled. "Or else I may grow fond of the idea of ending my own life simply to watch you die too."
"Always so poetic, aren't you?"
"Always a pain in my ass–"
"You are bringing the mood down, little brother," warned Itachi coolly without looking up from his book.
Just as Sasuke's hand twitched like he was undecided on his next move, his mouth opening with what was undoubtedly foul words, she silenced him by pressing the neck of the bottle to his lips. Growling, he snatched it from her and pushed away from the bar to put more distance between them. She grinned wickedly and spun in the chair to face the room again.
"So," she began playfully. "When do you plan on wooing me, Itachi?"
He hummed thoughtfully but didn't look up at her, much to Sakura's indignation. The dismissal had her temper flaring until Naruto looked to her almost pleadingly, gaze drifting to Sasuke like he was reminding her of needing to keep her cool. While he didn't know of the plan she'd concocted with Gaara, it was evident he was reaping the benefits also. He was desperate to make it all work after a thousand years of watching his love suffer.
Discreetly taking a calming breath, Sakura used the time it took to reach the sofas to try and regain control over herself. "You can't procrastinate to try and keep me here for longer," she accused. Standing at the head of the seating area, her hands came to her hips, expression daring Itachi to brush her off again. "I have obligations."
Said obligation was what lessened the time she spent with Gaara in the first place. They had enjoyed a whole decade teasing one another with their games and getting high off the most intense foreplay she'd ever experienced. Following that, frequent meet ups whenever one of them felt that crushing need to be in the other's arms again. However, once Mitsuki entered her life, he became the major priority. Instead of disappearing for weeks at a time, it was a maximum of a couple of days, if she could even handle that.
That horrific month in the slave prison was the longest she'd ever been away from Mitsuki, and now she was piling more time on top of it. Being away from her son was agonising in a way she couldn't possibly explain.
"I never said you had to stay," he argued calmly.
While true, she wanted the night of recollections over and done with. Preferably before the emotions became impossible to hold back any longer and submerged her entirely with fifty years' worth of catch up. "I can't move to the next step in my plan without you."
"Oh?"
What was his strategy? To act so unhinged when she first arrived to now acting distant… It made no sense in her mind, unless Itachi was attempting to keep her on her toes. That was pointless, though. He knew she hated guessing games, for Sakura had always lacked the patience to deal with them. If this was an attempt of worming his way back into her life, then it was never going to happen. She liked unpredictability, sure. But not childish mind games. They drove her crazy in the not-so-good kind of way.
"Sakura-chan," cajoled Naruto at the darkening of her expression. "Join us."
Instinct was to reject him, however the impish wriggling of his eyebrows and Sasuke's responding sigh had Sakura carefully considering him for a moment of pause.
"I suppose I ought to entertain myself somehow," she sighed and approached at Naruto's insistence, allowing him to take her hand and spin her into his chest. The heat of his body soaked through Sakura pleasantly, more than merely warming her back and she reached over her shoulder to grasp at him, to keep them pressed to each other. "Gaara did try to warn me how boring I'd find it here."
The hybrid snickered and spun her once more so that they were facing one another, his grin mischievous. "Considering how intense it is between you both, I'm not surprised you're already bored."
One of the two books was no longer being read, the stilling of its turning pages bringing a smirk to her lips.
"They control everything around here," added Sasuke airily and she just barely resisted the urge to look to him appreciatively. It was quite the shock to have him involve himself in tormenting Itachi. "You're a moron for even contemplating staying."
It shut resolutely.
She bit back her sly smile while looking over her shoulder at the youngest Uchiha, asking, "Will you join us?"
Catching on, Naruto pressed their hips together again and leaned over her, telling his lover, "She feels amazing, Sasuke. Trust me."
Would he play along? Would his disgust of her prevent him from annoying his infuriating older brother? Sakura turned her head in his direction and licked her lips in anticipation, grip on Naruto growing tight when he suckled on her fluttering pulse. The dancing humans around them riled her up to unbearable heights as she drowned in their collective scents, and she shut her eyes at the touches heightened by her vampirism.
It seemed they would never know his answer, for Itachi stood and demanded their attention before Sasuke could reply.
"I don't care for your games, my love," he alerted her.
"I don't like being brushed off," she shot back and pouted. "You're going to hurt my feelings."
"So you decide to go after my brother?"
Sasuke's snort was derisive and telling, and she sighed when Naruto kept her close. "For some odd reason, love, I really don't think I'm his type."
Blue eyes rolled before the hybrid spun Sakura so they could meet each other's playful gaze once more, the pair smirking connivingly. There was much he had yet to learn when it came to pushing a person's buttons, but she had to admit: he was a fast learner. Well, that or Itachi was just as unstable as he'd appeared earlier that day, merely working to mask it from them all.
"You really are hopeless," Naruto snickered at Itachi's expense. An arm slipped around Sakura's waist to bring her closer, and she grinned widely at the surprisingly impressive way he took the lead in the sudden dance. "Have you seen Sasuke lower his guards around anyone other than me?"
Amused, Shisui lowered his book and watched their carefree dancing. "That is awfully arrogant of you to assume, Naruto-kun."
An ever so brief twitching of his hands and Sasuke's teeth gritting had Sakura swiftly intervening with an airy, "You know, Shisui-san, you seem to have spectacular trust issues." Waiting until she was dipped backwards to glance at the oldest Uchiha in the room, she offered a playful smile from her upside-down position and pushed, "Itachi seems to be the only one you wholly trust."
"Because he is," scoffed Sasuke.
"Why is that?" she wondered aloud, still playful but definitely gauging the mood of the room as she looked between them once upright again.
His book closed quietly and he stood to his full height, watching Sakura as closely as she watched him. "Do not make the mistake in assuming you can toy around with me as you do my little cousins, Sakura-chan. You are in way over your head."
"Obviously," she replied impishly. "That's what makes it fun."
Naruto refused to lose her attention for long as he had her spinning around the room like they were nothing more than teenagers at their prom, and Sakura was soon able to dismiss Shisui's annoyance towards her.
"I haven't danced like this in years," she admitted to the warm blond, smiling despite her efforts to hold back the returning emotions. "Decades, even."
Like he was covering for her stumble into weakness, Naruto asked cheekily, "Who's the better dancer?"
She hummed and made a show of truly thinking about it, before calling out affectionately while looking in her former love's direction, "Itachi."
"What is it?"
"I think I need reminding."
Pulling away from Naruto with a pat of thanks for his time, Sakura held onto Itachi's gaze before delicately holding out a hand, chin raising with a touch of arrogance. It was a risky gamble, but certainly the best way to rekindle the emotions he was trying to bury.
"Dance with me," she ordered, not asked.
"For someone who claims there are no longer any feelings between the two of you, you are rather insistent on remaining close to Itachi," remarked Shisui.
But Sakura ignored him and kept her eyes locked on Itachi's, hand steady as it awaited his.
Only seconds later and she was graced with his gentle touch, the slipping of his hand into hers and another settling around her waist telling Sakura to maintain a careful distance that had her smirking playfully.
"Properly, Itachi," she chastised in a softened voice that lured him in. "Like how you used to."
His hesitance had Sakura stepping into him, touch grazing as it skimmed up his arm before one hand found itself winding in the hair at the nape of his neck, other running up his chest before dangling over his shoulder. At her encouraging pulling, their foreheads came together and Sakura offered as peaceful a smile as she could muster. It must have worked, for Itachi was returning the intimate embrace without another thought – that or he could not continue denying himself of his love, so allowed her to believe she was winning him over.
…Shit.
Why hadn't she considered that?
The others disappeared into blurs much like the rest of the world when Itachi grasped at her waist and hips like he was savouring the feel of her. Even if she wanted to, Sakura couldn't look away from the intensity of his seductive gaze and involuntarily, her lips parted almost in invitation.
"Remember that you asked for this reawakening," came his sinful warning.
"How arrogant of you," Sakura responded lowly. "What if this is my way of jumpstarting the wooing process and taking control of it?"
"I am already intensely and irrevocably in love with you." It only occurred to her then that they hadn't even started to dance yet, and she swallowed hard at the heat blanketing over her. "If you somehow manage to provoke a deeper love between us, I will be astounded but not against it in the least." There was talking behind them that Sakura couldn't focus on even with her enhanced hearing, though the beginning of their intimate dance allowed her to catch a fleeting glimpse of a wide-eyed Naruto. "My feelings for you will never wane. Even if now is not our time, you own my heart. Always, my love."
She would allow him to believe he was chipping away at her for now, though only because it worked for her. Once the moment was right, Sakura was determined on regaining control and ripping the rug from under his feet.
A solid weight in the name of reminiscence steadily crushed her heart and at her next exhale, her shoulders dropped, body subconsciously loosening its permanent case of paranoia induced tensed muscles. Almost as though they'd gone back in time fifty years, Sakura felt distressingly whole and like nothing had even changed. Like she could travel the thirteen miles from her mansion into the woods to find her parents enjoying the homeliness of their cabin, welcoming her with dad jokes and motherly critique and a warm meal. But…
But there was no shirking the trauma she was forced to turn her back on. No way to mend the tearing of her heart – not without leaving an ugly, painful scar.
As Itachi raised his head, Sakura's dropped to his chest, eyes shutting as she attempted to soothe the gut-wrenching grief that was determined on ripping her apart. Idly, she wondered if Sasuke could feel it too, before that thought became unimportant at the tenderness of Itachi's shifting embrace, the comfort in his hold letting her know that he could feel her heartache.
There was no denying their hearts were still connected.
"What is he like?"
Sakura allowed herself a moment to remain in the past as she inhaled his homely scent before lifting her head. Belatedly, she realised the room was now empty and the music was switched from Naruto's loud, chaotic dance music to something slower and more relaxing. Nothing from Itachi's impressive collection that continued to collect dust in the storage closet of her ballroom, but appeasing, nonetheless.
"Who?"
"Mitsuki-kun," he murmured softly, poking that damned maternal instinct within her.
Sakura offered a deep sigh as they continued their gentle swaying, stomach clenching something fierce when she thought of her son. Missing him was a constant in her life – being sent to deal with potential threats to Konoha, her relationship with Gaara, the whole month she just spent in prison.
It seemed like she was always being taken away from him.
Around the time he turned eight, Sakura was forced to remember just how precious human life was after a mission on behalf of Sarutobi almost ended in tragedy, and from that point, they adopted their careful distance that kept enemies from knowing just how important he was to her. And for what? They continued to target him. Just one look at his appearance alerted others to his ancestry.
She was wasting precious time with her son because she was so afraid of losing him.
She was such a goddamn idiot.
"Everything I could have ever asked for in a child and more," she whispered thickly, prompting the hold on her to tighten. "He was around one, maybe two years old when we found him in the forest, seemingly abandoned."
"So young and already exposed to cruelty."
Sakura's jaw clenched at the memories of finding him and how fearful Mitsuki was in the following days. Not of her or Ino, but in general. Back then, she didn't have the stomach to imagine the horrors he'd likely been through, but she sure as hell listened when Mitsuki was finally able to communicate them with her.
His parents were both descendants of Orochimaru, though his conception came from a one-night stand. The one constant in Mitsuki's memories was of the woman who birthed him and the cold fear that shone in her hateful eyes whenever they caught sight of him. Still, for whatever reason, she continued to raise Mitsuki but kept him at arms-length. Fed on cue and ignored between said feeds, never cuddled when upset. He grew used to the solitude and eventually stopped crying for her attention, knowing it never came. It made her angry whenever he cried, though she never dared to lay a finger on the boy she strongly suspected of being Orochimaru's reincarnation.
It was his biological father who acted. He happened across the woman he shared just one night with and knowing his true identity, she felt impelled to share the outcome of their lust. Horrified the second he laid eyes on Mitsuki, he attempted to end his life there and then for fear of Orochimaru resurrecting through him.
Both practicing witches were taken out by nothing more than the untamed explosion of raw magical energy that was tapped into by an infant's huge emotions. So used to being left alone and untouched, Sakura gathered from Mitsuki's memories that he was unable to cope with the sudden ambush of negative emotions and physical assault raining down on him. He responded to the murderous magic and intent tenfold.
Some form of survival instinct prompted Mitsuki to leave the house when it came to his next meal and Sakura couldn't deny she had openly wept into Ino's comforting embrace later that night after seeing his memories. She'd watched through his eyes as he toddled and stumbled away from the bloodbath behind him, squinting into the sun he rarely ever saw, so pale he looked ill. At first, Sakura had assumed he was so unsteady on his feet because of all that transpired, but breaking her heart into tiny pieces, she discovered it was because he only learned to walk a few days prior.
"He killed his biological parents," Sakura admitted quietly and leaned back to gauge Itachi's startled reaction. Her own expression was guarded, calm.
"Defending himself?"
"His magic defended him."
His expression smoothed out to the familiar calm mask and their world gently spun once more, guiding them closer to the fireplace that welcomed them with its heat. "Most witches and warlocks are unable to conjure magic until they surpass childish attention spans and focus."
That was precisely what called out to Anko and the others, the woman had soon informed Sakura. A child of Mitsuki's age (back then) shouldn't have been able to use their magic, so when Karin picked up on one of Orochimaru's youngest descendants doing so, they knew what that could spell for the future.
But unlike his fearful parents, the others decided to nurture Mitsuki's blaring talents. Whether he was the reincarnation or not didn't matter to them. No, to them, Mitsuki was a child born into unfair circumstances but had all the possibilities to change his luck and future. As Karin always said: her visions were subjective. One simple change in timings or decisions could alter the path. She was adamant in that being Mitsuki's case also.
"It takes a village," was all she replied with.
No matter what or who he was destined to be, Mitsuki would always be her son. He would always be an important person to Ino and the coven.
A silence fell between them, though it was one tinged with companionship and understanding. They continued their dance with such effortlessness that one would have assumed they danced every night; their ease of movements, of reading the other, the closeness, all screaming an intimacy that went far beyond sex.
When Itachi spoke once more, Sakura was torn between feeling grateful for the disrupting of her much too emotional thoughts, and being agitated with his choice of conversation.
"I checked on what was supposed to be our future," he told her gently, keeping the words half-masked beneath music and the flames. If one of their kind was to purposely listen in, then they would hear every word, but considering they'd vacated the space no doubt at Itachi's unspoken order, Sakura knew they wouldn't dare to eavesdrop. "They are still in excellent condition."
"…I know already."
Weariness had his cheek resting atop her head, Itachi's sigh loaded with regret. "Have you ever considered using them?"
"No."
"Not even with Gaara-kun?"
Sakura itched with discomfort at the insinuations bared by Itachi's questions. While they had never discussed the possibilities of children, she knew it was purely down to being what they were, meaning it was physically impossible for them to conceive (and turning a child into a vampire never crossed either of their minds). Would that change if Gaara knew of her frozen eggs? Would she want to pursue a future she'd been forced to turn her back on with someone else?
Truthfully, Sakura had never wanted children until after she met Itachi and fell so deeply in love with him. Anything felt possible when they were together, and she knew from the level of care and compassion he often displayed that he would make a good father. After everything turned into such a shitshow, however, she simply hadn't thought of children again. To her, that door was closed. The man she thought was the perfect person to settle down and raise a family with was no longer around and thus, neither was that dream. It died with their relationship.
"Gaara isn't exactly the paternal type," was all she said in return, the uncaring façade she usually sported falling short thanks to that damned ache in her chest.
Itachi frowned at that and leaned back to gauge her expression. "Mitsuki-kun is–"
"Is my son," Sakura asserted firmly and brought their dancing to a halt. Then, because the truth would certainly cause doubts in Itachi's original assessments of her relationship with Gaara, she added knowing it would cause a stir, "Truth be told, it wasn't until you all returned that Gaara even found out about Mitsuki-kun."
Astonishment had his lips parting before Itachi could rein it all back in. "Did you ever plan on introducing the two?"
She shrugged carelessly.
"Sakura…"
Her jaw clenched when he reached out to her, swallowing at the heartache so clear in his tight eyes.
"Having your guards raised even against the man you have spent the better part of fifty years with…" The words drifted off as he paused under the weight of his guilt that threatened to suffocate them both. "Doesn't that make you lonely, my love?"
It didn't matter.
Loving Itachi had taught Sakura to keep those guards raised, to fortify them with her rage and hatred. She could never be hurt that way again. Could never go through losing another loved one. Truthfully, there were only three left who mattered more to her than her own life and if anything were to happen to them… Sakura knew it would be the beginning of the end for her.
The returning floods of emotions was only solidifying those thoughts and crippling anxieties.
She would stop at nothing to keep her loves safe. Even if others had to become collateral damage. Even if she had to make deals with devils. Even if she had to tear the world apart to make it safe again. It didn't matter who was put before her or what their connection once was.
Returning her gaze to Itachi's, she attempted to harden her weakening heart.
Sorry, love. But that includes you, too.