I'm soooo sorry for the delay, I've been consumed in reading the Twilight books, plus I had my math's exam the 16th and I was also working on chapter !) of The Secret Behind… so… yeah…

Well, I can't wait for the next book of the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn. I honestly cried for Jacob, he absolutely my favorite character, and I think he deserves Bella more than Edward does, it would be so good to see Jake happy instead of grieving because he looses the love of his life….

Anyway, enough Twilight and let's focus on Naruto!!

Starting, I'd like to thank Emma0707 for her review, I'm glad you enjoy reading what I write!! The nice words are appreciated!!

Moving on, I worked on more of Sakura's past in this chapter, not concerning Deidara, but her relationship with Itachi and Shisui…

I also revealed what she feels about the 'art' she created a bit and then the last part… well, it's a surprise!! :P

In this chapter Sai is only mentioned and Sasuke and Sakura's relationship will… well, you'll see…

Please, pleeeeaaaaassssseeeeeeReview.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does, I merely own the plot of the story!!

Chapter 25 - Itachi and Sapphires

Sunday, 18th May

The tears fell, but somehow, she didn't care, because the tears that were running down her cheeks at the moment weren't due to any weakness or pain, they were far more deep than that.

She cried for a bond that survived over everything and everyone, even over death, because her fallen artist may no longer walk this earth, but he was still alive, even if only in her mind, in her heart.

She cried for that bond, and also for the freedom she felt, creating art the same way he did, and finally understanding him, so much it hurt, so much she cried. For him, only for him.

She had cried before, but never like this. Never without anguish.

She watched the flames consume everything, the inferno below giving her a freedom that nothing else could. She was a sadist, she knew, but it felt oh-so-good to feel above everything, to feel so… so free.

Taking a step back, she jumped backwards, performing the single hand seal needed for the jutsu while letting herself fall back, her eyes on the clay bird she had been on moments before.

"Katsu." This time she didn't scream like before, she let the words come out softly, lovingly, because he said the words the same way when he created his art only for the pleasure of it, and as the time went by, she had learned to love his way of art just as much as he did.

The bird exploded in an inferno of orange, red and yellows, the beauty of it still taking her breath away, and she let herself be propelled towards the ground by the explosion, the heat emanating from it and the flames making a shiver run down her spine and her adrenaline jump up like nothing else could. This, only this.

The tears on her cheeks dried with the temperature, but fresh ones kept falling, and she still didn't care, because she felt no pain.

Twisting her body to face downwards, she watched as the ground below, covered in flames (red, yellow, orange, purple and pink) kept consuming the forest, once upon a time too green and too lively. Now it as just perfect. No green, no life, just after math of havoc. The havoc she had created. The havoc she just loved to create. The havoc that made her fell free, both in body and in mind.

She let her feet touch a tree branch in flames to give her momentum to not hurt herself, and as her feet pushed against the branch, it cracked and broke with a snap. She repeated the process a couple more times, the branches she touched with her feet all breaking with a snap and falling to the ground, where the blazing fire was scattered, making it possible to walk around, but very dangerous at the same time.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the air was hot, no humidity whatsoever, making it hard to breathe, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. And as she opened her eyes again, she let a grin settle on her face and started walking among the fire calmly, as if she was taking a normal stroll through the forest. Even if it was fleeting, she would enjoy the freedom and the perfection as much as she could.

In the past, when Sakura was 8

"Why onii-chan?" she looked at the older boy with watery eyes, her lower lip lightly quivering. "Did something happen to Shishui-nii-chan?" now she was worried.

The older boy sighed and kept walking, making sure to go at the small girls' pace.

"You'll understand in a few days Sakura-chan." She tilted her head, still looking up at him with watery eyes and walking slowly.

"But Ita-nii-chan—" he cut her off raising a hand and stopping his walk to face her.

"It's complicated." He sighed and turned to face her.

"Can I do anything? Can I help?" he shook his head and let a small smile appear on his lips.

"I'm afraid you can't help Sakura-chan." She looked right about to cry. "But I have something for you." He paused. "A few things actually." She nodded and they resumed their walk in silence.

"What I'm about to give you, you can't show it to anyone, and you can't tell anyone about it." He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "You have to promise you won't tell or show it to anyone." She nodded enthusiastically, her short hair moving around her face, the only thing she really wanted were friends, something she didn't have to share and give.

"I won't show or tell anyone nii-chan, I promise." He smiled openly and patted her head affectionately.

"Good girl." She smiled up at him, the tears now gone. She was too innocent for her own good, but somehow, she was like a magnet for him and his best friend, she attracted them to her because of that innocence, just like the innocence his baby brother had, but somehow more pure.

They reached the small meadow next to a small river, where he and Shisui usually trained with Sakura watching in awe, and sometimes, his brother observing from under the bushed, he still wondered how his brother had never noticed the small pink haired girl was there almost every time (85 of the time).

He had made sure he had brought everything he would give her beforehand, in the shadows from his clan, even his brother.

He had put everything in a school bag so it wouldn't look suspicious on a child. That way she could carry them without getting noticed, and what was to come wouldn't be found out.

They sat down near the river, and he gave her the school bag.

"What is it Ita-nii-chan?" she inquired while looking at the inconspicuous bag about to open it. He put a hand over hers to stop her and faced her.

"What is inside, look at it only when you find yourself ready, not before." She tilted her head and then looked at him, a brilliant smile (filled with innocence) directed at him.

"Okay onii-chan!!" she was too trustful, too cheery, too innocent for her own good. But somehow, he always found himself protecting that innocence, not in a full out obnoxious way, like Shisui did, but in a more subtle way, in this case, with words, words that should be said otherwise, but that he always softened for her sake, for her innocence.

"I have something else." He reached into his pocket and took a small cloth out, to then hand it to her. She looked at him and then at the cloth in her hands. Tilting her head she opened it, revealing the 2 black necklaces with silver pendants.

"Those are mine and Shisui's." he explained. "Now they're yours." She kept examining the pendants, tracing the symbols with her fingers.

"They're pretty!" she exclaimed quietly, the smile remaining.

"You'll know what to use them for someday." She looked up at him, eyes curious and wondering. "Just remember the waterfall in the forest." With her head tilted to the side, she nodded and wrapped the cloth back around the necklaces.

They stood in silence for a while, 5 minutes or an hour, he didn't knew, but it was comfortable, and for those moments, he ignored the guilt looming over him for what he would have to do in a few days.

As he kept contemplating the river and his thoughts, he failed to notice the pink haired girl move, and the next thing he knew she was in front of him. He blinked and took in her look of curiosity.

"You looked serious nii-chan." She mused and he raised a brow at her. "It made you look older." She was also too perceptive for her own good, she could notice the smallest details, things that regular people wouldn't.

"Is that so." She nodded, her face serious. And then she blushed, which made him raise a curious brow.

She started fidgeting, her cheeks tinted pink and her eyes averted from his as she looked everywhere except his face.

"What is it Sakura-chan?" she stole a glance at his face, making eye contact and then squeaked, her blush turning lightly darker and her eyes going back to looking everywhere except his face.

He chuckled and bent slightly forward, his right hand going up to her face and cupping her cheek, then making her face him.

"What are you thinking about Sakura-chan?" he asked her softly, his head tilted to the side slightly. She squeaked again, but he didn't let her look away.

"I-I w-w-was t-thin-king a-about…" she stuttered and squeaked again, blushed turning darker.

"About?" he urged. She looked so cute right now.

"W-w-well… a-about… um…" and then out of nowhere, with boldness that didn't seem to belong to her, she leaned forward and kissed his lips quickly (a peck, actually), to lean back as fast as she leaned forward, her face as red as a tomato.

He blinked twice in surprise and then chuckled softly, such a gentle gesture to someone so undeserving like him.

"Ne, Sakura-chan." He drawled softly, and she peeked up at him, to look back down the next second. "You didn't blush so much for Shisui." His hand was still cupping her cheek as he leaned forward and kissed her other cheek softly. "Does that mean you like me better?" he smirked smugly when she turned even redder (if that was possible) and squeaked again. She'd kissed Shisui the same way she'd kissed him (a peck) a few weeks before, only she hadn't blushed as much and Shisui had nagged him about it for a full week. From her reaction to his question she did like him better.

"B-b-but I-I l-like Sh-Shisui-n-nii-ch-chan too." She squeaked in defense. He only chuckled and pulled closer to him, snaking his arms around her for a hug.

"I know Sakura-chan." He assured her softly. "I know." He let her go and leaned back on his forearms while looking at the blue sky. "But you still like me better, ne?"he drawled smugly and peeked at her a smirk tugging at his lips. She really was too innocent for her own good, and even if he craved to have that innocence all to himself, he knew he couldn't, he would never be allowed to have such a thing. He would never deserve such a thing. And even if he wished he could, he already knew he wouldn't.

When the afternoon started reaching an end, he walked her home, carrying the bag filled with documents that weren't supposed to exist anymore.

"Ne, Ita-nii-chan." He looked at her for the umpteenth time that day and raised a brow, urging her to continue. "Are you going away too? Like Shisui-nii-chan?" she looked up, this time not about to cry, but the pain was there, in her eyes, becoming more and more with each passing second.

He looked straight ahead and nodded slowly, it pained him to have to do what he had to do, but he had no choice. He heard her sniff, and the guilt over him just got worse, heavier.

"Will you come back?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Will Shisui-nii-chan come back?" he bit his lower lip until he could feel the metallic and salty taste of blood and shook his head slowly, no one would come back.

"Oh." She spoke softly, and when he looked at her she was looking down, the cloth with the pendants being held tightly in her hands.

He swallowed the blood in his mouth sharply and then stopped, then turning to face her.

"Sakura-chan." She turned to face him, the tears were there, but she refused to let them fall. He swallowed again and tried to ignore the weight on his shoulders.

"Inside the bag, there's a black notebook." Shisui always made fun of him, telling him it was a diary. "It's special." Very special. "Even if you have it, I can write in it from far away." She nodded slowly, so he explained again, she was smart, she would understand. "There's a jutsu in the notebook, even if I write in the ground, if I complete the jutsu afterwards, what I wrote will appear in the notebook." She nodded again, and he knew she understood.

"But you're still going away." She sniffed again and looked down. He did the only thing that occurred to him, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, good thing the street was deserted of anyone besides them.

"Don't cry Sakura-chan." He told her softly. "You have to be strong." She nodded against his chest. He sighed and closed his eyes, he hated having to do 

this. With another sigh he let his head rest over hers, she was so much smaller than he was, then again, she was 5 years younger.

"Don't cry Sakura-chan." But she still cried silently, her hands clenched over his chest.

He leaned back slightly and cupped her cheeks, wiping the tears that ran down her cheeks with his thumbs.

"You have to be strong." She nodded meekly at his demand. "Promise me you'll be strong, that you'll work hard to be strong." She nodded meekly again.

"I promise nii-chan." He nodded and let a small crooked smile appear on his face.

"Good girl." He whispered softly and pecked her lips, like she had done to him when the sun was still high, only his kiss was more lingering, his lips hesitating to part from hers for a couple of seconds.

"Don't ever give up." He hugged her again, his head bent down, his lips near her ear. "And never, ever." He whispered the words softly, his arms tightening around her small frame. "Ever be a coward and give up on what you believe and cherish." He took a deep breath as his throat constricted. "Don't ever be a coward like me." He wasn't sure if she heard his last words, merely breathed out, the tone so soft and low. So true. He was a coward, and he would never forgive himself for what he would do.

He let go of her and took a step back, then handing her the school bag filled with classified files.

"I have to go Sakura-chan." He took another step backwards. "Stay safe and be strong ok?" she nodded. "Promise… for me and Shisui, that you'll stay safe and be strong."

"I promise nii-chan." He voice was cracking. "For you and Shisui-nii-chan." He smiled softly.

"Good girl." And with the soft words he was gone, like a summer breeze, leaving everything behind.

Sunday, 18th May

After the inferno had turned to ashes and dust and the night had overcome the day, she had walked out of the forest, and he had followed. Sai had been too shocked to follow her, so he had left to ponder over what they had witnessed, surely, the Hokage would want to know who had destroyed around 40 square kilometers of the forest. He didn't know about Sai, but he had nothing to tell the Hokage, right now he wanted answers from a certain girl.

He entered her apartment before she reached it, once she had reentered the village, she was all bubbly and giddy, like a child who had just ate the ice cream she had so longed for or gotten the toy she wanted. The villagers didn't feel bothered by her behavior as she greeted them and smiled openly.

He heard the door open and close from where he was leaning against the living room wall.

She was humming happily to herself as she bounced happily around the house, first going into her room to drop the bag she had been carrying and then bouncing happily to the kitchen.

From where he was standing in the shadows, his eyes narrowed at her, he could see her taking a plate of onigiri from the fridge and take a bite from one. He watched as she ate happily, an ecstatic child.

After she ate, she put the remaining onigiri back in the fridge and bounced to the living room. Before she could turn on the lights, he pinned her top the wall. She didn't seem bothered by that.

"Sakura." He hissed, venom dripping from his voice.

"Hi Sasuke!" she exclaimed happily, and his narrowed even further.

"Care to explain why you destroyed 40 square kilometers of forest?" it was more a demand than a question.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and then giggled. "It was art!" she sounded proud of her statement. "A moment of pure fleeting perfection that makes your body and mind feel the most pure kind of freedom!" he pushed her harder against the wall while gritting his teeth.

"Where did you learn it." It was a full out order for her to answer, but she simply tilted her head and giggled again, and as the light of the moon coming from the window reflected in her eyes, he noticed the color. Not bright emerald green. Not dangerous dark green. Not pained silver green. Her eyes were a dark shade of sapphire, a shade that didn't belong to her, a shade that changed her completely.

"Sakura, where did you learn it?" he demanded, his voice strong, deep and dangerous, coming out louder than before as he pushed her harder against the wall.

"It's. A. Se-cret!" she whispered, emphasizing each syllable and finishing with a poke of her index finger on his forehead. She giggled again.

An animalistic growl came from deep inside his chest and he glared at her, getting tired of her bubbly attitude, he wanted answers. Now.

"Where did you learn it?" he said between gritted teeth and contained himself from pushing her harder against the wall.

She sighed dramatically and tilted her head again, the light coming from the window behind him emphasizing the dark shade of sapphire in her eyes.

"You're so stubborn Sasuke-kun." She sighed again and then smiled up at him.

"Sakura." He growled again, and she pushed herself away from the wall towards him, it was as if he wasn't even applying any force on her shoulders.

"You know Sasuke-kun, you really shouldn't ask question to which you really don't want answers." She smiled, her face getting closer to his, and his glare only intensified. But she didn't seem bothered by it, not affected in the least, it was as if she was some sort of sadist. Considering what he had seen her do to the forest, she probably was.

"Sasuke-kun." She whispered his name oh-so-softly and oh-so-sweetly that he was taken off guard, taken aback. She giggled softly, her hands settling on each side of his waist and her face tilted up, lingering just under his jaw before she kissed his jaw and nipped at the skin softly, her teeth grazing his skin ever so softly.

As a shiver ran down his spine he pushed her back against the wall, to which she giggled again, the sound oh-so light.

"Sakura, answer the question." He growled at her, his eyes set in a harsh manner, but she either ignored or it didn't bother her as she smiled and giggled softly.

"Don't be like that Sasuke-kun." She spoke softly and her fingers pressed ever so softly on his waist, only the black shirt between her fingers and his skin.

"You should allow yourself to have some fun you know." She mused quietly, her fingers moving over his waist slowly, her head tilted, her eyes being lightened and enhanced by the moon. "You should create your own art, something fleeting and beautiful and perfect." She nodded to herself, as if he wasn't there and then smiled up at him.

"Art is a blast, you know!" his hands tightened painfully on her shoulders, once again, she seemed oblivious to the pain she was supposed to feel. He only knew another person who thought about art that way. Fleeting, beautiful, perfect. Clay and explosions. Art is a blast. It all led to the person he had thought of the moment he saw the clay and felt the explosions. No one else could fit the description better.

"Deidara." He growled darkly, and she looked up at him in wonder, to then grin sheepishly and laugh.

"You found out. That's no fair, it was my secret." She shrugged (as if his hands weren't on her shoulders) and kept laughing softly. "Oh well."

But although no one fit the description so well, he had still hope, deep down, that his assumption was wrong.

"Sasuke-kun." She moaned softly, and it once again caught him off guard. Her hands pressed on his sides and grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer. "Are you mad?" she looked up at him with wide innocent deep sapphire blue eyes, and he still though the shade wasn't right for her, now that he knew, he hated it even more, because if they were a few shades cleared, it would be Deidara's eyes.

"Sasuke-kun?" she questioned, tilting her head, once again, to the side, and the light coming from the window once again enhanced the deep blue sapphires that were her eyes now.

He said nothing, his anger just at bay, his eyes set in a hard and harsh glare as he clenched his jaw, where was Sakura? The girl he knew. Where was she? Because this girl, in front of him wasn't her, couldn't be her. Sakura wasn't like this.

"Sasuke-kun." She moaned again, her voice almost a whisper, her eyes set on his, seemingly undisturbed by the anger and harshness in them. Her voice—the way she moaned his name was making his inner imagine things he didn't want to think of at the moment, not when his anger was barely contained.

She leaned forward again (as if there was no pressure on her shoulders… nonenonenoe) and tiptoed, settling her face next to his, her lips next to his ear, her warm breath fanning over her skin, making another electric shiver run down his spine.

His eyes widened at the words she whispered. This wasn't Sakura, it couldn't be her.

She kissed his neck, the junction between his neck and jaw, just behind his ear.

But her voice was the same, her smell was the same (even after walking thought the inferno, she didn't smell like smoke).

She nipped his jaw, her teeth grazing the skin oh-so-softly, her hands pressing on the sides of his waist like feathers.

Her touch was still electrifying, making shivers run down his spine.

He felt he tongue on his neck, slowly running over the skin she had just kissed.

And he pushed her away, taking a step back from her, her whispered words echoing through his head

"Tell me what you told me at the cliff and I'll let you—" he couldn't even bring himself to let the end of her sentence resonate in his mind. It wasn't Sakura, it couldn't be her.

She giggled again and took small steps towards him, her face and torso being lit by the moonlight, her dark sapphire blue eyes taunting him.

It wasn't her. It wasn't her. It wasn't her.

She smiled at him. Too soft. Too light. Too innocent.

When she reached him, her hands settled on his chest, her fingertips pressing his skin over the shirt oh-so-lightly, her head tilted to the side.

"Please?" it was her. So different, so… not the girl he knew, so… "I won't tell anyone." She tiptoed. "It'll be our secret." She whispered, her lips almost touching his.

"Please?" her voice was too soft, too angelical. "Just once." There was something akin to desperation in her voice, but it was barely perceptible. "Even if you pretend." As her lips were about to touch his, he pushed her back, keeping her at an arm's length.

"Why?" it came out harsher than he'd intended. Or maybe he had intended it to come out so harsh.

She smiled again when she should have had another reaction to his denial.

"Nothing in particular." She shrugged and looked at the side lightly, tilting her head in thought. "Well…" paused, as if reaching some kind of conclusion. "Maybe to see if the difference." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Difference?" he hissed between clenched teeth. She smiled gently, seemingly in her memories while talking to him.

"The difference between the way you and him said the same words." Her smile brightened and his glare intensified.

"Don't compare me to a low class criminal." The moment he finished his sentence, his cheek stung and the sound of her harsh slap echoed through the dark living room.

"I would never compare you to him." Her bubbly mood was gone. His face remained turned to the side as she continued. "You're nothing like him." The way she spoke the words… it was as if he—Akatsuki pyromaniac—was better than him.

"Now get out." Her words were harsher than his as she turned away from him and walked down the hallway towards her room.

"You're nothing like him."

…nothing like him."

…nothing…

"You're…

He vanished through the shadows. He wasn't like him.

Thank for reading, reviews are very very appreciated!!

I hope you all enjoyed, and the last part of the chapter is dedicated to miss.AnoniiemouSe, besides everyone else of course!!

I love you guys soooooooo much, and I'd like it very much if this chapter gets more than a couple of reviews, more than / would be appreciated, even if a short one!!

Anyway, I'll stop blabbering now!!

Love you all very very much, especially my reviewers,

Kimi-chan!!

Oh, oh, by the way, I got a new laptop!! It's so cool, and it smells like new!! I love it soooo much, except for windows vista, but that's just a small detail!! I finally have a qwerty keyboard, and it makes me soooo happy!! And you guys know what? I wrote this whole chapter today, on my dear new Acer laptop!!

Okay… I'll stop with my crazy rambles now…

Oh, one more thing, the Tuxedo Team is the best group of cosplayers ever!! Go check them out on DA, they're like, yeah, the best!!