Why Do You Fight For Love?
Well, I'm quite proud of myself, since I'm updating a little more sooner. Probably cause it's Christmas Break though, but I will update as soon as possible during this little tiny break .
Anyways, I hope everyone has enjoyed the sequel thus far. Enough of my blabbering, and… Onto the story!
Oh and btw, song I listened to while typing:
Falling Inside the Black – Skillet
Comatose – Skillet
The Last Night – Skillet
Whispers in the Dark – Skillet
Goodbye – SR-17
Chapter 2: Beginning of Breaking
Sakura and Itachi stopped for a short break near a quietly flowing stream just outside the forest. Sakura sat silently near the bank of the stream, watching the flow of the water. She was aware of Itachi's gaze on her, but she chose to ignore him. They had traveled most of the day in silence, and she wasn't going to be the one to break it.
Itachi was changing, and she was extremely aware of his changed moods. He was becoming increasingly more silent and cold. Had she done something wrong to change him? She felt herself almost believing that theory, even though she most certainly did not want to.
She couldn't possibly think of a reason, even if there was one. Sakura was sure that there wassomething changing Itachi. The real question was: Is he purposely doing this? Could he possibly be preparing himself incase she had to be killed because of her lack of skills? Sakura blinked slowly, realizing that could very well be the reason.
She understood his reason then. Why shouldhe attach himself to her, with the possibility of her death? That could only mean, that if she did live, he would change back to his old self right? It also meant that he may truly believe that she was going to die and he did not believe in her skills.
That last thought made her blood boil. Even if she wasn't as strong as him, it didn't mean he could indirectly criticize her skills. Not everyone could be a prodigy like him. Unlike him, most people had to actually train to reach their potential. She unconsciously clenched both of her fists tightly, staring intently at the flow of the water.
In other words, she assumed he thought she was truly weak. Weak.No matter how much she tried to escape that word, it had always found her. Through all the years of training to become strong, to become a kunoichi, in the end…people thought she was weak. A soft wind blew her hair gently across her face, but she ignored it. No matter what I try to prove, I'm still considered weak. Even in hiseyes.
I've promised myself that I was to become a stronger kunoichi, no matter the cost as long as it protected my precious ones. I wanted to become strong to protect them, instead them protecting me. Even if she wore the Leaf headband proudly on her forehead, she didn't feel that she really accomplished her goal. Sakura unwrapped the headband and placed it in front of her on the ground so close to the bank of the stream that the ends of the headband were flowing along with the stream.
A real kunoichi is strong, yet I am weak. She felt a cold chill throughout her body as she admitted those words. It just proves that I wasn't supposed to be one, and I was supposed to be a normal citizen of Konoha. Sakura lowered her head, bangs hiding her eyes. Sasuke always said he wanted to revive his clan and maybe I would have been better off that way. No danger except just raising his kids to continue the bloodline of the Sharingan.
Of course, he would've had to kill Itachi first. There was no easy life with love. She highly doubted Sasuke would love her either way. He only wanted Itachi dead and his clan revived with no intention of a clan massacre ever occurring again. She understood him, maybe not completely, but she did. He was trying to fill the gap that used to be his family, his normal old family.
Sakura had no idea why Itachi could possibly want to kill his clan. It couldn't just be to test for capabilities. Itachi had to be aware that if Sasuke were to killed, he would have to revive the clan. Yet, he had shown no intentions of trying to revive his clan and she was sure that he was not ever going to.
She barely noticed the Sun beginning to set, casting the trees' shadows over her. If he didn't want to revive the clan, then why would he have asked her to stay? He made it perfectly clear that he could not love anyone. She remembered that day… It was quite depressing, to her opinion, to actually think about it.
She pushed the memory away, closing her eyes to the surroundings. The sound of the water calmly flowing seemed to be relaxing her. Sakura had never really thought about it, but she really did want peace in the end. She let out a small bitter laugh out, shaking her head at such a thought. There was no such thing as peace in this world, just violence and pain.
The thought of no peace felt like a slap across the face. Couldn't she at least, die peaceful? Or was that not even possible? Now that she thought about it, the 3rd Hokage died peaceful by the expression on his face. That small thought gave her a small feeling of hope, even if she highly doubted such a thought.
She let out a weary sigh, and then grabbed her headband. Instead of placing it on her forehead, she reluctantly wrapped it around her arm. Maybe someday… She thought, glancing at her reflection in the stream. She frowned at her appearance, seeing a weary, tired woman instead of the happy, bright girl long ago.
That happy, bright girl is what changed everyone's life just because she chose to enter the life of a shinobi. She had often wondered about that, mostly her past. If Sakura had never especially entered the Chunin exams, she could've have saved Sasuke from Orochimaru. Orochimaru could've moved on after Itachi, and forgotten about Sasuke, right?
She tilted her head to the side slightly, watching her reflection move with her. What's done is done. Sakura finally stood up and walked towards the edge of the forest. She noticed Itachi was waiting for her, closely watching her. She glanced him briefly, before looking away swiftly.
Itachi started walking into the forest, silently showing her to follow him. She obeyed, staying beside him. They walked for the rest of the day until they finally arrived in front of the Akatsuki hideout. There had been silence between them the whole trip. She wanted him to talk, to hear his velvety, smooth voice again.
Finally, she decided to break the silence before entering the small hideout. "…Itachi?" He glanced towards her, stopping beside her. She had his attention; she was ready to talk to him. Sakura felt herself trying to form words, but they just wouldn't come out. "…N-never mind."
Itachi turned towards her, looking as if he had something to say. She felt a tiny speck of hope that he would wish her luck or something. "Haruno, prepare yourself. Try to actually show your potential in this." His icy, cold words sent a small chill up her body. Those words were like a direct blow to her heart.
Sakura bit her lip nervously, trying to hide her pain. Tears threatened to spill, but did not fall. "…Very well, Itachi-san." Her voice was soft, slightly above a whisper. She attempted to hide the pain in her voice, but to no avail. She silently watched Itachi walk inside the stone compound.
Naruto's words came back, louder than ever. Itachi's words seem to merge with them, creating a living hell. The pink haired kunoichi felt nausea hit her strongly as she gripped her stomach in utter pain. I expected too much out of him… She thought dully, trying to keep herself from collapsing.
Even through Itachi's harsh, cruel words, she still heard his gentle ones from long ago.
Itachi didn't respond or move. However, she could feel him still breathing. "Why…?" He answered coldly. This was the village's last chance.
"I'll give you…anything you want if you just leave the village and people w-who live in it, a-alone." She tried to have a steady voice but she was still sobbing. Her strength was draining away quickly, as she felt him breath normally.
"Anything…?" He repeated softly. She was still hugging him, even though her grip was starting to loosen.
"Fine, I will stop. We will talk about this later." She weakly smiled before falling on the ground unconscious.
He had given her the chance, an opportunity, to save the village. Perhaps, he was trying to save the Akatsuki members from a war with Konoha until the time was right for such a thing. The way he had talked to her though, that's what kept her wondering this whole time. Itachi's soft voice could've been harsher and colder, but it wasn't.
I'm thinking too deep into this… Sakura thought, as she started to slowly walk inside the hideout's large oak doors. Memories kept hitting her harder as they came.
Sakura woke up with a jolt. She had just had a nightmare about Sasuke leaving in search of power. The image was stuck in her mind as she started to cry softly. She had forgotten where she was for a split second, but sadly remembered where she was.
"Something wrong…?" Itachi asked, obviously awakened by her. He turned around to face her.
"How would you know?" She asked quietly.
"Hard to miss someone crying out, "Please don't go." Sakura felt more tears flow down her cheeks. He sat up and wiped her tears away.
"I-Itachi…?" He caressed her cheek before laying back down and turning around.
She shivered as another cold chill ran down her spine. The door creaked shut behind her, leaving her in complete darkness. Leaving me in the dark both physically and mentally, how ironic…
She calmed herself and closed her eyes. Sakura could feel his hot breath on her face. "You really should eat, Kunochi." He finally spoke. 'MY NAME IS SAKURA!'
"My name isn't Kunochi. It's Sakura. You wouldn't want me to just call you Akatsuki or –" She stopped as she felt his mouth against hers. She was fighting so hard to resist returning the kiss, but finally gave in. She felt him smirk against her lips.
She broke the kiss and stared at him in confusion. He just stood up and walked away to the door. "W-Why?" She asked him, with a puzzled look on her face. He disappeared and she felt his chakra signature behind her.
"I just wanted to see what my bait tasted like, Cherry Blossom." He whispered in her ear. She blushed slightly and turned around to see he wasn't there anymore.
Suddenly, the room brightened up causing Sakura to shield her eyes from the drastic change of lighting with her hands. The light faded to a dim glow, casting the shadow of a silhouette down the center of the room. Sakura dropped in hands in astonishment, feeling numbing fear flow through her body."Haruno Sakura, I presume?" She slightly nodded, dazed by his soft, demanding voice. He turned slightly to the left, tilting his head. "Uchiha Itachi, do you recommend her for the role of an Akatsuki member and medic?" Itachi stepped out from the right shadowed section of the room, carefully making his way towards Sakura.
"Leader-sama, I advise you to test her abilities. I am not authorized to tell whether she is fit for a spot among our ranks." Itachi softly stated, watching Leader-sama cautiously. Leader-sama nodded, agreeing with his fellow member.
"I see…and exactly who would be the one to test her skills?" His voice turn deadly calm, making her unconsciously shiver. Itachi remained silent. They stood their in silence. The silence was causing Sakura to feel more vulnerable by the minute.
"Very well, Itachi. I shall test her myself since you have decided to not answer my question." Leader-sama coldly remarked before walking past Itachi and towards Sakura. She couldn't help but gaze at Leader in complete fear and anticipation.
Leader stopped a few feet away, carefully analyzing her. She felt self-conscious under his gaze causing her to lower her head until her bangs shadowed her eyes. "Haruno Sakura, look up." Sakura immediately did so, and gazed at him cautiously, her senses overwhelmed with fear.
"Haruno-san, I am going to put your skills to the test. Unless you are not aware already, you will die if you do not exceed our expectations." She nodded dully, waiting for the worst.
Itachi walked over to stand near Sakura. His intense gaze set on Leader, watching him intently. Leader-sama gracefully walked over to stand in front of them both. "Are you ready, Haruno-san?" Sakura blinked at him, choosing to remain silent.
"We shall begin then." Leader-sama made hand seals before she could even blink, and then punched Itachi in the stomach. She gasped, watching in horror as Itachi grunted then fell to the ground onto his side. Sakura raced over to his side, about to heal when her instinct told her to stop. She placed a hand on his stomach carefully, and then removed it.
"It's a shadow clone…" She murmured aloud, standing up.
"How observant." Leader-sama commented. She heard quiet footsteps behind her and turned around to see Itachi walking towards them both. Sakura sensed that this was the real Itachi since the more accurate chakra signature. Resisting sighing in relief, she turned back to Leader.
Sakura couldn't help but feel a little more confident. I thought I was going to fail because I was so scared. It turns out; I do better under such circumstances.
"Haruno-san, I shall test your abilities later. I have more pressing business to attend to. You are dismissed." Sakura turn around, hearing the door creak open. She noticed Deidara, Kisame, and Sasori filing through into the room.
Sakura felt a warm hand on her shoulder, guessing it was Itachi. Turning her head slightly, seeing she was right. Itachi started walking towards a door down another dim lighted hallway, with her slowly walking after him. Itachi opened the door with her entering right after him.
The room revealed a bedroom with no windows at all. It contained one bed, which didn't exactly please Sakura at the moment. Sakura noticed a small black couch across from the bed, letting out a weary sigh.
Sakura took of her sandals before collapsing on the couch. She couldn't believe she had survived today; it seemed impossible. Itachi crawled under the covers after taking his cloak and sandals off, not bothering to look at her. Sakura narrowed her eyes dangerously, feeling betrayal and pain course through her body. "Why are you even here?" She whispered softly, watching his barely moving figure.
"You are to be guarded. You are not trusted here yet." Itachi spoke coldly, deadly. Sakura shivered, feeling cold regret hit her like an icy wave. She should've never made that promise back in the village when the Akatsuki attacked. What an idiot she was, to say she would do anythingif they leaved the village alone and unharmed.
"I'm still not trusted, huh?" She asked bitterly, feeling her anger flare. Itachi didn't respond. Sakura knew he wasn't asleep; he was just waiting for her to sleep. "What the hell is your problem, Itachi?!" She growled, completely pissed with his distant, cold attitude.
"Haruno, you should sleep." Itachi stated smoothly, ignoring her question altogether. She turned around to face the couch instead, refusing to sleep.
"You should have a better attitude." She retorted harshly, closing her eyes. Even though she didn't want to sleep, she knew better. If she wanted to live through the test and pass, she needed to rest. Sakura reluctantly obeyed his direct command and fell asleep.
Itachi heard her breathing slow and soften, sighing in annoyance. Sakura was becoming more than a weakness, an annoyance as well. Leader-sama seemed to like Sakura's abilities so far, which pleased and disappointed him. Sakura may believe she is strong, but to be in the Akatsuki, you must become even stronger than her current level. Did Leader-sama realize something about her that he didn't?
He thought Sakura would understand that they were not meant to be attached. Is that what Leader-sama had found out about? He must have, because he wouldn't have used such an easy test on anyone. Even Sakura could've been able to tell a shadow clone from the real person. What could Leader possibly be planning?
Itachi didn't think much of it, as he felt the darkness of sleep bearing down on him. He thought what he was doing would actually save Sakura.Can I be wrong? Itachi thought drowsily, before being taken over by sleep.
Sasuke carefully watched the giant gates of Konoha with Orochimaru and Kabuto beside him. Only two guards were on post. Sasuke noticed Orochimaru smirking darkly, and shuddered at whatever his master could possibly be thinking.
Kabuto disappeared in an instant; the next second both guards were unconscious. "Good work, Kabuto." Orochimaru commented, dropping to the ground with Sasuke following him. Kabuto nodded, walking into the village quietly. Orochimaru took the lead with his two companions behind him.
Something seemed wrong as soon as they started down the street towards the Hokage tower. Even if it was past midnight, there should be at least guards and ANBU guarding the village. Where were all the guards?
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, watching the unusually quiet village cautiously. They arrived at Hokage Tower, which also did not have any guards at the door. "Where could everyone be?" Sasuke whispered aloud. He heard Orochimaru give a small dark cackle.
"They are all at Tsuande's funeral." Orochimaru explained, waiting for Kabuto to open the door.
"This late at night?" Orochimaru simply nodded, not bothering to explain anymore.
"Sasuke-kun, many people came for Tsunade's funeral. After the funeral, they will need to leave immediately. They cannot stay the night, especially after we attacked this village." Kabuto nonchalantly said, acting as if nothing really happened.
"How did you know that they were going to have a funeral so late?" Sasuke asked curiously, narrowing his eyes on the other two nin.
"We have our sources, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru continued to walk down the unlighted hallway. Sasuke merely shrugged. He just wanted to finish his goal of capturing Itachi and finally killing him.
"Orochimaru, how exactly are we going to capture Itachi?" Kabuto asked curiously, following his master down the dark narrow hallway. Orochimaru simply smirked darkly, ignoring the growing pain in his arms.
"Everything starts in Konoha, Kabuto. It will just be a matter of time." Sasuke stared at Orochimaru with wide eyes. They climbed the stairs to the Hokage's office and entered with bothering to knock.
"O-oh my!" Orochimaru merely smirked at the Hyuuga girl's reaction to their arrival.
"Hinata, what are you doing here?" Sasuke asked curiously, watching as she stared at them in fear. She began to shake in fear as she watched Orochimaru approach her.
"…" Hinata didn't speak, simply watched Orochimaru. Suddenly, Orochimaru's tongue shot out and wrapped around Hinata's neck, lifting her up in the air. Sasuke resisted the urge to flinch at hearing Hinata's ear-splitting screams. Hinata struggled with his choking grip, and then started to lose consciousness.
Orochimaru nonchalantly released his grip, throwing Hinata's limp growing body out the window, onto the street. Sasuke looked away, trying to ignore the sickening thud that filled the room.
Orochimaru withdrew his tongue into his mouth. "That should get their attention. Prepare yourself boys, we're about to cause such an uproar in this village that the news will spread all over the fives countries. Kabuto, if you could be so kind as to summon our forces into this room." Kabuto nodded, and exited the room.
"Sasuke-kun, we will catch Itachi. This plan will work, just watch it unfold, justfight and kill." Sasuke shivered at the thought of killing all of the people he once knew. Is this really the only way to capture Itachi and Sakura? He thought bleakly, sighing. He noticed Kabuto walk in and smirk.
"My lord, the forces are here and are ready to attack at your command." Kabuto continued to smirk, leaving Sasuke glaring at Kabuto.
"Let them attack. The attack on the Leaf…begins."
Well, I said I was going to write a long chapter. I didn't think I could write an extremely long chapter like this! What did you guys think of this looong chapter, lol? Hope you liked it :). Merry Christmas! You'll get another chapter for both of my stories for Christmas!
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