A/N: I am soooo sorry it took me so long to update!!! I had a serious case of writer's block and I didn't know what to put in this chapter. Please forgive me!!! Thanks to all of you who reviewed in the last chapter, I really appreciate it!!!! Please read and review. Now on with the show!!!!!

screamingcrazyproctorlady

Chapter Eight: Are you sure?

Anko felt the pain inside as Itachi told her he was killing her, for she knew he was right. She'd been dying a little every day as her hope slowly dwindled to nothing. Now, she was a mere shadow of her former self. She was pitiful and pathetic, and she knew it. There was no escape for her, no life. There was only this cell, and the useless figure that inhabited it-her.

Itachi's sharingan eyes bore into her black ones. He could see the pain and self-pity that lay in them. All Anko could see were twin pools of merciless, pitiless hate. There were no other feelings hidden, they were all there, in his eyes. It is said that eyes are the windows to the soul, and at that moment, Anko believed that saying with every fiber of her being.

"Just end it, please," Anko begged in a hoarse whisper. She wanted it to end, this unbearable pain. It was worse than any physical pain she had ever had to endure, and she had endured the worst kind of torture.

"You can be sure of that," Itachi said, his voice was cold and hard. There was no mercy to be found there either. How could one person harbor such hate? Surely the wait of it should rip them to shreds. But Itachi remained whole, remained hateful.

"Why are you doing this," Anko said, her voice was still hoarse, but she had managed to make it something above a whisper.

"Simply because I can," Itachi replied cruelly. She could tell that he meant every word. He was torturing her mind simply because he had the power to do so.

"I just want to know one thing," Anko said, her voice returning to a whisper. Infact, it was barely audible.

"And what is that," Itachi questioned coolly.

"What happened to make you like this? You're full of hatred. You have no mercy, no pity," Anko said, not bothering to block the punch that hit her face. She had known the question would make him angry, but she had to know.

"The path to power is a difficult one." Was all Itachi said. He turned and walked out the cell door. Anko was used to the darkness now, she had come to actually like these moments alone. It meant she could muster up her hope before it was snatched away again. It wouldn't be long, though, before there would be no hope to muster up. When that moment came, she was doomed.

Tsunade stared sadly at the special Jounin on the hospital bed. When Kurenai had arrived with him, they'd had to give him a sedative to calm him down. For once, she didn't know what she was going to do. She couldn't very well let him go home in this state, but she couldn't keep giving him sedatives-he'd never be able to do anything. If only Anko was back, maybe…

"Wait a second," Tsunade said suddenly. Why were they taking Itachi's word for it that Anko was dead? It could've been a genjutsu couldn't it?

"What is it?" Shizune asked. She knew that look. That was the look Tsunade used when she had an idea.

"Itachi could've been using a genjutsu right?" Tsunade said carefully.

"Maybe, but Tsunade…" Shizune trailed off, thinking about Tsunade's statement.

"The one place they didn't search was the Uchiha district!" Tsunade said, snapping her fingers. "No one ever goes there, so no one would ever search there!"

"Are you sure?" Shizune asked her eyes brightening with hope. She had liked Anko. She was the only one, besides Sakura, that ever showed spunk to Tsunade.

"No, I'm not sure! That's why I'm going to go and check it out myself!" Tsunade said excitedly, a look of determination appearing in her eyes.

"When are you going?" Shizune asked, as if she didn't know the answer!

"Now," Tsunade replied, making her way towards the door.

A/N: Okay, that's the end! What do you think? I think that I'm almost done with this fic! I know it's kind of short but… Any way, please review! Thanks again for all of you who have reviewed! I love the fact that you're giving me feedback! I'll try to update soon. Thank you and good night.

screamingcrazyproctorlady