A/N: Hello again. Here's chapter 5 for you. There's plenty of action, and crazy emotional roller-coaster like things! Warnings? Oh, yeah. Like I said, there's the emotional thing, there's also the second half of the little lemony thing in this chapter. Blood, mild language, and lots of angst and disturbed Sakura. Ohter than that, I would say the only things you need to watch out for are the crazy bits of fight-scene I have in there. I'm not very good at writing action, but you'll get the picture. Oh. I have one thing to say other than all that. Because of this story, I don't really like Itachi that much anymore. But then again, it was all my doing, so I guess that would make me the sadistic one, right?

Legal Stuffiness: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.

Time: 3 years after Sauke's departure, six months after Gaara retrieval misson

Place: On a mountain top, in the middle of nowhere, Lightening Country

Dog days

Last time...

She was kunoichi. Kunoichi had to seduce men all of the time on missions. But Sakura had never even been intimate on normal terms. Never, with anyone, let alone with Itachi, mass murderer, and a man who had kidnapped her and turned her into some strange version of a bondage fantasy doll. She tried to think of it as a mission, a means to an end. But now, so close to losing the only thing that was really hers to give freely, she was truly frightened. Her eyes tried to close again, but Itachi leaned down and bit her neck. "What did I say? Look at me." She did, and she felt the warmth moving again, ever so slowly. How could she want this and fear it at the same time? He was teasing her, drawing out her anxiety. It was driving her mad. Finally, she'd had enough.

"Master," she panted, for her breathing had sped up nearly to the point of hyperventilation, "Please…" Her tone was pleading, and of course, he found it amusing.

Just like when he had given her that first 'treat,' he growled seductively next to her ear, "Please what? Stop? Continue?"

Chapter 5: Waking From the Dream

Naruto looked around. Sakura's chakra field had disappeared. Did that mean that she was hurt? Suddenly in a panic, he doubled his pace. "Naruto, slow down. If there's a fight waiting for us up there, then we need to be able to fight it." Kakashi said from behind him. He turned around and cocked his head sarcastically to one side, as if to say he would be just fine. "Fair enough, stamina freak." Naruto snorted, and dropped back to his former speed. He knew that the older man could keep up well enough, but he knew as well that if Kakashi were in the least winded, it might end very badly. Both of them needed to be able to fight.

They were only a hundred meters from the summit, now. Naruto's breath caught in his throat. "Did you feel that, Kakashi?" The other man nodded. Any shinobi worth their hitae-ate would be able to feel the immense amount of chakra spiking to levels that were not supposed to come from anyone but maybe Naruto or Gaara. It was Sakura's chakra, he knew, but he had no idea that she had so much. What could have her producing that much chakra? It was laced with something…desperation, maybe? Or fear? Both, probably. But there was something else, too, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was.

"Have you ever felt anything like that?" Naruto's eyes narrowed behind the snarling face of his mask, and he glanced back at his fellow ANBU.

"Only once." Kakashi didn't elaborate, but his voice sounded worried.

"What do you think is going on up there?" Naruto asked quietely as they continued to climb the rock face. He really didn't want to know, but he had a feeling that Kakashi knew, and in a way, he was sure that it would be easier if he had some warning.

"Nothing we want to see, Naruto."

"What do you mean?" Even though he asked the question, he was pretty sure he knew what Kakashi meant. There was an image now floating though his mind, and it was very difficult for him to reconcile himself with. No. He had to be wrong. Naruto shook his head. "No, you're lying, or something." They were coming to the summit, now, only a few more meters…

Just before Naruto got to the top, Kakashi stopped him for just a moment. "Naruto, the only time I have ever felt that kind of chakra spike was when I…You remember that picture in my apartment, of me and my old genin team?" Naruto nodded. "The girl in the picture, Rin, was my first girlfriend. We loved each other. Just before she died, we made love, and that was what it felt like. Only a medic-nin can produce that kind of chakra, and only in one situation. I know that from experience." His voice had grown cold. As he looked at his sensei, Naruto could see the tension in the other man's shoulders, and he knew that Kakashi was telling the truth, but he just didn't want to believe it. Sakura, his teammate, and the girl he still harbored more than a crush for, could not possibly…Naruto blocked out the image that threatened to come forward again. They had to get there, and fast.

"Well, I'm not gonna like what I see, if it has anything to do with Akatsuki, I know that. But I would be happier if she were being tortured." Not really, but Naruto thought Kakashi understood what he was talking about. The older man nodded, and they pushed themselves up to the rocky summit of the mountain.

Sasuke's face was burning. He did not feel what he thought he did. Kami-sama, please don't let them be doing that…And why would Sakura have sex with Itachi, anyway? His brother definitely wasn't the type of man he thought Sakura would be with. She really didn't seem like Itachi's type, either. Then again, he hadn't been around his brother in quite a while, so he couldn't say with any amount of confidence what his type was, exactly. What he did know was that he was going to kill the bastard, even if he was in the middle of screwing Sakura. That thought was bugging him as he pulled himself to the top of a boulder and tried to find a handhold to get further up the side of the mountain.

Sakura…sex…Itachi…sex…

No.

Just…no. That could not happen. And, if it was happening already, then he would stop it. Sakura was not that kind of girl, and he knew it. He knew that at the core of himself. She would not do that, not willingly. So, he pushed himself. Sasuke pushed himself harder than he ever had with Orochimaru, Kabuto, or even with Naruto. He was going to stop his brother from taking Sakura. He had to.

"S…St…" She couldn't get the word out. It wouldn't leave her lips. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her, or the way her body was rebelling against her will. It could also be the way one of his hands held her down while the other was fondling any bit of skin it could find, but she wasn't really thinking about any of that right now. What she was thinking was: Get your asses up here! Impatience was her main emotion. He had not moved since he asked her if he should continue. That hard warmth pressing against her leg was still poised to take that one small part of herself that was still innocent, and she was so frightened that she could barely breathe.

"Sakura, look at me." Itachi's deep voice rumbled forth, caressing her skin, causing a tingling wave of goose bumps to move over her body. Her eyes snapped back to his face, for they had begun to wander to the rocks, the scrubby trees, anything but him. Itachi was staring down at her, eyes clouded with raw desire and a need so fierce that she could only stare. She nearly squeaked when she saw this. "Do you want me?" She didn't want to answer him, because she couldn't lie. If she answered him, she knew what would happen. She knew that if she answered, she would no longer be herself. There would be no turning back. Then, after a short moment of realizing her position, and his, she came to the conclusion that there already was no turning back.

"Yes."

"Then why ask me to stop?" He didn't wait for an answer. Itachi leaned down and kissed her, which seemed more of an assault than a kiss, drowning out all thoughts of anything but him. Familiar tingles moved through her, and she felt him use just a little chakra to heighten that feeling. It was like a fire was lit inside her. His body settled atop hers and she felt a dull pain as he sank into her slowly, a pain which he quickly eased with more chakra and another kiss. She cried out, and then she couldn't breathe. Tears formed in her eyes, and rolled down her cheeks, and as he released her wrists, her hands flew up to clutch at his shirt. The pain intensified after a moment, even through the haze created by the chakra he used. His movements were slow and almost gentle, but she still couldn't help feeling that he was hurting her far worse than any weapon ever could.

Then, suddenly, the pain was gone. Replacing it was pleasure, in proportions greater than anything she'd felt before from him. Still weeping, she cried out again, and then whimpered as another wave of unwanted ecstasy hit her. With every movement of Itachi's body, she gave a sharp intake of breath, only to be released as a strangled cry or moan. It wasn't right for her to enjoy being taken by this man. He was a murderer. He was everything that was wrong with the world. He was Itachi. Then, if it wasn't right, why did she feel the way she did? Was it the collar? That must be it. That must be why she writhed beneath Itachi, arched into his hands as he touched her, and returned his kisses with equal force and passion.

Her wandering thoughts were cut short when she suddenly found Itachi's weight being forcefully lifted from her body. The relief she felt was total, and it made her shudder and cry out. Blinking, she looked around, and found that Itachi was being yanked up off of the ground by his younger brother. "Sasuke…" she breathed, huddling in on herself and rocking forward and back, her head clutched in her hands. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she sobbed until her throat was raw, wishing that her tears could wash away what had just happened.

"Bastard…" Sasuke growled. "What have you done?" His eyes were blood red, his Sharingan now fully developed. He held his brother's shirt with one hand, and the Chidori with the other, poised before Itachi's face. The lightening-like chakra enveloped not only his hand, but his entire forearm. With a smirk, elder Uchiha righted his clothing casually. Itachi seemed completely at ease. He didn't care about the nimbus of angry chakra that surrounded Sasuke. This only seemed to enrage the younger brother further, as his eyes narrowed at him.

"Nothing she didn't want me to do." Sakura could hear the smirk in Itachi's voice as he answered Sasuke.

"It sure as hell doesn't look like she wanted it." Sasuke's eyes strayed to where Sakura hugged her knees as tightly as possible. His voice lowered to a dangerous growl. "You hurt her, Itachi. I won't let you do it again." He lashed out with the Chidori, but Itachi dodged it, then stumbled back only a pace, catching himself.

"Ignorant boy. You will die here, and Sakura will come back with me, my obedient pet." Itachi smiled down at Sakura, who had ventured a glance up at him, but she soon looked quickly away, the smirk on his lips telling her what was in store for her later. Her mind reeled violently at the thought of what she had been unable to stop him from doing to her; at what she had allowed him to do, and helped him do. Her stomach lurched, and she released her knees just before she emptied her stomach onto the rocky ground.

"No. She won't." Sakura's eyes widened in complete shock at the voice she heard. Familiar, yet lower, with a hint of a growl behind it, she nearly jumped for joy when that voice rang out over the rocky mountain summit. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she turned her head to see…two ANBU? Her confusion was profound, until the shorter ANBU spoke again. "Sakura-chan, back away from them." Naruto? ANBU? She tried to make sense of it, but was unable to. Her body was still recovering from…no. She wouldn't think about that. Naruto took a step forward, pulling two kodaichi from his back. His tone became steely. "I said back away, Sakura. Now." Shakily, Sakura got to her feet, and backed away as far as she could without pulling the chain taught.

"Where are you going, Sakura?" Itachi said in a honeyed voice that caused Sakura's stomach to clench in fear.

"I…" She felt his irritation flare, and then she collapsed to the ground, stabbing pain searing every nerve in her body. Screams tore their way from her throat. This was unlike any pain he had given her before. It did not subside, and it was total, complete agony. Nothing she'd experienced in the pain amplifier or the trial room could have prepared her for this. All she wanted was for it to stop. Sakura did not care what had to happen fto make the pain go away. She would do anything. She would go with Itachi, she would be his forever. If only it would stop. Just make it stop… Her eyes squeezed shut, and she curled into a fetal position, shaking and unable to scream anymore.

Naruto's eyes narrowed behind his mask. What had been going on before he got up here? That chakra spike had ended suddenly, so he had hope that she had not sufferend too much. But Sakura was now crying out in pain on the ground, and he was powerless to stop it. He could see the chakra flowing through the leash that Itachi used to hold her, and it didn't take but a fraction of a second for him to realize what was going on. They had to get that collar off of her. Or, just cut off Itachi's hand. In your dreams, kid. Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why did the Kyuubi choose the most inopportune moments to pop up? Don't insult me, brat. Life is a dream, and you only wake up after death. I'm young yet, so don't do anything that'll get your ass killed. At least not until I can get the hell out of your gut. I'm not ready to wake up yet. Interesting sentiment, but he didn't have time to think about it just now.

Hefting the kodaichi in his hands, he stepped toward Itachi, just as Kakashi teleported over to where Sakura lay.

Sasuke only watched the ANBU fighting his brother for a moment. His chakra was familiar, and Sasuke smiled as he pushed him out of the way before his brother could touch him. In the same motion, Sasuke spun toward Itachi, reached out with his other hand, and disarmed him. "You're getting slow in your old age, brother." Katana in hand, he reached for the chain that led from Itachi to Sakura. All of these movements were very fast, and he knew that no one without the Sharingan would be able to see them. Itachi moved just before he could take hold of the chain. He had also seen the chakra that was causing Sakura such great pain, and had plans to relieve her suffering.

The young ANBU ripped off his mask and the bandanna over his hair, revealing a face he knew well. Stuffing both behind his belt, the young man groused, "Do you mind, teme? I was just helping out." It was good to see his friend, but now was not the time for their playful bickering. He had to deal with his brother, and quickly before Sakura was killed.

Sasuke chuckled. "Arigato, dobe, but he's mine. Take care of Sakura." His eyes latched onto his brother again, who sent a stream of chakra through the chain to Sakura and she started screaming again.

Kakashi held Sakura's head between his knees as Naruto tried to keep her body still. He had noticed the same thing that Sasuke and Naruto had. The collar was the key. They had to take it off of her. He fumbled with it, searching for the clasp. It seemed like only a solid chain. "Naruto, take a look at this thing, will you?" They switched positions, and Naruto squinted at the collar as he leaned over Sakura's face. Kakashi watched him with anxiety. The boy was good with puzzles. It didn't matter if they were jigsaw puzzles or three-dimensional representations of the chakra pathways in a human body. If there was a problem, he could find it, and he didn't need a bloodline limit to do it. This ability was born of years of having to do things the hard way. Kakashi had put Naruto through a test of his own, just to see if he thought the boy would be able to pass the ANBU exam. He had exceeded all of his expectations.

Rolling the links between his fingers while he closed his eyes, Naruto seemed to be feeling for differences in the many linkages in the chain that surrounded her neck. Nimble fingers moved over each of the links in turn, and then he stopped, one eyebrow quirked. "Yatta!" He said quietly, and opened his eyes. He pushed with one finger, pulled with two more, and the clasp came undone. The collar fell away from Sakura's neck, and she stopped writhing in pain, but only lay there, panting. After a moment, her eyes opened. "Ohayo, Sakura-chan." Naruto said this quietly as he smiled down at her.

"Naruto!" Tears streamed from her eyes as she sat up stiffly and then got onto her knees and threw her arms around his neck. Her entire body shook, and she sobbed, "I thought I was never going to see you again!" Then, she collapsed into his arms, falling into a fit of sobs that made both Kakashi and Naruto worry. Kakashi watched as Naruto gently closed the front of Sakura's shirt, zipping it. Then, he took the tattered remains of her undergarments and tied them together as best he could, giving her some kind of covering.

Kakashi looked at Naruto's face. The younger man's lips compressed into a thin line. He had an idea of what the boy was thinking, but didn't voice his opinion. As Naruto held her close to him and rocked slowly forward and back, he whispered soothing words to her. The sight sent a stab of pain through him. Kakashi felt he shouldn't be watching this. The moment was far too intimate and private for observation. So, he turned his attention back to the fight between the two Uchiha.

They were hurling every jutsu known to man at one another. Nothing was making a dent in either man's defense. After what seemed like a very long time indeed, the two backed off from one another. Sasuke's face was contorted in rage, and he kept muttering things about how he would never let Itachi hurt Sakura or anyone else he cared about, ever again. "You killed our entire family, then you start in on my friends…what are you trying to do? Turn me into you?" The young man's voice rose in a shout that made his voice crack. "I'll never be like you! Never. It ends here, Itachi. You will never, ever touch any of my friends again."

"Especially not her, right, little brother?" Kakashi could see the man smirking, and the amusement in his eyes. "Why do you care? She's just someone you left behind, isn't she? Not worthy of your attention, was she? Now, you're so concerned…if I didn't know any better, I would say you were jealous." Itachi smirked mockingly as he hefted his kunai, a then a smile slid over his face. A light of realization entered his red eyes and he began to laugh. "Oh, this is rich. Has that little block of ice you call a heart finally thawed, little one?"

Sasuke attacked again, a near scream of rage ripping through the air, and was repelled. Even with the superior weapon and years of training for this very moment, he still seemed to be far below Itachi's level. He backed off again, panting, and holding a shallow wound on his left forearm. He glared at his brother. "At least I have a heart." There was, of course, no reaction from Itachi. Sooner ask a stone to bleed. Ignoring the blood that now dripped from his arm, he fell into a fighting stance again. Tilting his head to one side and regarding his brother, he asked, "Shall we end this?" Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath.

Itachi nodded, smiling. "Hai. It's high time I killed you. The clan didn't deserve to continue, after all, it seems." Itachi's smile widened, and then Sasuke opened his eyes. The Sharingan was gone from them. Why? Kakashi did not understand his reasoning, if he had any. Whatever it was, his face and his chakra were both completely calm. This was a completely different young man than the avenger he had known for years. He was, it seemed, completely at peace.

"Come, Itachi." Sasuke's voice was placid, and he seemed as if he was prepared for whatever may come. The elder rushed at the younger, and in a matter of seconds, blades flashed, and blood flew through the air, the brothers landing in a heap on the ground, with no way of knowing which one was alive and which dead, if not both. Slowly, Kakashi got to his feet. He walked over to where they lay on the ground. Itachi lay atop Sasuke, and now that he stood over them, Kakashi could see that the katana had pierced his heart, for it was protruding from his back in precisely the spot for just that. He used the toe of his shoe to kick the now-deceased Missing-nin off of his former student.

Sasuke lay on the ground, a kunai sticking out of his side, breathing raggedly. It had pierced his lung. Kakashi knelt beside him, and pulled back his mask. "Hey, kid. You did good. Want some help?" Sasuke nodded with a wry smile, which was returned by the Copy-nin, though the boy did not see it. "This is gonna hurt like hell. Get ready." He pulled out the kunai, and then force-healded the damage. It was messy, but it would hold until a medic could get to him. He helped the boy to his feet. "How do you feel?"

"Like shit. I don't ever want you healing me again." Kakashi lifted his eyebrow, and then grabbed Sasuke's bangs and dragged him over to where Naruto held Sakura.

Naruto watched as Sasuke was being dragged. It was, in a way, a very gratifying sight. When Kakashi had Sasuke close enough, Naruto reached out and pulled him down to where he could see Sakura's face. She was now fully aware, and was looking timidly around. "I believe you two know each other?" Naruto's voice was low and calm, though he was obviously far from at ease.

"Hi, Sakura." Sasuke said, and reached out to touch her, but she flinched away, and buried her face in Naruto's chest. From the pained expression on Sasuke's face, he was not happy with her reaction to him. Naruto stood, holding Sakura in his arms.

"I'll take her back to the village. Why don't you guys dispose of that trash?" He gestured to the body lying on the ground. Kakashi nodded, and Sasuke looked like he wanted to come with him, but merely bit his lip and turned back to where his brother lay.

Ten teleportation jutsus later, Naruto was standing in front of Konoha Hospital, holding Sakura in his arms, and slipping his ANBU mask back down over his face. He entered the doors of the hospital, and cried in a very hoarse voice, "Medic! I need a medic!" Three medic-nin came rushing forward, one of which was Shizune. He handed her over, and told them that she was probably in shock, then collapsed from exhaustion himself. The last thing he saw was Shizune pulling the mask from his face.

Three days later…

Sakura stood in the Hokage's office. Tsunade was fiddling with papers, and not looking at her. "Tsunade-sama?" The older woman completely ignored her. Raising her voice to a rather sharp pitch, she said, "Hokage-sama!" Finally, the woman gave her some measure of attention. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. I have decided that you should take some time off. Rest is what you need right now." Sakura was actually relieved to hear Tsunade say this. She had been about to ask for some leave time. "However, I am aware of some of the unusual behaviors that you have been displaying, so I'm going to assign someone to keep an eye on you."

Her jaw fell open as she stared at the woman behind the desk. Then, anger started to rise. "I don't need a babysitter! All I need is some peace and quiet, and—"

"No arguments, Sakura. And no training, either. When I say relaxation, I mean it." Tsunade smirked as Sakura's hands balled into fists at her sides. "Now, why don't we meet your babysitter?" A side door to the office opened, and in walked…Sasuke? He looked questioningly at the Hokage, and she nodded. "Take Sakura home, Sasuke. I want you to keep a close eye on her. Don't let her out of your sight." Sakura fumed.

Taking the three steps up to the desk, she slammed her hands down on the wooden surface, causing papers to jump from the desk and fall to the floor. Tsunade winced. "Why am I being treated like a child? Or worse! Why am I being treated like I went with Itachi of my own free will? I did not. I was taken by force!" She was now leaning over the older woman's desk, and Tsunade was pressed back into her chair to put distance between herself and her student. Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Sasuke. She jerked herself away from him and took hold of his hand, then twisted his arm violently behind his back, shoving him forward. "Don't touch me."

Sasuke, now pressed tightly against the back wall of the office, said, "Hai, Sakura. Could you let me go? That sort of hurts." Reluctantly, she released him, and he worked his shoulder, trying to ease the pain. She glared at him with every ounce of annoyance she could muster, and not a little anger. "Sakura, please. I'm only following orders."

Huffing, Sakura crossed her arms under her breasts, and said, "Fine. But my parents don't like you. They won't let you in the house."

"Then you can stay with me. I'll have to clean up a little, since the place is still a little dusty, but it's livable." Sakura wasn't sure how she felt about that. Staying in the same house that Itachi grew up in did not seem like a pleasant thought. He seemed to notice her wariness, and he turned to Tsunade. "Hokage-sama, I request that Uzumaki Naruto also be assigned to take care of her." Sakura could see his frown, even from the angle she stood at. "She seems to trust him more." His request was granted, and the two of them left the office. Sakura was glad that she would have Naruto there. Even if he was reckless at times, she felt safe around him. That was not something she could say for being around Sasuke.

"Sakura, can you wait outside?" Sasuke asked as he stepped into Naruto's apartment. She nodded curtly, and settled herself against the wall to wait. He was worried about her. Since she was released from the hospital, Sakura had been behaving strangely. If she came within six feet of any man, she became stiff and hostile, and she seemed to like playing with matches. If her preoccupation with fire seemed strange, it was nothing compared to the fact that she now wore a very collar-like necklace. Why? Had she gotten used to it? His musings were interrupted when Naruto spoke.

"What is it teme?" Naruto flopped down on the couch.

"The Hokage has a job for us." Naruto sat up straight, and Sasuke continued. "We're supposed to keep an eye on Sakura. Her parents won't let me in the house, so we'll be staying at my place. You'll be in Itachi's old room, I'll be in mine, and Sakura will be in the guest room between us. Earlier, Tsunade-sama said I should watch for signs of mental fatigue, stress, and trauma." Naruto nodded.

Scratching his head, Naruto said, "Well, I don't like babysitting, but if it's to help Sakura-chan, I'll do it. How is she?"

Sasuke rubbed his shoulder, "Aggressive."

Naruto chuckled. "What did you do?"

"I touched her."

Shaking his head, the blonde shinobi laughed. "That's a big mistake. It's going to take a long time for her to trust anybody again. You more than anyone, because of what you did, and because you look too damned much like your brother." Sasuke nearly flinched at that. He knew that the part about leaving the village and knocking her out was justified, but it still hurt, and he didn't want to be constantly paying for the fact that he bore a striking resemblance to Itachi. Naruto seemed to sense this. "Cut your hair, teme. That should solve the resemblance issue."

"A haircut I can deal with." There had to be something he could do to make her trust him. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Wait a minute. She trusts you, Naruto. Why?"

Shrugging, Naruto said, "I guess she just likes me better." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "She said she feel's safe with me, Sasuke." It was Naruto, after all. It was difficult not to feel safe around him. He just made it seem like he wouldn't let anything bad happen to anyone he cared about. That made more sense than 'she just likes me better'. But with Sasuke, it was different. He was not safe. He had been the person she'd loved for most of her life. He had no idea if she still did, and he stomped down any hopes that she might, just to be safe. Pushing those thoughts aside, he told Naruto to be at his house in a couple of hours, after he packed his things, then he rose and left the apartment.

"Took you long enough." Sakura huffed, then turned without another word and started for the stairs.

"Sakura, wait." She did not, and he caught up to her, and followed her down the stairs, careful not to touch her. The last thing he wanted was a dislocated shoulder, or a broken arm. They walked in silence all the way to her house, and when she turned to tell him to wait outside, but he simply sat on the ground near the door and said nothing. After Sakura had gone into the house, Sasuke leaned against the outer wall of the house, looking up at the sky.

The clouds were thin and wispy, and looked to be very high in the sky. He breathed deeply, taking in the mid-morning air. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. I hate when Itachi is right. What, pray tell, was Itachi right about? It certainly hadn't been his assertion that Sasuke's heart was a block of ice. Nothing could be further from the truth. It wasn't a little frozen bit of flesh that beats out of necessity only. Right at this very moment, Sasuke had a very human and vulnerable feeling in the upper left-hand portion of his chest. He felt like a piece of himself was being ripped away. What he had been right about was Sakura. He didn't want anyone he cared about to be hurt. Especially her. Watching the clouds float past, ignorant of everything that was going on far below them, he smiled faintly.

He really hated it when his brother was right. Sasuke was well aware that the only reason he'd been able to kill his brother was because of the enormous amount of energy he felt, springing from a single fact: he had to protect Sakura. In the end, he had decided that he would not use the Sharingan. If he was to kill Itachi, he would not sully his family's bloodline limit to do it. He had made sure that Itachi could never hurt her again. Looking down from the clouds at his hands, he wondered briefly what his life would have been like had Itachi not lusted after power. Would he be the same person, only less angry and bitter? Would his hands still carry the same scars, the same calluses? Identity was a powerful thing. Since he had fulfilled part of his life's ambition, he now would have to re-invent his identity, to turn himself into someone who could be worthy of leading the revival of a clan. Uchiha Sasuke, the avenger, had to die. He must be reborn.

Identity. Sasuke's eyes widened suddenly in realization. That was the key. Sakura's problem wasn't trust, but identity. She was wearing the collar necklace because of the identity that was forced on her by Itachi. If the ANBU investigators were correct, the jutsu that the collar and leash were impregnated with caused the identity of the leash holder to be forced onto the person wearing the collar. It was like they were two halves of the same person, with different personality traits. If loss of her own identity was the case, then how was she supposed to function? How was he? Neither of them were in a good place. They both had to re-invent themselves. He knew needed help, and he could think of only one person that could give it to him. He needed to talk to Kakashi.

Just then, the door opened, and Sakura came out, holding a duffel. He stood up, and started walking, not waiting for her to catch up or say anything. After a momentary pause, he heard her footsteps, and then saw her from the corner of his eye, walking beside him. "Sakura?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry I touched you earlier." He said this quietly, in a neutral tone, so that he didn't sound depressed or sullen. Which, he supposed he was a little of both at the moment.

"Sasuke…" she paused, trying to find words to form her thoughts. "I didn't mean it that way, it's just that—"

"You see my brother when you look at me, don't you?" He asked suddenly, turning to look at her. She looked away quickly when he said that, but nodded. "Sakura, look at me." She looked at him, her green eyes catching the light of the sun, and blazing like flames. Ignoring how his breath caught at the sight, he said, "Who am I?"

She seemed confused. "Uchiha Sasuke." Her voice came out slowly, as if unsure of what he was getting at.

"No, I mean, who am I now? I got my revenge. So what the hell am I supposed to do now? I have no idea. I'm not going near that snake bastard again, that's all I know for sure. So tell me, what do I do?" This only seemed to confuse her more. Sasuke reached out and ran a finger over the necklace that clung tightly to her neck, and then looked directly into her eyes. "What will you do now, Sakura?" She seemed too confused to flinch away from him. Sasuke sighed. "I suppose that's something to think of later. Come on. I'll get you settled into a room, and then we can hunt down some lunch."

Sakura sat at the bar of Ichiraku's with Sasuke. Why had he picked ramen? And for the love of all that is holy, why was he eating like Naruto? All she could do was stare, right along with the owner of the ramen bar; at the rather undignified way that Sasuke was slurping his noodles. Her own ramen was getting cold, but she was mesmerized. He glanced over at her. "What?" He asked after he finished slurping up a rather long noodle, broth dripping down his chin. He wiped it away with his napkin.

"Oh, nothing." She poked at her ramen for a moment. Then, she turned to him and said incredulously, "What's wrong with you?" When he furrowed his brows in confusion, she pointed at his bowl, which was more than half empty, as if to ask when he hadstarted channeling Naruto.

"Oh. Um, I was wondering why he eats so fast, so I decided to try it to see what it was like." Sasuke smiled sheepishly. "I didn't disturb you, did I?"

"In more ways than one. Eat like a normal human being, will you? One Naruto is enough. I don't know that my nerves could take two of him." Sasuke snorted, and then returned to eating, though he did so with his usual grace and dignity. What was his problem? He might need to figure out what to do with the rest of his life, but she sincerely hoped that he wouldn't become like Naruto. There really was more than enough with just one of him.

When they had finished eating, they went back to Sasuke's house, where they met with Naruto. "So, what's the plan?" The blonde asked, directing the question toward the both of them. After a short discussion, it was decided that they needed to get the house in order, but that could wait until the next day, really. Naruto had brought with him some of the old movies he used to watch. Sasuke looked through them, and nearly shook his head. They were all cheesy old kung-fu movies.

"Okay, we'll watch those after dinner. For now, you guys can relax. I have to clean up enough to be able to cook in that kitchen." He went into the kitchen, and started rattling dishes and things.

"Do you suppose we should help?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Would he get mad?"

"I honestly don't know. He's weird today. I think he's having some kind of an identity crisis. We had ramen for lunch, and it was his idea, and he even ate like you. It was scary." She gave a little shiver at the thought of Sasuke slurping noodles. Sakura hoped that she never saw that again.

Naruto seemed affronted. "And what's wrong with the way I eat?" Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Naruto, if you haven't figured that out by now, I'm not telling you." She walked past him into the kitchen, and found Sasuke up to his elbows in dishwater. He kept blowing his hair out of his face, and she smiled as she gently moved him out of the way and handed him a towel. "Let me do that. You go…do something with that hair. It isn't very practical to just let it loose like that. It's three times longer than mine!" He nodded, and left the room after drying his hands. Sakura scrubbed at the dishes, and when she was finished, she put them all in the drying rack above the sink, then went in search of Naruto and Sasuke. After a few minutes, she found them in a sitting room, opening windows to air the place out. They had yet not noticed her presence.

"So, teme, what's this babysitting job really about?" Naruto asked, pulling at one of the windows that seemed to be stuck. Sasuke glanced up at him, and cocked his head to one side.

"I think we're just supposed to keep her calm, and watch her behavior. You know I saw her in the park, yesterday, flicking lighted matches into the water? I'm worried about her." Sakura's hand unconsciously strayed up to the collar-like necklace, a flood of images and emotions whirling through her mind, all centering on her experiences with Sasuke. Another massive wave of images, these unfamiliar, moved through her mind, taking root and becoming part of her memory, part of her consciousness. Her head felt like it was going to burst. As she looked at Sasuke, she suddenly had the urge, the need, to hurt him. She wanted to slowly and painfully torture him, to kill him. That wasn't right. She didn't want to hurt him. No. She did not want to.

Clutching her head in her hands, her knees began to weaken, and then they simply would not hold her up. Slumping to the floor, Sakura huddled in on herself, all senses being dulled by the feeling of this new information settling into her brain. Hearing faint voices, she looked around, and found that Naruto and Sasuke were leaning over her, asking if she was all right. Sasuke reached out to touch her, and she scrabbled away from him frantically. "No…" She moaned quietly, and then held her hands up in front of herself. "Please, don't come any closer."

"What's the matter, Sakura-chan?" Naruto settled himself next to her, and put a hand to her forehead. His brow furrowed. "You have a fever. Let's get you to bed." Sakura clung to his arm as he helped her up. "Which room do you have her in?" Naruto asked Sasuke. The Uchiha led the way to the room, and Naruto all but carried Sakura down the hallway. She leaned on him, feeling safe. He was the only man that she could really trust. His arm supporting her waist, she was pressed to his side, being partially dragged down the hallway. After a few moments of this kind of treatment, he got frustrated and just scooped her up and carried her to the room, depositing her gently on the bed, and pulling the covers up to her chin after removing her shoes. "You lie still. Sasuke will watch over you until I come back." She reached out to grasp his arm and keep him there, but missed.

Sasuke watched her from the doorway. She didn't need to be looking at him to know that he was staring at her. But when she heard his footsteps, she turned her head to see him coming toward the bed. "Stop, Sasuke. Please, don't come near." She was holding her hands out in front of herself again.

Sasuke frowned. "Why?"

Sakura swallowed. "I might hurt you."

He didn't seem to believe her, and kept walking, until he sat next to her on the bed. "Sakura, why would you want to hurt me?"

"I don't." She pointed to her head. "But something in here does. I don't understand. I have memories that aren't mine. It's so frightening. I can remember horrible things. I can remember doing horrible things. I can remember…" Her eyes glazed over, and lost focus. Her voice changed, deepening, and becoming much more calm. It reminded Sasuke far too much of his brother. "I can remember a dark night. It was so much work to kill them all. Some didn't resist, but there were just so many of them, it took more than an hour. Father was the hardest to kill." She looked into Sasuke's astonished face. "Then you came home. I spared you. You ran…ran until you couldn't run anymore."

No, she was not…but was she? Could she have somehow had Itachi's memories? "Sakura? Is that really you?" Heedless of her warning, he stepped closer to her.

In that same tone, she said, "Yes. It's me. Why? Why do I remember these things? I feel like I'm three different people. There's me, there's another more aggressive side to myself, and now, I really think I'm going insane, because…" She began to sob, clutching the bedcovers. "Because Itachi's in my head, too…" He bit his lip, watching her for a moment. He had to get rid of everything that reminded her of Itachi. Everything. Carefully, he reached down to her neck, and unfastened the necklace she wore. After he put it in his pocket, he saw why she wore it. There was a dark patch of skin around her entire neck that was worn raw from wearing the collar. It wasn't just the chaffing of metal against her skin. Those marks were from chakra being forced into the skin far too often at an intensity that was greater than necessary.

Her sobs intensified, and Sasuke pried her hands from the blanket and then took her in his arms. He murmured soothingly in her ear, and tried to comfort her. Sakura's hands found his shirt, and clutched at it, nearly ripping the cloth. After a few moments, she calmed to the point where she relaxed, but did not abandon her grip on his shirt. He lay his cheek on the top of her head in an almost loving gesture. "Are you all right?" Her head tilted backward, causing him to move his head. Her eyes were clear, though still full of tears, and when she spoke, she no longer sounded as if someone else were talking through her.

"I am now. Thank you." Her eyes focused on his face. "I know why he wanted to kill you."

"Why?" He didn't really want to know, but he knew she was going to tell him anyway, so he might as well ask.

"He wanted to kill you because of me." Sasuke was confused. What did that mean? His lack of understanding must have showed on his face. "He wanted to kill you because he thought that you were going to try to take me from him, and that I might want you to." He blinked. His brother was jealous? That was a new one on him. Itachi had everything he wanted and more when he had lived in Konoha. He was more of a genius than Kakashi and Orochimaru, had the Uchiha good looks, and was set to be the next head of the clan. Sasuke had been envious of his brother, but he had also worshipped the ground that Itachi walked on. "I was his weapon, Sasuke. And his…toy." Her face twisted at that. Jealousy had, it appeared, not entered into it. His brother had been a complete bastard, unable to think of Sakura as a human being, or even as the dog he treated her as. She had been a tool.

Sasuke remembered when he had found them on top of the mountain. Itachi holding her down, that look of fear in Sakura's eyes, and it made him angry again. His anger would have no outlet, since he had already made sure that his brother was dead. Still, that image would haunt him. He knew she did not trust him. She may never trust him again, but he had to try. He pushed the thought of what Itachi had done to Sakura away violently. Keeping her calm was top priority, and bringing up emotional issues would not achieve that goal. "Put him out of your mind, Sakura. He's gone, and you don't have to think of him ever again." She looked curiously up at him. "What?"

"Do you remember that night, three years ago, when you left?" He nodded. She swallowed audibly. "Just before you knocked me out so that I wouldn't scream, you said something. Do you remember?" Fresh tears were drying on her face. When he spoke again, his voice nearly faltered.

"Hai. I said, 'thank you.'"

"What did you mean?"

Of all the questions she could have asked, this was the one he was utterly unprepared to answer. He knew the answer, of course, but was he ready to say that out loud? For a long moment, he chewed on his bottom lip, wondering how he should answer her. Usually, he would tell her not to ask him things like that. But, as he had pointed out to himself earlier, he would have to try to be a different person from now on. "I…"

A/N: Well? I know I said no more cliff-hangers, but this isn't too much of a suspenseful ending to the chapter, now, is it? It's okay, really. I think people can guess what he's gonna say.