Chapter 11

It was about three hours later that Sasuke returned. He walked in seeing Diedera wincing on the couch. His pain killer was wearing off. He looked around, seeing Sakura's door open and walked over, seeing her curled up with Itachi.

He stared for a moment, surprised and a little let down, but he sighed. He had a feeling she was either falling for him or Diedera, but since she'd described Diedera as a non Kyuubi Naruto he kind of knew....

He walked in and patted her on the shoulder. "Sakura?"

Her weary eyes didn't make it that far and she looked up at Itachi, smiling. She leaned forwards and pressed her face against his neck, causing him to whimper.

Sasuke just stared.

This was so wrong. Why did he end out getting stuck with this mess? He had no idea how to do the pain thing. He reached down again, grasping her chin and held her head facing him. "Sakura, I'm up here." Her eyes looked at him and she blinked twice as she stumbled from the bed, completely passing Itachi without a touch. She saw Sasuke and smiled, leaning her arm on him . She turned out of nowhere and held him close. He knew, he grinned, shaking his head. This was the best he would get.

She reached up and grabbed his face, her eyes still closed. She leaned her head on his shoulder, pushing chakra into his cheeks, into his neck,

Sasuke's knees fell weak and he fell to the floor, gasping for air, clutching his chest, trying to slow his heart.

The fall woke Sakura and she looked down at him, his heart speeding, his breathing rough, his hands on his chest. "Sasuke?!"

"Don't touch me!" He yelled, waking Itachi. He turned and looked, Sakura on the floor, Sasuke looking to be having a heart attack. Sasuke pushed against the wall with his feet, trying to distance himself from her. "Don't touch..." His eyes turned to her, the look in his eyes was totally bewildered.

"What in the hell was that?!" He yelled after he caught his breath. Itachi leaned in and smiled, wincing. "Her pain killer." Sasuke looked up, terror in his eyes. "WHAT?!?!"

"She's got it off a little." Itachi stood, helping Sakura to her feet. "He needs a moment to regain himself after that." He started steering her to the door before she stopped, turning. "Why won't you tell me what's happening?! What is it doing?!"

Sasuke clutched a blanket to his chest from the bed, leaving Itachi chuckling at his little brother, now blushing like mad.

"Diedera needs help, Itachi, don't let her do that to him!" He looked up, fear still in his eyes and Itachi nodded. "I know."

They went out, Sakura examining the wounds while Itachi numbed him. Diedera was back asleep shortly after.

"I better go and work." Sakura looked over at the clock, nearly five. Itachi stayed there, keeping an eye.

Sasuke came out of the room a moment later, his eyes pained, his energy spent. "I can't believe..."

"Yeah, she was only there with you for a few seconds. Imagine what it's like to be injured and have her do that for five minutes." Sasuke paled, sitting hard in the opposing chair. "Wow."

"Yeah, and it doesn't help that we're always getting injured. Sometimes we get hurt and the first thing that goes into our head is 'let me die, don't take me back to her'. That's the really terrifying part." Sasuke looked up at his brother, wide eyed.

""You'd die and leave her alone?"

Itachi shook his head. "No, we always come back. We'd never leave her, not like that. I'm always scared, though. When she does that, when I'm still heated from battle, I'm scared to be around her. I'm worried I won't be able to control myself." Itachi looked down and Sasuke nodded.

"That I understand. Why haven't you told her what the problem is? Maybe she can fix it."

"Why didn't you?" Itachi's eyes narrowed at his little brother, a steady smile on his face. Sasuke's eyes turned, avoiding his brother's gaze. "It's embarrassing. I don't know what she'd say, what would happen if she found out?" Itachi sighed, looking over at the door. "We can't keep this going, though. I guess I'll tell her." Itachi stood, walking to the door, grabbing his cloak from the rack. "I'm going to soften the blow. Sasuke, can you cook?"

"Uh, a little." Sasuke sighed, knowing what this meant. "Cook for you and Diedera. If he wakes, he should be able to eat on his own." Sasuke nodded.

Itachi headed out, feeling her chakra. He knew right where she was. He went to the store really fast and grabbed a few things, carrying the bag under his cloak.

He met up with her as she left the house, smiling. "Are you done?"

"I think I better be. I didn't get out till too late today." She sighed and Itachi walked over to her with a smile. "Follow me." He turned and headed away, Sakura wondered what was happening as she zipped after him.

He stopped a bit outside of town and turned to her with a smile. "Sakura, close your eyes." She did as she was told and Itachi lifted her, carrying her the last while.

It was a few minutes later that Itachi dropped her legs, letting her stand. "Now look." She opened her eyes, slowly at first before gasping, her eyes flying open, looking around.

It was the top of a lightly forested waterfall. She walked over, looking down the falls, at least two hundred feet to the bottom. The red from the setting sun turned the water a light purple, the trees below swaying slightly in the breeze. "It's beautiful!" She smiled and Itachi walked over, taking off his cloak and laid it down. "I thought we'd have a little picnic today." He smiled at her and Sakura turned to him, surprised.

"A picnic? What about Sasuke and Diedera?"

"Sasuke's an Uchiha. He can cook. Diedera's out for a while still. He'll wake up tonight, probably." Sakura nodded and walked over, sitting. She looked at the steady river running beside her before looking over at Itachi. He pulled out the bag and set to work, making sandwiches and handing her the other random things he picked up at the time.

She giggled as she looked over the oddities he laid down, lifting up a kiwi and he shrugged. "It sounded good." Sakura smiled before biting into it, the sweet juice dribbled down her chin, she reached up to wipe it away.

He watched the little action with a smile.

"What's this all about?" She looked over, curious, but oddly hopeful. "I told Sasuke I'd tell you." Sakura's eyes widened. "About the pain killer?"

Itachi's head nodded. "I thought I'd get you into a good mood first, I'm not quite prepared for death yet." He smiled again and Sakura's smile faltered.

"It's not like that. To let you know, it's not painful at all."

"It's not?!" She accidentally threw her Kiwi and Itachi jumped out, grabbing it but he fell, falling over the side of the cliff. Sakura ran over, about to scream when she heard the zip, he'd landed in the trees and caught himself. She sighed, relieved as she sat back.

He was there a minute later, handing her back the kiwi. "Here." He smiled and Sakura noticed he was putting all of his weight on his right leg. "Itachi!"

"It's just a little sprain. I'll be fine." He smiled as he sat.

Sakura couldn't let it go, though and reached out, pulling up his pant leg. She looked, it was indeed just a small sprain, but she felt bad, knowing he wouldn't let her kill the pain.

"It's actually my wrist that's the problem." He looked down and frowned. Sakura noticed the way he was holding his hand. "Is it broken?" Itachi smiled weakly, nodding. "You really threw that kiwi. I wasn't expecting such force." Sakura looked at his hand and looked up at him.

He sighed and leaned his head back. It was really bothering him.

He said it wasn't painful, that it worked in numbing, so she closed her eyes, sliding her chakra into him. His head snapped down, his heart instantly pounding, looking like the breath he had was knocked from him. She stopped quickly, surprised when he reached out for her, pulling her into his chest. "Sakura..." His voice was pushed, almost erotically from him. Her head spun with the sudden scent of him, he was so close...

He reached down and lifted her up, crashing his lips against hers.

Sakura gasped in shock, even more when he lifted her onto his lap, his lips still against hers, now nibbling at her bottom lip. She tried to move her leg and felt him press hard against her outer thigh and froze. He broke the kiss quickly, pressing his forehead against her shoulder. "Sakura." He bit out angrily. "I try, every time you do that I try as hard as I can to not do this to you. I don't have the willpower anymore." He looked up and Sakura knew.

"Oh, Kami, what have I done?" Itachi kept his arms around her, his head pressed against her shoulder, and just tried to keep from tearing the cloths from her. "Sakura, you know how I feel about you, right?" She leaned her head against him and smiled softly.

"Diedera told me you're in love with me." Itachi leaned back, looking her in the eye. "If I didn't, Sakura, I'm sorry, I would have taken you so long ago. The first time you did that I thought I was going to die. Your heart starts pounding, though your nerves around the injury are numb, the rest become so sensitive, even your own cloths feel amazing. Your touch, it feels like the most amazing thing in the world. After you do that, I'd offer my life to have you touch me just a moment longer. That's why I don't want you to do that anymore. I know I seem like this pure and great guy right now, but when you break into my basest instincts, I'm worried about what I'll do to you."

"Can you duplicate it?" She asked and Itachi looked up at her, surprised. "What?"

"I want to know how it feels, and it won't work if I try it on myself. Please?"

"Don't, not in that tone." Itachi swallowed hard, still trying to fight off the effects.

He reached out and held her side with his good hand. "Are you sure?" He asked and Sakura nodded.

The chakra numbed her skin for a second, before she felt it.

Like fire in her veins, she felt her heart pound, her breathing was so hard, and his touch...

She fell slightly into him. He was so warm, so soft... She jumped back, feeling herself pulled in harder to what was going on in her body. She suddenly felt so empty. So dark, like a pit behind her belly button.

She knew why they didn't like this, it was too much. It was too strong. She felt the most sensitive parts of her grow so much more sensitive and had to try and sit perfectly still to keep from intensifying the feeling.

She felt her pants adjust and jumped up, tearing them off. The struggle made her shirt feel so great against her...

She reached up and started trying to tear it off. Itachi had his arms around her in a second, keeping her arms down. "Sakura! Stop!"

"I can't! They have to- I can't stand them! They have to get off of me..." Itachi realized what was happening, but in her struggle to escape she started moving against him.

He was still fighting off the effects too.

He stepped back, gasping as Sakura tore off her shirt. She fell to the ground, sitting on his cloak. "Itachi, I don't, what, uhn..." She leaned down, wrapping her arms around her naked chest. He stepped closer, but just out of touch. "This is what we go through every time you try and numb us, only we're injured and have to stay still. It seems worth it, though. One second with you, touching you..."

The effects were stronger than he'd given them credit and he had to bite his lip to keep from touching her.

She didn't have the willpower he did and she turned to him, reaching out, feeling his hand. She stood and stepped forwards, amazed by his skin.

She nuzzled up to him, feeling him against her, he was so amazing... "Itachi..." Her voice cracked lightly and Itachi knew he couldn't take it for a second longer. He held her head up and looked her in the eye. She looked at him startled for a second before falling into a sleep.

Itachi took all care he could in laying her down and covering her with the cloak.

He stepped back and sat, trying to catch his breath.

That was harder than hell, stopping her. He wished so badly, if she'd just kept going...

Itachi shook his head. He looked down at her and frowned. He quickly gathered her clothing and laid them in the cloak with her and held her carefully, making sure to remember who she was and who he was.

He took off back to the house slowly, as his ankle was still sprained.