- Seventeen -

I forgot I had this chapter typed up quite some time ago. I just never uploaded it to FF.

This story will be the death of me, I swear. I feel it's repetitive, boring, and dragged on -_-

Sorry. Hopefully someone disagrees, but I completely understand if you agree with me.

Review? A lot of you favorite or alert my story, but I really want and like reviews! Please!

It makes me wonder how many (of you) don't realize that (a lot of) authors want reviews...huh.

Sorry, I'm ranting. Enjoy the chapter~

Windows had never fascinated her the way this one did right now. Staring at it, Sakura contemplated a decent tactic for escape while Deidara mulled over the papers he had previously flung in a fit of rage.

Green eyes glanced over the blonde curiously. She was unable to tell whether Deidara had an opinion in pertinence to her or whether he desired to rip her apart the way Hidan so did.

The door opened to reveal Sasori, looking shabby and exhausted.

"You like like shit, un," Deidara admonished, shaking his head. "Get some rest."

Sasori ignored the blonde, wandering over to his bed and discarding his cloak there. As he removed other articles of clothing, his eyes remained shut. It almost appeared he was trying to ward off the dark aura around him.

Sakura contemplated being courteous and inquiring whether he was alright or not. After a moment, she had to bite back laughter. Someone should have been asking if she was okay, not the other way around.

For a moment, Sasori's gaze lingered on her, but quickly flicked away. As of late he had become disinterested in her, and it irked her. Sakura had no desire to reside here, and if he had no interest in her...

"Why don't you send me back to Sunagakure or Konohagakure and move on?" Sakura questioned, although it came out as more of a demand. "You don't have need for me."

Deidara looked at Sasori warily, awaiting a vicious reaction to such words. Instead, the redhead merely sighed and rubbed his head.

"You are right," he agreed, sarcasm eminent in his tone. "I brought you here to humor me, and nothing more."

Sakura snorted. "And nothing more? Why the hell would you waste your time?"

Sasori turned to face her with a hardened gaze.

"Then go. I could give two shits anymore."

"Master," Deidara called in a hushed voice, eyes sharp.

Sasori returned to what he was doing, leaving it to her to decide what was to be.

"Fine," Sakura got up and made her way to the window, standing all of two feet in front of Sasori as she shoved it open. The kunoichi had one foot up on the ledge when arms grabbed her around the waist and yanked her back in.

"Did you honestly think I would just let you leave? I thought you were a bright girl, Sakura."

Sakura resisted the urge to become animistic and bite into his forearm. Instead, she inhaled deeply and attempted to reason, which was the safer option.

"Why keep me?" Sakura demanded harshly. "You have no use for me."

Sasori laughed in her ear.

"Of course I do."

Sakura turned around and shoved him away from her.

"You're a sick fuck, just like Hidan," she spat, glaring viciously at him. Sakura turned around once more and went to leap out the window, only to be grabbed and flung to the floor beside Deidara.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sasori demanded, eyes alight with something malevolent. "I never said you could leave."

"I don't need your permission!" Sakura screamed, crawling back towards the wall. Deidara caught her around the ankle.

"Let her go."

Deidara followed his partner's instructions, remaining on the floor as he watched her inch backwards.

"Fuck you."

Sasori threw his head back and laughed before righting himself and looking at her. The older man came towards her, crouching down and tilting her chin up.

"Is that what you want?"

Sakura let out a cry and kicked him in the gut, knocking him off balance. Stumbling to her feet she rushed towards the door, shoving through it and fleeing through the halls.

She had completely overlooked the fact that if Sasori did not get to her, one of the other men would. At this rate it didn't matter; the longer she stayed, the surer she was to end up dead.

Sakura ran into what appeared a living room, where four of the men sat, Hidan happening to be one of them. The Jashinist jumped to his feet, wielding his scythe madly as he headed in pursuit of her.

"Well hello, my little bitch. You ready to give up yet?"

Sakura kept running, hearing the missing nin pursuing her.

Shit.

The world outside was abruptly cold; that, or she had acquired chills. Spending time in that hellhole had made her claustrophobic. Sakura would have rather been locked in a closet for weeks than to be able to wander around a house full of lunatics.

"Sakura," a voice carried on the wind, calling out to her. "Haruno Sakura."

Sakura pushed on, running faster than the first time, determined to get away.

"Sakura…"

"No!"

As she fled, arms caught her around the waist, pulling her behind a thick tree as Hidan flew past cackling like a madman.

"See why you should stay?"

Sakura attempted to pull herself from the puppeteer's grasp, failing and letting her body go limp. Involuntary sobs began to wrack her body; she had never been dramatic, but this was becoming too much. The experience was taking a heavy toll on her emotional and mental states.

"Just…let me…go," she breathed through her pants and sobs, choking on tears and saliva. "Please."

Sasori let go of her and she fell to the ground, curling up and pressing her face into her arms. Still alive, and yet she had already experienced the depths of hell. Haruno Sakura was living it.

"Get up," the voice behind her whispered, grabbing her firmly by the arm and pulling her to her feet. "You aren't a weak girl. If you were, I'd have killed you by now."

Part of her had fallen away during her time spent under the watch of at least two sadists, one of which was now supporting her. Unintentionally she had fallen against Sasori, allowing him to hold her weight as she lie limp against his chest.

"Sakura…" he trailed off, tugging at her arm and causing her to stand up straight. "Don't fret."

"D-don't fret?" She stammered, looking up at him through watery eyes.

Who had she become? Since when was she weak and cowardly?

His hand, strong and surprisingly warm, brushed across her face, pushing damp strands of hair back from her eyes.

"Don't cry. It's alright."

The tears were stopping, although the nauseating feeling had yet to dwindle. It was odd and uncomfortable, being consoled by a sick man with bipolar tendencies.

"Sakura…"

Sasori pulled her closer, one hand on her face and the other holding her arm. It felt as if he hadn't tugged at her at all - as if she had just been beckoned.

Beckoned?

Sakura's eyes went wide as she lost her breath, tuning back in to the senses she had lost to insanity. She could feel it - the strong aura of chakra burning around them. It wasn't something she could see, but it was hard to miss, now that she was focused on it.

What was he using on her? Some sort of jutsu?

"Let me go," she demanded, attempting to wriggle out of his embrace. "Let go."

The older man looked at her curiously, as if she were speaking in tongues. His head tilted to the side a bit, and a smirk tugged its way across his lips as he pulled her back to him.

"Now, now…don't worry so."

"Let go!" Sakura cried, shoving off him only to be pulled right back to him, face to face. As she stared into his eyes she found herself coming to the sinking realization that his hands were in no way on her.

He was controlling her.

"No!" She cried again, aiming to nail him in the gut with a ferocious punch, only to have her arm swing downwards past his side. "No!"

Tears began pooling in her eyes again, streaming down her cheeks. Freedom had been so close, and now she was caught by chakra strings, tied to the puppeteer who was holding her.

Haruno Sakura was now a human puppet.

"Let…go…" she whispered, attempting to wriggle her way out of it, to fight. "Please."

Sasori laughed.

"Please? If I let you go, you will leave. What could I possibly get out of that?"

At a loss for words, Sakura allowed the reality sink in, struggling to breathe.

"I'll tell you what," Sasori began, tugging a string that caused her to look him in the face. "Say you will be mine, and I will let you go."

"W-what?"

"It's simple, really," the older man drawled, keeping her attention on him. "I control you now, yes? I can break that hold and allow you to leave. Say you will be mine and you can go, no strings attached."

"Be yours?" Sakura echoed, attempting to get more of an explanation to this concept.

"Be mine," Sasori repeated. "Mine. Which means you can have your freedom, but you may never have another man."

Sakura's eyes went dim, feeling somewhat dead inside as that statement hit her ears.

"And what if I don't comply?" She challenged, attempting to wrap her mind around it.

"I'll be watching," Sasori informed her, reaching out to brush his knuckles across her cheek. "If you ever go against me, it will be your life. And his, whomever he may be."

Fear danced inside of her. She could never be with any man but him. Never kiss anyone, touch anyone, love anyone, because they would die for it, as would she.

There had to be a way around this...

"Fine," Sakura choked out, wanting nothing more than to get away from him.

"Good girl." The strings that bound her vanished, and she rubbed at her wrist absentmindedly, still watching the puppeteer. "You're free to go then. Just remember...I will always be watching."

Sakura looked at him, distrusting of his word. Once he had turned and was heading in the opposite direction, she did the same.

I will always be watching.

This is not the last chapter! The next one will likely be.

Keep that in mind, and please look for the next update! Hopefully it will be soon.

Please, please, please review. I know I stated that before this chapter began, but I want reviews more than favorites or alerts.

Thank you~