Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own him. But I do own our wonderful, loveable Tomokazu-kun! ()Warning: Dark—darker? Tomokazu in this chapter.
Chapter 16
The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend
"Sakura!"
Shikamaru, Ino, Naruto, and Temari all looked up at the sound. It was faint, as if from far away. But it was clear and anguish-filled, floating through the air as if on wings. They recognized it immediately.
"Sasuke…" Naruto growled from beside Shikamaru, before he ran forward.
"Naruto!" Temari yelled out, but he was gone. She gave a small growl of frustration as she followed. "You idiot! Get back here!"
"Temari…" Shikamaru groaned as Ino looked to Shikamaru for guidance. Shikamaru just sighed as he and Ino disappeared after their comrades.
Don't rush into this. Don't let your anger get the better of you, Naruto. This is no time to give into our emotions.
"Sakura!"
Neji's eyes narrowed as he immediately recognized the voice. Sasuke Uchiha…I've found you at last. But why are you screaming Sakura's name? What the hell is this about? For a moment a bit of hope welled in his chest. If Sasuke was screaming Sakura's name, was she there? Had they found her?
"That's Sasuke!" Kiba growled. "That means that—" He stopped as Akamaru let out a small whimper, his tail tucked between his legs. "What is it boy?"
Akamaru whined.
Kiba blinked. "Akamaru says that there are four Akatsuki in a clearing with Sasuke. Also, it seems Naruto and the others are just arriving. And…"
"…A-and what?" Hinata whispered.
"He smells Sakura and something really, really strong and…worse than
Akatsuki."
There was a long moment of silence as they all stared at Kiba and Akamaru, before Neji gave a small grunt.
"Let's go. We have to get to Sakura." She's more important than anything else at the moment. I'll drag her back to Konoha if I have to shut of her chakra flow and knock her unconscious.
"Our mission is to bring Sasuke Uchiha back to Konoha, Neji." Shino answered back vaguely.
Neji stiffened, turning to glare at him. "We go and rescue Sakura. Now." She matters more than the idiot. Let him get killed by his brother. It'll be one less pain in my side.
"N-Neji…" Hinata stammered. "Surely w-we have to o-obey orders. And m-maybe we can get help f-from the others."
"Akamaru can't smell Sakura anymore. She's completely out of range now. Like…she just disappeared or something." Kiba muttered.
Neji's hands clenched.
"Let's go get Uchiha."
Itachi knew something was wrong immediately as he landed on the ground in the clearing, Sasori, Deidara, and Kisame behind him.
"Kitten! Kitten!" Kisame called out playfully.
"Sakura-chan, where are you yeah?" Deidara began as well.
"Awe come on kitten, don't…" Kisame stopped as he got a good look at the clearing, as well as the garden in front of them. Of course, it was hard to recognize it as the garden at all, since it was merely a couple of large craters.
"Sakura-chan!?" Deidara's voice was more panicked now. He searched around for her chakra signature and couldn't feel it. Oh my god, where are you Sakura? Did you run away? Did the Konoha ANBU come? Oh god what happened?
Suddenly he turned to the edge of the clearing and saw him. Sasuke Uchiha. "Look over there, yeah." You…
Kisame's eyes narrowed. "It's that little punk brother of yours, Itachi."
"There is Haruno-san's puppet." Sasori pointed out emotionlessly, motioning with his eyes to the doll at Sasuke's feet.
"That bastard—" Kisame began, hand on his Samehada.
Sasori grabbed him. "It wasn't him, Kisame."
Suddenly Sasuke spotted them. Or rather, he spotted Itachi. Itachi watched with cool aloofness as he saw Sasuke's eyes meet his own, before glowing crimson with hatred and vengeance.
You still haven't changed you little fool. Don't make me kill you now. I have more important things to deal with. But he actually wished Sasuke would attack. Perhaps, for a moment, it would take his mind off of Sakura. And the fact that she was gone.
He immediately knew who must have done it. And he was worried for Sakura. For some odd reason, Itachi was afraid for her. She was alone with Tomokazu and there was nothing he could do to help her at the moment. It also scared him that he wanted to go and help her.
Sasuke let out a yell as he rushed forward.
The four Akatsuki remained standing where they were, not even paying attention to the younger Uchiha. In fact, Kisame had the nerve to turn to the others and begin talking again, "Where the hell is kitten?"
Sasuke was getting closer.
"Perhaps she was kidnapped." Sasori filled in softly, his perceptive gaze going from Itachi to Sasuke. He wondered why Sasuke was there. And he wondered what kind of a confrontation had taken place. Surely it must have been…interesting. He also wondered what Itachi was going to do now.
Well done, Haruno-san. How many others can say they've lassoed the two most powerful Uchiha prodigies?
"ITACHI!"
Itachi watched Sasuke with even more annoyance as he lunged. "Go away fool." You aren't even strong enough to defeat Sakura. Who is the weakling of team seven now? For a second it made Itachi smirk as he thought of the weakling little girl who had risen in ranks through sheer will and had become strong. He stopped himself, blinking. Strong? Sakura? Surely not.
Itachi grabbed a kunai, twirling it between his fingers as his brother came closer. The others moved away, seeing that Itachi wanted to fight him alone. Kisame grunted, his grin feral. Deidara didn't pay them any attention as he scanned the area for Sakura's chakra signature.
Sasori seemed genuinely disgruntled. He knew that Tomokazu had taken Sakura, and he felt somewhat obligated to go and search for her. That was strange in itself, since he never had felt obligated to do anything for anyone before. Ever.
It seems that none of us were left unchanged, Haruno-san.
Itachi's eyes narrowed as he dodged his brother's lunge. Sasuke flipped in the air, pushing off the ground with his feet as he used the momentum to travel faster towards Itachi.
Itachi threw the kunai, and it landed in Sasuke's shoulder, sticking. Sasuke let out a small growl as he felt the kunai dig into the skin. Warm liquid rushed down his arm, but he paid it no attention.
You…Sakura's gone and It has to be your fault…it has to be…
I'll kill you and save her. I'll find her and everything will be perfect again…
…without YOU.
Suddenly Itachi was right in front of him, grabbing Sasuke so he couldn't move. He ground the kunai deeper into Sasuke's shoulder, as Sasuke let out a pained growl.
"You're so foolish, Sasuke." Itachi murmured, his other hand tightening around Sasuke's throat.
You are being a nuisance once more, Sasuke. Don't get in my way. I have to go and find Sakura. I don't need you hindering me.
For some reason, the thought of Sakura being in Tomokazu's hands made Itachi want to break something. Instead, he began squeezing Sasuke's throat. Sasuke let out a choked gasp as his hands clawed at Itachi's arm.
"Kill him already, Itachi." Kisame grumbled. "We don't have time for this."
Itachi's eyes widened slightly as, instead of closing further around his brother's pathetic neck, his fingers seemed to pry themselves off. Sasuke fell to the ground, as he rubbed his neck, glaring at his brother with all the hatred in the world.
But he didn't move either.
"I see your Nara friend has come to help you, little brother." Itachi called out, as he felt the four presences appear behind him.
"No one's going to beat the shit out of Sasuke except me." Came the angered, loud voice of the Kyuubi container. Itachi didn't even have to turn around to picture him, hands clenched as he glared at Itachi's back. Itachi could see Sasuke trying to fight off the shadow possession jutsu as well, but he couldn't break free. "Let me go! Let me kill him!"
Pathetic little brother.
Deidara and Kisame made to move forward, but Sasori stopped them. "Hold on." He murmured, seeing the four shinobi glare at them from across the clearing. The Kyuubi, the Nara tactician, and two blonde kunoichi, one from Konoha, one from Sand.
What a wonderful reunion. Sasori mused. And the guest of honor isn't even here.
Shikamaru blinked, ignoring the chakra drain that made his muscles ache. Holding two strong shinobi was troublesome. Holding two Uchiha prodigies was near impossible.
Naruto's hands were clenched and he was glaring with such intensity that it scared Ino. She had quickly surveyed the clearing, not seeing Sakura anywhere. Her heart sank as she turned from the Akatsuki to Sasuke, to Naruto.
Temari's hand was on her fan. She glared at Sasori. He'd been the one to kill her brother, before Chiyo had brought him back. She watched them all, before breaking the deadly silence. "Where is Sakura Haruno?"
"Che." Kisame snorted. "We wanted to ask that idiot brat the same question, but he doesn't seem to be in a talking mood." Kisame motioned to Sasuke, who was still struggling with the jutsu.
Itachi was standing calmly, as if he weren't surprised or frightened at all by being held motionless.
Ino's brow furrowed. "You mean…?" They don't know? Then did they just arrive to? What the hell is going on!?
And that was when Neji and his group arrived.
"Dammit! What is with you Konoha punks?" Kisame roared, his hand on Samehada. Sasori shook his head as Kisame advanced once again.
He turned to the Konoha shinobi. "If you release Itachi, we will not attack."
Shikamaru exchanged a glance with Temari and Naruto, who nodded solemnly. Naruto's hands were clenched tightly, and his face was serious and dark. Itachi flexed his hand as he felt control rush back into his body. He grabbed his kunai from Sasuke's shoulder, wrenching it out. Sasuke let out a growl.
"Don't get in my way again, little brother." He then turned to look at the Konoha shinobi coldly.
"What the hell!?" Kiba growled. "What is going on?"
Shikamaru felt as if he were going to faint. "Someone go grab Sasuke and secure him. I can't hold him in my jutsu much longer.
Amazingly enough, it was Naruto who did it. He grabbed him, throwing him back over to where the other's were, his gaze hard. "Get up, teme."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly at the treatment, but he ignored it. After all, no one else knew of he and Sakura's brief talk. He felt his anger course through him as he saw Itachi standing there.
And he could do nothing.
Naruto's grip on him as adamantine.
There was a long moment of silence as they all stared at each other, two opposing sides.
"We have you outnumbered." Neji murmured.
Kisame grinned, "But not outclassed, boy."
"This isn't a time to fight, yeah! We have to go get Sakura-chan back!" Deidara cut in, his voice angry and worried.
That made the Konoha shinobi falter, as they exchanged glances. Sakura-chan? And he's worried
Itachi's eyes landed on Sasuke. "I believe my little brother has some explaining to do."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed in return. Naruto's grip on his arm tightened, "What happened, Sasuke?"
"Tomokazu took her." Sasuke waited for the Akatsuki's reactions.
"WHAT!?!?!" Kisame roared even louder than before. "And how the hell did YOU get here?"
"Tomokazu told me how to get here." Sasuke muttered through gritted teeth. He already felt bad enough. He didn't need an idiot fish rebuking him.
"You were working with him?" Neji's voice was cold.
"He told me this was where Sakura was."
"And what did he want in return?" Sasori's voice was calm and steady.
There was a long moment of silence.
…
…
…
"A scroll."
Itachi's eyes narrowed. Sasuke spotted it, "But I think you already knew that, did you Itachi?"
"Hn."
Everyone then turned to look at Itachi.
"I'm surprised you let Sakura keep it, Itachi. Was if because even with the Sharingan she wasn't a threat to you?"
…
…
…
"NANI?"
…
…
…
Itachi gave a small smirk as everyone stared at the two Uchiha, dumbfounded. "And even without being a threat to me, she's still more powerful than yourself, little brother."
Sasuke growled deep in his throat.
"A scroll that gives the Sharingan?" Shikamaru mused. If that scroll got into the wrong hands, then we're all doomed. And by the way everyone is talking about this Tomokazu guy, I have a feeling that he's the wrong hands.
"So you mean forehead was stolen by this Tomokazu?" Ino asked.
Deidara's eyes flashed. Forehead? Sakura said that only her best friend Ino called her that. This must be her…Deidara couldn't help but smile. She isn't as intimidating as Sakura-chan made her out to be, yeah.
"But if he just wanted the scroll, why didn't he take it and leave Sakura alone?" Choji asked, troubled. He didn't even reach his hand into his bag of chips. The situation seemed too important.
"Sakura destroyed it." Sasuke muttered.
"Oh n-no." Hinata whispered in horror. "But th-that means that this T-Tomokazu would b-be…"
"Quite angry." Sasori supplied. I know Sakura wouldn't destroy the scroll without memorizing it, and I have a feeling Tomokazu knows this as well. No doubt he stole Sakura to get the information out of her.
Sasori rubbed the still slightly sore spot on his chest. If that was just from a touch, no doubt Tomokazu's torturing strategies were brutal and excruciating.
Tenten turned to see Lee and Neji's eyes fill with worry, and she felt a bit jealous. Both of her teammates were too obsessed with Sakura for their own good—or for Sakura's. But she was more worried for her old friend Sakura. This guy sounded like trouble.
"We have to go and get her back!" Kiba yelled out. "Akamaru can track this bastard."
Shikamaru nodded slowly. However, he had a feeling that there were a few things the Akatsuki hadn't told them. He also didn't like the prospect of having to fight them off. They didn't seem too hostile at the moment, but that could change quickly.
Deidara was the only one who spoke.
"I have something with Sakura-chan's scent that we can use, yeah."
The silence was almost holy, as all of them turned to look at Deidara as if he were insane.
"We?" Kisame choked out. "What makes you think we need the idiot kids' help?"
"Their dog can track Sakura-chan's scent better than we can." Sasori concluded slowly, nodding. "And their Byakugan wielders have a better Doujutsu for tracking as well."
"Wait, you agree with Deidara?" Kisame blinked. "But…but…"
Shikamaru sighed. "I may not like it, but your plan seems good to me."
"WHAT?" All of the Konoha shinobi exclaimed.
"You can't be serious, Shikamaru! These guys kidnapped Sakura!" Lee yelled out. "Surely we cannot trust them."
"They have a better idea of this Tomokazu guy's power. We'll need their skills and strength." Temari murmured as she turned to Shikamaru with a smile. "Way to go, hun."
"We have to do anything to get Sakura-chan back." Naruto spoke seriously, nodding. His grip on Sasuke tightened.
"No way." Sasuke hissed. "I will never work with my brother. Let me go! I have to kill that bastard!"
"This isn't about you and your stupid revenge, Sasuke Uchiha!" Ino slapped him across the face, glaring with such intensity it was frightening. "We are here to save Sakura! And we are going to save her with their help, whether you like it or not so I don't give a damn about you and your stupid promise to your family! That was back then, this is now. Get OVER it!"
Deidara blinked with a small smile. "Sakura-chan said you could be scary sometimes, yeah. I didn't believe her until just now."
Ino turned to look at Deidara, as did the rest of them. "Huh?"
Deidara smiled. "She talks about you a lot."
There was a long moment of silence as all the Konoha shinobi exchanged glances. Finally, Naruto spoke.
"We work together."
Naruto walked into the house with Kiba, Shino, and the man named Deidara. Deidara slid open the door to a room, and Naruto immediately knew it was Sakura's.
It was neat and tidy, and it smelled like flowers. It reminded Naruto of her apartment in Konoha. Simple, and slightly sad and lonely. Akamaru jumped up on the bed, curling up and burying his nose in the pillow, as if he somehow felt closer to Sakura there.
Naruto just looked around the room. He opened up the chest at the foot of her bed. Kiba knelt down beside her as they looked inside. Shino watched Deidara, who was leaning in the doorway.
Naruto's hand trailed over the fabric of a dark shirt. He lifted it up and his eyes widened.
Sasuke's old shirt.
He quickly folded it and placed it back at the bottom. Even when you hated her, Sasuke, she still loved you...He noticed her kunai pouch, and saw part of a chain on the end of it. He pulled the remaining part of the frog key chain he held in his pocket, and saw that it fit perfectly.
He gave a small smile, before he noticed a scroll lying beside it. But what was even stranger was the writing over the top.
"Dear Naruto?" Kiba asked confusedly as he and Shino turned to look at it over his shoulder.
Deidara frowned. "Dear Naruto, yeah? Is that a letter or something?" He watched as the three Konoha shinobi exchanged looks.
Naruto lifted the flap with shaking fingers, before he began reading the first few lines silently.
Dear Naruto,
How long has it been since I've last written? Of course, you haven't gotten any of the letters, so I suppose it doesn't matter. How are you feeling? I'm doing all right, I suppose…
The others looked up from their uncomfortable staring contest as Deidara, Shino, Kiba, and Naruto came out of the house.
Sasuke managed to pry his glare away from where Itachi was watching him amusedly as he heard a soft sniffle. He turned to see Naruto, with red rimmed eyes. He was hurriedly wiping the tears from his eyes.
"W-what's wrong, Naruto-k-kun?" Hinata asked worriedly.
Naruto gave a small, weak smile. He looked from Sasori, to Kisame, and his gaze rested on Itachi the longest. He seemed to be trying to sum something up, or read their thoughts.
"She wrote me a letter."
Drip.
Sakura bit back a small groan as she shifted, feeling a heavy weight across her chest. Her arms and hands were in an uncomfortable position, but she was too groggy to notice much.
Drip.
It was completely dark. She couldn't see a thing. The air was moist and damp, filling her lungs with thick, stagnant air. It smelled worse than simple mildew, as if something dead had been left in the room to rot. Sakura had the strange urge to begin cleaning. She then frowned. How could she be thinking of something like that in this type of situation?
Drip.
What situation? I don't even know where I am. Situation? There's a situation?
She blinked a few times, feeling extremely lightheaded. The pain seems to have disoriented me slightly. It's hard to think straight. Her entire body felt like a hammer had pounded it. She reached a hand up to brush the locks of hair out of her face, but encountered some difficulty when her arm wouldn't move. She let her eyes adjust to whatever semblance of light the room held and could just see the outline of a rope around her arms, tying her to a chair. Both of her legs were tied to the two front chair legs. Her hands were tied behind her back in a way that she couldn't bring them together to make hand signs. Not like that would do anything. She felt as if all her chakra had been burned away. Besides this, there were chakra seals on her arms and legs.
Drip.
The sound of the water was getting slightly annoying. If whoever had put her here had planned on breaking her with Chinese water torture, he was doing a bang-up job. Her brow furrowed for a moment.
Where was she exactly? And who had taken her?
Drip.
And then her jade eyes widened as she let out a small choked scream, and it all came back to her.
Tomokazu.
She was alone. With him.
No Itachi.
No Akatsuki.
No Sasuke.
No Orochimaru.
Just him.
I seem to be getting kidnapped by this bastard quite a lot lately, a small part of her thought wryly. But her fake bravado didn't last long. She was completely petrified. She and Sasuke had finally gotten things worked out and now this? It seemed as if some higher power just didn't want her to be happy.
Is Sasuke all right? After I blacked out, Tomokazu could have killed him! Sakura panicked. She didn't seem to remember at all that he was still a pretty strong shinobi. For some reason, after she had beaten him, all she thought of him as was someone to protect. Was that how Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke had always felt about her?
Even now, I'm weak. I couldn't protect Sasuke…I couldn't even protect myself. What a great, strong shinobi I am. Sakura mocked herself angrily. She blinked as she heard soft footsteps. She tensed in her chair as they came closer.
Tomokazu!
I have to find an escape. Somehow I have to escape!
She heard a soft chuckle as the door creaked open. The sound hurt her ears, making her wince slightly. It was as if the door hadn't been opened in years. "Afraid are you?"
Sakura kept her eyes on his chin. She wouldn't look into Tomokazu's eyes. She didn't want him to see the fear in her own. She clenched her fists behind her back. They instinctively felt for a weapon and found none. Not that a weapon would have done anything.
"What would make you think I was scared, Tomokazu?" Sakura tried to sound cold, but she just sounded anxious.
Tomokazu let out another amused laugh, smirking. "I can smell your fear."
Keep talking. Keep talking and try and forget about how powerful he is. Everyone has a weakness. Find his. Sakura turned her head slightly, and a few hairs fell across her face. Her nose began to itch. She swore she'd die before she sneezed, however.
Suddenly a hand brushed the hairs away, tracing the outline of her jaw. Tomokazu's hand cupped her cheek as he watched her intently. Sakura was forced to look him in the eye.
Silver met jade once again. And just like before, chaos and emotion swirled between them. Sakura bit her lip, trying to keep from shaking. Those eyes…so cold…
"You can't hope to lie to me, Sakura. You're too much like her. And I spent my entire childhood reading her thoughts and emotions."
Sakura's brows furrowed slightly. "Her?"
Tomokazu just continued to watch her intently, as if in another world as he began speaking, on a completely different topic. "Have you ever wondered what the jutsu I use on you is?"
Sakura had been trying to forget about that jutsu. As well as the fact that just his touch could bring upon the pain. There was no way she could build up any defenses to it. There was no way to counter it.
And that frightened her.
"N-no."
He wouldn't stop moving his thumb softly across his cheek, his eyes never leaving hers. It unnerved her, those predatory wolf-like eyes…
"It's a bit different than Itachi's but so much more effective, I think. The Mangekou merely brings upon mental images, and the pain that it inflicts is mental as well, whether the mind and body perceive it as such or not."
He was merely stating facts that Sakura already knew. She tried to ignore the fact that his other hand was playing with her hair.
"But my jutsu…well, it causes the body to…how shall I say it? Not rupture, certainly. Merely…fill with pain. It's a bit like the gentle first technique of the Hyuga Clan in a way. They shoot chakra through the chakra routes and cause damage through the internal organs but mine…ah, it does so much more."
"It causes more than just physical pain, as you've experienced." He chuckled once again, and the voice made Sakura go cold. He let go of her and walked behind her chair. He leaned against the chair, placing his head near her's.
"But you've only felt the first few levels of it. It can be so much more painful, Sakura. And the wonderful thing about it is, there is no limit. As long as I hate, I will be powerful."
"As long as you hate?" Sakura whispered, feeling his breath stirring the hairs on the back of her neck.
"Yes. Hate. The jutsu of my Clan, our kekkei genkai, is fueled by hatred."
Sakura's eyes widened slightly.
"The more hate I feel for a person, the more painful the jutsu becomes." His hand trailed up and down her arm, making goose bumps. "And do you know, dear Sakura?"
…
…
…
"I hate you."
…
…
…
Sakura began shaking uncontrollably, and she knew he could tell. His hands continued moving up and down her arms in a soothing manner as he continued talking calmly.
"Do you know why I hate you?"
Sakura didn't care. She wanted to get away. She wanted to run as far away as possible. She wanted to be back in Itachi's arms…she wanted to feel safe again.
"Because you remind me of her."
Her again. Who is she?
It was if he had read her mind, for he began again. "You look just like her, you know, except for the hair. Her's was brown. But the eyes, you almost had me fooled the first time I saw you. I thought it was her ghost come back to haunt me. She loved the color pink after all. It could have been a sick joke."
He gave a small sigh, as if remembering something with a sick fondness. "But she's dead." He buried his face in the crook of Sakura's neck. Sakura jolted at the contact, and she tried to move away.
"I loved her. She was the only one who cared about me…she was so beautiful…"
He's insane. Sakura thought wildly. Don't touch me! Oh god, Itachi!
"We did everything together. She even wanted to become a healer like you are. But someone with our kekkei genkai…they can't really heal now can they? Our touch brings pain and death, how can we heal with the same chakra?"
"I do it all the time." Sakura bit out. "It's possible." Just ramble. Just keep your mind off of him. Stall him. Maybe Itachi and the others can come and rescue you. Give them time. It was a pitiful attempt at reassuring herself, but it was also the only thing she could think of. She had to cling to some hope.
Tomokazu laughed against her neck, his hot breath sinking into her skin. It felt wrong and sickening, but she couldn't move. She was his prisoner.
"I hate you for looking just like her…" And he began kissing his way up her neck. Sakura continued shaking, trying to jerk away.
"And I love you for the very same reason." He whispered hotly in her ear.
Sakura froze, breathing raggedly. Love? This man was mad.
"I thought in the beginning I could kill Itachi and keep you here with me. You would be just like her, without the threat to my power like she was. She had my kekkei genkai and that was a threat. But you didn't."
Sakura's eyes widened completely, as the realization dawned. Oh god…
"But now…you can." He laughed softly in her ear. "And now you are a threat to me as well…"
"What makes you think I could learn your jutsu?" Sakura asked faintly, trying to see if he had figured out the truth or was just clutching at assumptions and guesses.
"It's rather disappointing…" Tomokazu continued. "You taste sweet. I wonder…if perhaps I could keep you from learning it and keep you here with me? It would be worth it, wouldn't it?"
"Get away from me." Sakura hissed.
He laughed darkly again. "You say you are a healer. Don't you want to heal me? Isn't it your duty as a healer to try?" He kissed her jaw. "I wouldn't mind if you tried to heal me. It would be interesting to watch."
"Nothing can heal your twisted mind." Sakura managed to choke out.
"Why don't you try? It would be fun." Tomokazu's voice turned childlike. "Don't you want to try? If you can save Itachi Uchiha from the darkness, surely you can save me."
Sakura was clutching at straws, trying to keep him talking. "Why was her having your kekkei genkai a threat to you?"
He shifted, whispering in her ear. "Because to be the strongest, to be the most powerful, I must eliminate all those who stand in my way. She was just another barrier keeping me from my goal. The fact that she had the kekkei genkai that I too possessed lowered the significance of my own…"
He laughed softly in her ear. "That is how all geniuses think, dear Sakura. Why do you believe Itachi destroyed his entire Clan? He did it to gain more power. To become the one and only user of his Clan's kekkei genkai so that only he would be respected and known for it."
Sakura answered back frostily, "You're wrong. Itachi didn't do it for that."
"How sweet. Defending him, are you?"
"If he had killed them all to be the only user of the Sharingan, than why didn't he kill Sasuke?"
Sakura waited for Tomokazu's answer. There was a long moment of silence, save for their breathing and the constant dripping of the water.
"It was because Itachi couldn't bare to kill his little brother. He was weak."
"Itachi is not weak." Sakura bit back. "He is one of the strongest shinobi in the world."
"But he spared his brother's life. He couldn't bring himself to kill that weakling, pathetic little boy."
Sakura's hands clenched. "Perhaps it just shows that Itachi still has a conscience."
"That's an admirable thing to have…if you wish to remain a weakling your entire life." Tomokazu answered back blandly. "You have to sever emotional ties, dear Sakura. You cannot gain true power until you love only yourself and no other."
"I care only for myself, I live only for myself, and I love only myself. In this I am strong." Sakura remembered Gaara's old words, which drifted back into her mind from so long ago. When he had spoken in that demonic voice, the voice of one who had slaughtered millions without remorse.
Tomokazu's voice.
"I realized this early in my life. And so I murdered my entire clan. They had to be eliminated if I was to become the strongest. Even her."
Sakura flinched as Tomokazu's fingers played with her hair, his gaze burning into her skin. She had to get away. But she knew it was hopeless. And she knew that she was completely defenseless. Even if she freed herself, she would never be able to escape. He was too strong…
And if she tried…he'd use his kekkei genkai on her.
"True strength comes from protecting and risking your life for someone who is precious to you." Sakura answered back. "And that is the truth. Naruto gained strength that way. He become stronger than you could imagine. He will become Hokage one day because of it."
"If he is so powerful and strong, dear Sakura, then why isn't he here fighting me to get you back?"
There was a long moment if pained silence.
"Or perhaps you just aren't as precious to him as you once believed."
Sakura bit her lip. She knew Naruto was probably angry with her for her abrupt departure. How she had chosen the Akatsuki over he and the rest of her friends from Konoha. But…she'd always known Naruto was forgiving. He'd spent his entire life telling her that he could redeem Sasuke. That he would forgive him everything and they would be friends again.
Did he feel the same about her?
Did he believe that he could come and save her?
…or would he forget?
Tomokazu placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura, teach me the jutsu."
Sakura's hands clenched. "No." She almost hissed between clenched teeth as she felt anger rush forward. That bastard. He was trying to make her doubt her friends. He was trying to make her hopeless. But she would never give up hope.
She felt Tomokazu's grip on her shoulder tighten. "I will only ask nicely one more time, Sakura. Teach me the jutsu or I will show you the full extent of my own."
Sakura felt the panic course through her body, but she ignored it. She had to be strong and protect her own precious people. She had to keep Tomokazu from gaining any information from her. He could use it to hurt them…
She breathed in a deep, ragged breath. "Go to hell."
And suddenly the pain was rushing through her again, flooding her body. She let out a chocked cry as she tried to keep from screaming. She gasped for breath but none entered her lungs. She felt as if she were suffocating. Her vision turned crimson, before flashing back to the dismal black and gray of the room.
And then the pain was gone again, leaving her breathless and whimpering.
She coughed up a small amount of blood, not liking the metallic tang it left in her mouth. She slumped forward against the taught rope, heaving. Pinpricks of pain shot up her arms and legs, an aftermath to the excruciating pain from before.
He wiped the blood off of her lip with his finger, before tasting it. Sakura watched him through pained, delirious eyes. Her vision was going slightly blurry, but she held off the urge to fall asleep.
She would be strong.
"Teach me the jutsu."
"No."
Another dose of Tomokazu's kekkei genkai. Sakura felt tears well up in her eyes as she coughed. She wanted to sleep. Yes, sleep would be nice…but she couldn't sleep. For some reason, her mind wouldn't let her close her eyes.
Be strong Sakura!
She heard a soft sigh. "I don't want to have to ruin that pretty body of yours, blossom." His hand was moving across her arm once again, "Don't make me use more force. I told you before, my jutsu can also make you feel the pain in your mind as well, just like the Mangekou. I would hate to show that to you."
"I…" Sakura breathed in a ragged breath as she swallowed to wet her dry throat. "I won't…teach you…the damn jutsu…'
His grip on her arm tightened. "Very well."
And the pain began once more.
(A/N: So? Sorry about the lateness. I had a research project in three of my classes. Grrrr. Hope you liked it. Yay, Naruto got Sakura's letter! Oi, Sasuke and Itachi are definitely NOT going to get along very well. Tomokazu is just a loveable little guy, isn't he? I bet he just needs a hug! (-cough-)
The next chapter will hopefully be out soon, since I am on my spring break. That means FREE TIME! Woohoo!
Ahem. Alright, well, until next time…
Buh-bye!
Question: If you throw a cat out a car window, does it become kitty litter?)