Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor the characters.

Chapter Eighteen: Itachi's World

Sasuke's cool, calculating gaze roamed the land he knew in the dark recesses of his mind. Sasuke swore. He couldn't activate his Sharingan in Itachi's world. Mangekyou Sharingan…he thought with a curse. Suddenly in front of him was Itachi, his Sharingan blazing.

"Little brother…I have a surprise for you."

Sasuke steeled himself for the tremendous pain that was about to come, but he felt nothing. Instead, he found himself bound with chakra strings. Sasuke found that he could still move, and he frowned at the pointlessness of it.

But as soon as he heard a step forward, he heard a gasp, followed by a groan of pain.

Sasuke looked up and narrowed his eyes. In front of him was a figure bound tightly to a cross. He wouldn't have recognized the person if it weren't for the pink hair. Sasuke's fists clenched, and he had to fight to control his anger.

Sakura was barely clad, and her skin was pale and raw, as if exposed to the bitter cold or extreme warmth. There was dried blood all over her body, and a steady drip drip of blood running down her leg and falling on the ground.

Sasuke swore and took a step towards Sakura to free her, but when he did Sakura cried out in pain again. Sasuke frowned.

He looked around to see what was wrong. His obsidian eyes followed the chakra strings attached to him, and he saw them wrapped around some time of device resembling a three dimensional oval. After following them further down the line, Sasuke swore when he saw where they led to.

The chakra strings that were bound to Sasuke were also bound to Sakura, albeit a bizarre way. Sasuke rapidly calculated that every time he stepped forwards in the direction of Sakura, the same chakra strings tightened around her. With every step, the strings would get tighter and tighter.

Sasuke's jaw was clenched in anger and frustration. How was he supposed to set her free if he couldn't reach her?

"Sakura!" he called out, hoping to at least comfort her in words until he figured out a plan.

But she didn't acknowledge him in any way. She acted as if he wasn't there.

Sasuke frowned. Sakura would never ignore him. If she wasn't tied down, she'd be all over him. Or at least, that's what his ego told him.

Sasuke was getting irritated now. He yelled her name again, as loud as he possible could. He tried activating his Sharingan again, but a sharp burning pain in his eyes made it impossible to.

Sasuke reached up to rub his burning eyes, but as he did so he heard Sakura groan in pain. Sasuke quickly released the pressure on the ropes and swore.

Sasuke's mind, for once, just wasn't working. He mentally cursed himself.

Sasuke tried to send chakra into the ropes to dissipate them, but when he tried to a crackling, sizzling sound was heard and he felt like he had been burned.

Sasuke would've sworn again if he'd thought it would've done any good. After all, he was in Itachi's world now. Itachi is in control now.

Wait a minute! Sasuke thought. Sakura can beat it! That can't be the real Sakura…I can't believe I fell for it. Damnit! I thought I'd gotten stronger…

Sasuke hung his head in shame. After a few moments of silently berating himself, he resolved that it couldn't be the real Sakura in front of him. He had to trust her enough that she could defeat Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan.

The more he thought of it the more ashamed he felt. She's probably out there laughing at me right now for being fool enough to get caught in Itachi's world again.

With that last thought in mind, he walked forward, ignoring the pain and cries of the genjutsu in front of him. By the time he had reached her, blood was running down her arms and legs, and a great pool of it had gathered at her feet.

Sasuke's heart lurched at the disparaging sounds of her cries. Even if it wasn't the real Sakura, it still looked and sounded like her. Sasuke had to harden his heart against them so that he wouldn't go insane.

Sasuke was amazed at how real it looked and sounded. Shows how powerful Itachi really is. Maybe Sakura was confused when she thought she had defeated the Mangekyou Sharingan.

After that last thought Sasuke felt a pang of guilt for doubting Sakura's abilities…and her integrity. He quickly squashed the saddening feeling before it made him weak.

Sasuke looked into the eyes of the fake Sakura. There was no gleam, nor any sadness. Just a calming acceptance. He was inches away from her pale, gaunt face. There was no color in her cheeks or her normally pink, delicious lips. Sasuke roamed her over with his eyes, and had to tell himself again that this wasn't the real Sakura. The real Sakura wouldn't ignore him. She would be begging him to save her…or at least to stop the pain. She wouldn't just be standing there, immobile while she was bleeding to death. She wouldn't give up.

Sasuke reached out to touch her…just to make sure, he told himself. Just as he was about touch her insipid cheek, he felt a presence behind him. Before he could turn around, he found himself yet again tied…but this time to a cross, in the same manner that Sakura had been tied.

Sasuke growled in frustration. Damn him! I'll rip his heart out for this!

Itachi appeared in front of Sasuke, smirking.

"Sasuke…I never thought you had it in you."

"Had what?" Sasuke spat back.

"The guts to kill someone you loved."

Sasuke's face became a mask of emotionless stolidity. "What are you talking about Itachi?" he asked, his voice devoid of any tone whatsoever.

"Why your pretty little kunoichi friend. Sakura Haruno, correct?"

"That's not her. You can't fool me with your petty little mind games, Itachi."

Itachi smirked. "It's not, huh?"

Sasuke's face cracked the barest hint of a smirk. "No. Like I said, you can't control me anymore."

"Foolish little brother. When are you going to learn that I don't want to deal with you until you have reached the Sharingan's full potential?"

Sasuke glared at him, breaking his mask. "I'll never stoop down to your levels, Itachi. When I kill you, it will be in my terms, in my own way."

"For all of your brave talk, look around you. You are in my world now, little brother. And every moment you waste is one second less that Sakura has to live. How could you cope with that, dear brother?"

"Shut up! That's not her! Sakura would fight back! She-"

"Are you so sure about that? Think about all that could have happened to her." Itachi lowered his voice, and a malicious grin spread across his face. "All that I could've done to her."

Sasuke's eyes flickered red, but just as soon it disappeared. Sasuke tried to activate his Sharingan, but the immense pain stopped him from doing so.

"I wouldn't try that again, Sasuke. In my world, if you overuse the Sharingan, you could go blind."

Sasuke swore. He took several deep, calming breaths. He had to get control of his emotions. Didn't he spend two and a half years under that snake bastard to learn how to do that?

Itachi sighed. "I can see that you don't believe me, little brother. Why don't I prove it to you then?"

Sasuke's head snapped up when he heard a whimper of pain. It was coming from that damned mind trick again. Damn Itachi and his mind games. Sasuke was sick to death of them.

Itachi appeared in front of Sakura. Sasuke's heart hurt as he saw Itachi run his finger down her jaw…Sasuke knew that it wasn't real, but actually seeing it (real or not) made it seem real to him. Sasuke resolved to kill Itachi, bring him back to life, and murder him all over again…in the most painful and sadistic way possible.

"Sasuke…" Itachi called to get his attention.

"Do you still not believe me?"

Sasuke remained silent.

Itachi sighed, then backhanded Sakura to get a reaction out of her. Sakura gasped, and Sasuke caught the barest glimpse of fire behind her eyes, but it was soon gone. Her breathing turned haggard and uneven, and each succeeding breath became longer and farther apart.

"Sasuke…come touch her. Feel the life that you're slowly taking away."

Sasuke blinked, and found himself mere inches away from her.

"Itachi…if she's real, than why is she ignoring me?"

"Because I choose to not let her see you."

"Why?" Sasuke demanded.

"Why does it bother you so much?" Itachi shot back.

"It doesn't…she's still annoying as ever, even when she doesn't know that I'm here."

"So you've finally admitted that it's her?"

"No!" Sasuke glared. "Itachi…stop with these useless games. Fight me. Just you and me…brother versus brother."

Itachi sighed. "I wish it were that simple, brother. But you're still not strong enough. Acquire the Mangekyou Sharingan, and I'll fight you."

Sasuke was getting tired of this useless talk. He heard Sakura groan in pain again, and he couldn't control the hand that tentatively reached out and skimmed the surface of her face.

Sasuke's heart lurched, and his breathing stopped. She was real.

Sasuke couldn't even summon enough anger to swear. He was in a state of shock. His normally rapid, calculating mind just wouldn't cooperate with him.

Itachi smirked. "So now you know the truth…you've killed someone you love."

Sasuke tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but his glands wouldn't constrict to allow him to do so.

"Why?" he finally managed to croak out.

Itachi's voice was quiet, and sounded almost…regretful. "So you could reach your full potential, Sasuke. I knew it the moment you were born…you were meant to be great. The Uchihas were meant to be great."

"Then why did you kill the entire clan?"

"Because they were holding us back! Don't you see, Sasuke? They were all weak. If one Uchiha can defeat them all, then they weren't worth anything. If anything I did you a favor. Now you can rebuild the clan, and make it powerful and strong enough to rival any clan in the world."

"You're mad, Itachi."

"Actually I'm quite sane."

"Why Sakura? Why her? She had nothing to do with your plans…" Sasuke's voice was on the point of breaking. He couldn't summon up enough strength to try and free her from her bonds…both physically and mentally.

"Itachi…prepare to die."

"Why little brother, were you not just listening to me? I spared your life so that you could make us great again. You should be thanking me for not killing you when you were pathetic and young. Only I recognized your potential to surpass even me, Sasuke."

"Itachi…why are you so obsessed with power?" Sasuke whispered. His head was bowed, his fists clenched.

"Sasuke…I was born to do it. It was my fate to massacre our clan. Just as it is your fate to resurrect it."

"That's bull shit. You make your own destiny. Fate does not control your life."

Sasuke mentally groaned. Great, stupid Naruto has been rubbing off on me again.

Sakura chose that time to groan again.

"Sasuke…why are you not helping Sakura? Can't you see that she is in pain? Will you not end the suffering you have prolonged?"

Sasuke didn't answer. He looked at Sakura…really looked at her. Her will to live seemed to be dwindling as well as her life.

"I can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved," Sasuke replied in a curt manner.

"Sas…uke…"

Sasuke's head snapped in the direction of the whisper he heard.

Sakura was facing him. She was actually looking at him, instead of through him.

"Sakura…"

Sasuke didn't know what to say. He closed his mouth, his sentence unfinished.

The light was back in her eyes now. "Sasuke…I only want to be saved if you want to save me."

Sasuke didn't know what to say. Sakura coughed violently, and thin trail of blood was running out of the corner of her mouth.

Itachi was behind Sakura in a blur, and before Sasuke could do anything he heard the sound of a kunai slicing through the air, and then he blinked. When his eyes opened, a kunai was embedded into Sakura's chest. To be more precise, her heart.

Sasuke's heart stopped. He saw Sakura's eyes widen, and then the sound of her last breath as her head fell down, her chin on her chest and her body limp.

She didn't utter a sound. Not a scream. No crying. Just a the whoosh of her last breath.

Itachi disappeared, and reappeared in front of Sasuke. "Now you won't have any distractions on your path to greatness, Sasuke."

Ino was panting. Blood was running down her face, and her bared stomach had a huge gash in it. Sai was in the same state she was in, only worse.

Deidara was just about out of chakra and of clay. He had enough to make one more clay bird. One more bomb.

Deidara looked around, to where the bomb would do the most damage. Ino saw what he was doing, and decided to end the fight before he hurt anyone else.

She put her hands out in front of her and shouted, "Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Deidara had made the mistake of looking into her eyes at the same time.

Sai didn't know what had happened, but he saw Ino's body crumple to the ground and assumed the worst.

"Beautiful!" he cried out. He still called her beautiful, while he called Sakura "ugly," the nicknames he had given them when he first met them. He didn't really mean them, but he thought that he was supposed to give a nickname that meant the opposite of what he thought of them.

Choji spared a glance at over at Ino. He saw her lying on the ground, unmoving.

"Oh no...Ino!"

Rock Lee heard the worry in his voice.

"Go Choji! Defend your loved one! I shall hold him off for you long enough to save Ino!" Lee jumped in front of Tobi, who had been battling Choji while Lee took a break.

Choji nodded, not bothering to argue the point of rescuing his "loved one."

Hinata was desperately trying to heal herself while Kiba and Akamaru fought against Zetsu. Shino was helping her.

"My bugs have found no trace of poison from the wound. It's a clean one, Hinata. One that you should be able to heal."

Hinata nodded. "Thank you, Shino."

Shino nodded, and adjusted his dark glasses. It was his turn to fight now.

Yah...I realize that I am way late. I don't really have an excuse...but I have a reason! I started my job and I've had plays to perform in. And I do have a life out of fanfiction...so don't hate me!

But please review...much thanks!

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