AN: I don't own Naruto.

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Chapter 10 –Friendships and Bonds...

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"Uchiha, Itachi..." Sakura muttered, stepping backwards. "Shit!" She thought, cursing her luck. "Why did I have to mess around with the dragon when Hinata's life is at stake?"

Itachi then suddenly appeared behind her, a dagger resting on her neck. "It was foolish of you to think that you could escape; as well as waste chakra in healing Katsu when his wounds can heal within one night." Itachi said.

"How could you treat him like that?" Sakura asked, a bit of anger in her voice.

"Katsu disobeyed a command. Therefore he was punished." Itachi said simply.

"You're heartless." She growled.

"And you're foolish."

"Where's Hinata-chan? What have you done with her?" Sakura demanded.

"You should be more concerned about yourself, Sakura." Itachi whispered in her ear.

Summoning chakra into her hand, Sakura quickly spun around and aimed a punch straight into Itachi's face. As his body flew back, it blew up into a puff of smoke as a chest replaced his body. Sakura quickly dodged to the left, Itachi's sword barely missing her.

"Damn it." Sakura cursed seeing that she had no weapons to defend herself with. Doing a few quick hand seals, blue chakra surrounded both her hands. At this, Itachi just smirked.

"What is it?" Sakura asked getting into a fighting stance.

"You really are the Slug Knight's apprentice." Itachi said getting into a fighting stance of his own.

"Slug knight? Never heard of him." Sakura said, charging straight at him.

"You mean her." Itachi corrected side-stepping her punch. "I believe her true name is Tsunade." At this, Sakura froze.

"How do you know about Tsunade-sempai?" Sakura asked, aiming a kick at Itachi's gut, only to be blocked.

"I'm disappointed to see one of her only apprentices to not know her legacy. She along with two others held a reputation of three of the greatest knights in Konoha in history." Itachi said parrying another kick with his sword almost effortlessly.

"Thanks for the history lesson, but you still didn't answer my previous questions. Where the hell are you keeping my sister?!" Sakura yelled, as she threw a punch at Itachi, only to be deflected by the handle of his sword. Itachi then grabbed both her hands and held them against her back.

"Sister? I believe her highness was an only child, and the only one with her blood was her elder cousin. You are nothing more than an adoptive servant. You along with that other trash." Itachi whispered.

"Don't you ever call my brother trash!" Sakura growled.

Sakura threw her head back causing Itachi to let go of one of her hands to block it. With her free hand she then aimed another punch. Itachi had little time to counter as he dodged to the right. To his dismay, Sakura was able to nick his shoulder, tearing some of his muscles on contact. Sakura stood there confused when she saw Itachi stand there with a smirk, not showing any pain at all.

"I couldn't possibly understand why you would protect someone with the same blood that killed your entire guild." Itachi said, his face back to its emotionless facade.

"Wh-what?!..." Sakura stuttered, eyes widening in disbelief.

"So you never knew his true identity? Your family and friends all were killed in the massacre, and yet you still don't know who committed that heinous crime?" Sakura gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowed at the memories she thought she had forgotten a long time ago. "Not one survived except you of course. How ironic, being close to the one who took everything away. And here you call him your bro-"

"Silence!" Sakura yelled, her eyes staring to brim with tears. "Don't you say another word!"

"And why is that? There was also one other person I'm sure your acquainted with that also has stained blood in him. Do you wish to hear his name Sakura?" Itachi said, seeing Sakura shake with anger.

"Silence this instant!" Sakura screamed charging at him with blind fury. "Don't you dare bring up my fallen guild ever again!" Sakura aimed a punch with all her chakra straight at Itachi, not caring why he sheathed his sword.

"Uzumaki...Naruto..." Itachi said, causing Sakura to abruptly stop her attack only a mere centimeter away from his face.

"...W-wh-what?...No...You're lying!" Sakura yelled, trying to finish her attack, but Itachi grabbed her wrist before she could even move a muscle. Their eyes met, one filled with disbelief and anger, while the other just looked at her with his calm demeanor.

"You can keep telling yourself that, but the truth will always be the same. Everyone close to you was always your enemy. You were just too blind to-"

"Shut up!...Just shut up!" Sakura screamed throwing another punch, only to be caught with his other hand.

"You can't take the truth? How weak." Itachi said not loosening his grip.

"No one close to me is my enemy." Sakura said looking straight into his eyes.

"What about the Hyuugas?"

"I don't wish to hear any more of your lies!" Sakura yelled, struggling to get loose.

"They were the ones who commanded Sai's guild to annihilate yours." Sakura stopped struggling, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"The Hyuugas decided more than a decade ago that other clans and guilds were threatening their power over Konoha. King Hyuuga ordered for all of the clans or guilds he'd chosen to be eliminated to the last child." Itachi continued.

Tears fell from Sakura's eyes; she couldn't believe that, Hiashi, the kind king she had once called father, to be the one to kill everyone she held dear to her.

"Some of the clans and guilds that I remember were on his list were: Aburame, Yamanaka, Nara, Akamichi, Inuzuka, Haruno, and lastly, Uchiha."

"Shino, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, Me, and Sasuke...All of our guilds and clans were killed by Hiashi?" Sakura thought in horror. "That would explain why everyone in Neji's camp hated us. The Hyuugas-wait what am I thinking?! It was Orochimaru!" Sakura thought.

"It wasn't Hiashi that ordered it! It was that snake advisor of his, Orochimaru!" Sakura argued. Itachi started to laugh.

"Always wanting to blame someone else, hm? It was surprising to me as well when I learned that Orochimaru had nothing to do with this decision. If he said he did, it's just a lie to raise his sadistic pride." Itachi said.

"...No..." Sakura said as she slumped to the floor. "This can't be true."

"Did I not tell you that the ones close to you were your enemy?" Itachi said looking at the girl sitting on the stone floor. "The Hyuugas are just scared royals who fear anything with power. They should be your enemies."

"You're no better than those murderers. Sasuke told me how you helped in killing your own guild, your own family..." Sakura muttered.

"My guild was the most powerful, next to the Hyuugas, but they were just as foolish. Always in need for power, I hated my guild. I cursed the name, Uchiha. In my youth, I learned early, just like the rest of my generation, and the one before that, is that the weak was not to be tolerated, but obliterated. That clan took everything away from me, it was only natural that I returned the favor."

"You're mad."

"Actually, I merely followed my clan's teachings. If you were weak, then you don't deserve to live...And they were weak." Itachi said as if he had no care in the world.

"Then why leave only Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"That knowledge is irrelevant to you." Itachi said grabbing her arm, forcing her to stand. "Do you still wish to save the Hyuuga heiress?"

"Of course!" Sakura said with determination, making Itachi raise a brow in question.

"Just because her family did something to mine doesn't make her guilty. She had done nothing wrong. I don't care if she is a Hyuuga, she is my sister, and I will defend her with the cost of my life! That goes the same for everyone else!" Sakura said.

"How can you be so forgiving?" Itachi said, his eyes narrowing. "How can you allow them to live knowing what they have done to you?"

"They have done nothing to me! They may be blood related, but they, themselves have done nothing!" Sakura said tears freely flowing.

"Can you be so sure about all of them?" Itachi asked.

"Yes, there is not one who I'm sure, that hasn't done me wrong."

"What about-"

"Stop, no more of your lies and twisted words!" but Itachi didn't listen as he muttered the name, "Hatake...Kakashi..." Sakura gasped.

"...Silence! There isn't any proof you can show me that make your words facts!"

"Why would I lie to you? I have no reason to. It's a known fact that he is a mercenary for hire, is he not? How do you know anything of his past?"

"Because he would never-"

"Kill your mother?" Itachi said, cutting the shocked girl. "It was said that White Fang was the one to kill the last of the Harunos. A mother and her young daughter, I believe. White Fang was also responsible for killing his partner Yamato shortly after."

"Kakashi...is...is White Fang?!" Sakura said before fainting from the shock.

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"Ok, were to now Neji?" Sasuke asked, halting his horse.

"Until that ridge over there, and then we continue south until we find a lake." Neji said putting away the map.

"Damn those Sound nins!" Ino cursed. "What were they even doing there?"

"Orochimaru..." Neji growled out.

"How could it be him? Didn't the snake run away like a child?" Naruto asked.

"We should watch our backs from now on." Sasuke said pulling the reins on his horse. "Let's move!"

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"Stop! Please stop...Don't tell me anymore." Hinata muttered as she looked to the floor with fatigue. The shackles around her arms and legs weren't the only burdens bothering her. The one torturing her right now was the burden in her heart.

"Father would never do that to them." Hinata whispered to herself.

"Hmph, believe it princess. You father is the reason why all those pathetic knights are orphans." Sasori said with sick amusement.

"Shut up already Sasori, she gets it. Itachi didn't want us to crack her remember?" Kisame warned.

"You're too light hearted." Sasori said with a smirk.

"You better watch your words you puppet." Kisame growled.

"Hmph, just get a sample of her blood, infused with her chakra. Then place it in the center of this scroll." Sasori ordered rolling out the scroll across the table.

"Right." Kisame muttered grabbing his samhada off the wall. "Don't move, or I might accidentally cut off your arm." Kisame said with a smirk. Hinata shut her eyes as his sword came closer. "Sakura-chan..."

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Sakura abruptly woke up, panting. Looking around, she found herself in a dark room, on a bed. "Why the heck am I here? I would have thought I would have returned to my cell." Sakura thought aloud.

"You would have, if I still believe you couldn't escape from it so easily." A voice said from the corner.

"I'd take it, that this is your room?" Sakura asked, getting off the bed, never leaving Itachi from her sight.

"Hn." Itachi nodded. "If you even try to escape I'll have to kill you."

"Why are you even keeping me alive in the first place? What are you doing to Hinata-chan? Where is she?" Sakura asked.

"You'll see in good time." Itachi said walking towards the door.

"You bastard! Leave her alone!" Sakura yelled about to charge, but found herself against the wall. Sakura started coughing from the impact, but her glare never wavered. Both her wrists were above her head, each in Itachi's grip.

"Who do you think you're talking like that to girl? You're either foolish or brave to be saying that to the leader of the Akatsuki." Itachi said, his sharingan spinning dangerously.

"All I see is Sasuke's mad brother. I don't know how Sasuke could be related to one such as yourself." Sakura spat out.

"He is weak. Having friends and useless bonds made him that way."

"No, you're the one who's weak!" Itachi pushed her further into the wall, causing Sakura to go into another coughing fit.

"Friends and bonds are what make you stronger!" Sakura continued.

"They hold you back, they lower your potential. You could have saved yourself when you escaped, but instead you chose to save the princess; and now you're here. A foolish choice indeed."

"How is it foolish to try and save the ones you love? Even Sasuke understands that, and was he not raised the same way as you?" Sakura argued.

"No...He wasn't." Itachi said in a dangerous tone, as though he was recalling forgotten memories. "You seem to have a liking for my younger brother."

Sakura lightly blushed. "He's my friend, something I bet you don't have!"

"Hn." Itachi smirked, as he leaned closer to her. Sakura struggled to push him away from her, but the grip he had on her wrists were too strong. "Damn it, I'm out of chakra. Of all the times!" She angrily thought.

"If you're so sure that friendships and bonds make you stronger, prove it." Itachi whispered, his breath hitting her face.

"What?" Sakura asked, confused.

"We'll have a duel in the morning, two hours after sunrise, when your chakra has replenished. If you win, I'll set both you and the Hyuuga princess free." Itachi said. Shocking Sakura.

"And if I were to lose?" She asked, not sure she wanted to her his answer.

"If you lose, she will remain my prisoner, and you will pledge you allegiance to the Akatsuki as our medic." Itachi said, releasing her from his hold.

"Do you accept?" Itachi asked, with a smirk.

"If I don't do anything, Hinata and I are surely going to die in a place like this. This may be my only chance, but against Itachi. This must be one of his sick games that he's sure that he's going to win. But do I really have a choice, who's to say he wouldn't force me to be their medic if I don't accept? There's only one thing I can do." She thought.

"I accept." Sakura said with determination.

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AN: So how was it? A little short I know. Sorry. But a anyways...ummm...yeah. Thanks for reading! Oh, don't forget to review. XP

-Halfbreed741