Chapter 6

Bloodstained

The fist pounded strongly into his jaw again. Itachi stumbled back, the familiar coppery taste of blood filling his mouth. Every day, it was the same everything for him: Wake up, do work around the Akatsuki Lair, get raped, rest, get beaten. Pretty shit life really. The strong smell of alcohol stale on Kisame's ragged breath only added to his fear. The bastard was drunk out of his head again. Growling, Kisame pulled a trembling Itachi to his feet, smashing his fist into his stomach this time. The raven groaned and doubled over in pain, coughing.

"Shut your fucking mouth, you stupid whore!"

"Kisame, I-" He was cut off by another blow to the stomach. This time, he couldn't inhale or exhale, collapsing, he lay groaning on the icy stone floor, coughing up all the remaining air from his lungs.

"Don't you dare speak to me!" Kisame hissed, landing a sharp kick to his side. That only resulted in Itachi's ribs being cracked.

"You're drunk! Go away!" He cried, scrambling helplessly on the floor. Days like these would go by so slowly and Itachi could only wish to lose consciousness whilst being either beaten or fucked senseless. He tried to get up, but Kisame kicked him in the head and stamped on his back. "Don't you dare try to move you fucking whore! I'll rip out your guts and ram them down that ungrateful throat of yours!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Get the sacrificial chamber prepared! Our guest will be arriving soon."

"Hai." As he stood to work, Kisame slapped him round the face, knocking him down again. "Move it, slut!"

"Gomen." Hurriedly, he scrambled to his feet and limped quickly towards the cleaning cupboard. Kisame growled. "Fucking hurry up, bitch! Or do you want to die?!"

"Kisame, forgive me!"

"What did you call me?!"

"Gomen! Gomen!" He screamed as he was slammed into the cupboard. "Let me out!"

"No! You can stay in there until after Gaara is dead. Maybe then you will learn your lesson." Snapped Kisame through the door. Itachi then heard the crack of the lock. His heart sank. "No! No! Let me out! Please!" He banged his fists so hard against the door that his kunckles bled and broke. After an hour, his sobs and pleas were reduced to sniffling and whimpering. It looked like he would be in there for a while. The cupboard smelt strongly of bleach and other chemicals; most used for medical purposes. As he sat in there, his mind drifted subconsciously back to Gaara. He wondered if he'd got a job or had a girlfriend. Anything really. What had Temari and Kankuro been doing with themselves? As his hopes got high, his stomach knotted up as he remembered why he was in the cleaning cupboard in the first place. Of course; Gaara was going to die. Well, he was supposed to die, but Itachi had a plan. His friend would not be killed. Once Gaara had been brought in, Itachi would take him out of the dreaded prison and get him safely back home.

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Gaara stirred slightly, his surroundings dark and cold. No, not cold. It was icy, unwelcoming and any other negative word he could think of. He hurt all over, bleeding from a gash across his chest and wincing every few seconds when a dull ache broke out through his body.

"You awake, child?" Asked a deep male voice that Gaara did not recognise.

There was no use in pretending he was still unconscious. Opening his eyes, he blinked a few times, letting his vision adjust to the darkness. "Where am I?"

"Hn. Remember me?" Said Deidara's voice.

"Deidara?"

"Yes. Have you met my partner?"

"I am Sasori of the Red Sands. We met your brother earlier." Said the man that the other voice belonged to.

"What did you do to him?!" He hissed.

"Taught him a lesson. You're lucky to have him care so much. He's so protective over his little brother isn't he?"

"Did you fucking hurt him?!"

"More than that. I'd say that he doesn't have long left now. He's probably dead already unless somebody found him."

"Kankuro is strong! He isn't dead!" He felt tears building up, but blinked them away.

"So you say."

"We are the Akatsuki. I'm sure you've heard of us, with you being the Kazekage and all. A little young to rule a village aren't you? I mean, how old are you? Fifteen? No wonder you lost the battle with Deidara."

"Shut the fuck up." Wonderful. What ever could be better than laying injured under the care of the most dangerous criminals in the country? Being dead.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. You'll be killed soon anyway."

Oh goodie. How exciting. Moving on to the afterlife or whatever to meet your dead father who abused you as a child. What a wonderful way to spend eternity! Not.

"Nobody will know what happened to you, Gaara, you will be dead and nobody will mourn your death. They'd love to see your gravestone. Don't you see? Nobody loves you and they want you to die and get out of their miserable lives. Not even your family love you. Your dad does though. Oh, how he got that lovely feeling of excitement when he beat you up. I bet you'd love to see him again, because you will go to hell when you die, just like your drunken bastard of a father."

"Shut up." Said Gaara.

"Do you remember that pain? Your bloodstains all over your bedroom walls. Did you paint over them marks torture?"

"I said shut up!" He yelled with acid in his voice.

"You can experience those beautiful memories yet again can't you? You love your father don't you?"

Gaara jumped at the sound of the front door slamming. He sat in the lounge with his siblings. At nine years old, though still a child, he knew what was going to happen to him. His older siblings looked toward the hall where their father now staggered about, drunk out of his mind, fear in their eyes. Gaara didn't feel fear, he was so used to the beatings that he had to endure that he was used to it. He looked on as his brother and sister stood infront of him, feebly trying to protect their younger sibling. Their father staggered in and shoved a young teenage boy into the room. The boy was skinny and pale with raven coloured hair and tortured grey eyes as empty as his soul. He winced as he slammed into the laminate floor. He didn't even move; he just lay there weakly.

"Meet Itachi Uchiha, our new slave." Slurred the Fourth Kazekage.

The siblings remained quiet, but kept their gaze fixated on the boy.

"Where's Gaara?"

They said nothing. Gaara knelt behind them, wondering what his father would do to him this time.

The Fourth Kazekage turned onto the eldest child. "Temari, where is your brother?"

She kept silent.

"Where is he?!" He hissed, twisting her head sharply to face him. She gazed into his unforgiving hazel eyes, but acted as if she didn't hear him.

The fourth Kazekage growled and hit Temari across the face. The twelve year-old girl let out a choked sob and scrambled into the corner, looking back to give Gaara a pitiful look. Kankuro turned pale and followed her.

"There you are." Said their father, spotting Gaara immediately.

"Father, don't hurt them." Whimpered the young boy.

"Oh, I won't hurt them, don't worry." He glared menacingly at his son and slammed him into the wall.

"Dad, please don't. I love you." Gaara lied with ease, but really, he despised every inch of him.

"Shut your mouth, you ungrateful waste of space!" He snapped, landing a powerful strike into Gaara's abdomen. The child coughed up blood and collapsed. "Dad, stop!"

"No! You need to learn your lesson!" He pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the leg, grinning at his other children as they wept in terror. Temari stood up. "Daddy, leave him alone!"

"Shut up, or do you want to end up like him?"

"You're going to kill him! Stop it!"
Gaara pushed himself up weakly. "Stay out of this or he'll hurt you!"

"Gaara, you'll be fine, okay?"

He nodded and screamed from a kick by his father. Now, his vision was going fuzzy and the pain from each punch or kick was fading. He blacked out.

Gaara stood, feeling so dizzy that he fell straight back down. "Ow. Dammit."

"I wouldn't move around too much if I were you. Un" Piped up Deidara.

"It's my fucking body and I can do what I want with it!"

"If you say so. Just don't come crying to me when you pass out."

"I won't."

"Then don't."

Gaara fought the pain and dizziness and stood up, facing the pair of men.

"Right. Because you're so worthless I'll make you walk the rest of the way. Un." Said Deidara, smiling nastily.

"I'm not moving anywhere." Gaara stated, sitting down on the sandy floor as they stalked away.

"Fine, I'll drag you the rest of the way." Called the blonde over his shoulder. Sasori tackled Gaara to the floor, tightly binding his hands together with rusty chains. As the men walked, they pulled Gaara behind them. He felt one of his arms begin to break from the chains as they grew tighter. "Okay! Okay! I'll walk!" He yelled desperately.

"Good. That's what I thought you said." They stopped, allowing Gaara to stand and walked on.

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The commotion outside was unbearably noisy. Itachi guessed that the Akatsuki were having some sort of meeting. Opening his eyes, he realised he was still inside the cleaning cupboard. The voices outside eventually began to fade away and he heard the door unlock. Kisame stood in front of him as the wooden door swung open.

"Itachi, Come out! What happened to you?!"

"You shoved me in here when you got drunk." Replied the younger boy, shielding his eyes from the light.

"I did?"

"Yes."

Kisame pulled him out. "I'm sorry, my little toy. Forgive me please!"

Itachi shrugged. His eyes adjusted to the light and he noticed the rusty weapons strung high around the room. His throat suddenly clenched. "You've killed him haven't you? Gaara's dead isn't he?"

"Not yet. He needs to heal a bit more from the injuries he sustained." Replied the man simply.

"Can I see him?" Asked the raven, his heart lifting slightly.

"If you want." Kisame gestured over to an iron door. Shaking, Itachi weakly pushed himself up and staggered cautiously into the unknown room.

"Gaara, you in here?" He asked.

"Hm?" A familiar red-haired boy perked up at the sound of his name. He gasped. "Itachi!"

"Gaara!"

Itachi stared at his friend for a long few seconds. He wanted to hug him, but he didn't know how his friend would react. Gaara had changed dramatically; he was thin. Too thin. It looked as if he hadn't eaten in days. Also, he looked tired and the dark rings that encircled his dull aqua orbs were bigger, only adding to the effect of his pale skin and making it look whiter.

"You've changed." They both said in unison.

Gaara smiled ever so slightly. "Still stuck in here, huh?"

"Is the grass green?" Itachi ran over to him. "I missed you so much, Gaara."

"I missed you too."

Itachi winced suddenly in pain and collapsed.

"Hey, are you okay?!" Asked Gaara, helping him to his feet. That was when he noticed the wounds and bruises. "It looks like you've broken something."

"I'm fine. Just a little woozy."

"That bastard hits you doesn't he?"

Itachi kept silent. "How are your brother and sister?"

"Don't change the subject. Let me see to your injuries."

"Have you got a job now?"

"Yes."

"Medic I'm guessing?"

"No. I'm the Kazekage."

"You what?!"

"It kinda sucks to be honest. All you do is sign papers and agree to random crap about wars and stuff. It's boring. The only good thing about it is having people wait on you hand and foot." He said in a bored tone. "Keep still."

"You got a girlfriend?"

"Boyfriend."

"So you're gay?"

"Bi."

"Right."

"What you been doing with yourself in these two years?"

"The usual. Who's your boyfriend?"

Gaara froze and dropped his gaze to the floor.

"What's wrong?"

"If I tell you, you'll kill me."

"Who?"

Gaara took a deep breath. "Sasuke."

"You're dating my brother?!"

"I'm sorry!"

Itachi smirked. "Don't be. Seriously. If he makes you happy, then that's fine."

"Thanks."

He flinched as Gaara began to heal him.

"Keep still, I know it hurts but I'm being as careful as I can."

"Sorry. Hey, Gaara?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll get you out of here. Don't worry."

"You just look after yourself. I'm going to die anyway."

"So, you know about that do you?"

"Unfortunately."

"Aren't you scared?"

"Not really. When your time is up, your time is up, right? Sitting here moping about and feeling sorry for myself isn't going to change anything."

"Come on, I won't let you die."

"You can't save me again. I never did anything for you last time we were here and it kills me."

"You did do something."

"What?"
"You didn't give up on finding me."

"Of course I didn't! Do you really think that I'd leave you to rot in here? I've been looking for you ever since I got out of the hospital!"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks by the way."
"For what?"

"Healing me. Just make sure that your chakra doesn't get too low."

"I'm perfectly fine."

"How are your siblings?"

He saw Gaara wince visibly. "I- I don't know."
"What do you mean?"

"Temari is fine, but, Kankuro... he..." The younger boy couldn't carry on. He looked away, tears in his eyes.

"Gaara, what happened?!"

"I'm just being stupid, really."

"Tell me what's wrong!"

The younger boy bit his lip. "Kankuro g-got hurt." He said shakily, blinking the tears away.
"Not serious is it?"

He nodded slowly.

"Listen, whatever is wrong with him, I'm sure he'll pull through."

"It's my fault he's injured."

"Why is it?"

"He came after me when I was kidnapped and he got hurt trying to save my life."

"It's not your fault. It's them damn Akatsuki bastards that deserve to feel guilty!"

"I know but... I'm going to be killed and if Kankuro doesn't pull through... Temari, she'll be on her own! It's not fair on her!"

"None of you are going to die! Kankuro is fine! He's looking for you like everybody else in Suna. He's alive and well."

"I hope so."

"Good."

"How will you get me out in time?"

"I'll find a way, don't you worry. Why? When are you going to be supposedly killed?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Shit.

Wooow! Another chapter, the updates are coming so fast! Hope you like this chapter! -Gives you all Oreos x]- You're all fab and I love you to bits. -Glomps everybody- Aw, my lovely friends hehe. Oh, wow! My birthday on the 26th November! What will you guys get me for a present? Maybe reviews, or lemonade? Yay! No, really, knowing that you all like my story is a good enough present for me :D Yay! Oh, now with the story.

-Ahem- PREVIEW OF THE NEXT CHAPTER: :OO Gaara will be killed by the Akatsuki in the morning, will Itachi save him in time before he dies? Find out in Chapter 7 of Slave For You! I'm annoying aren't I? Woah, everybody seems to be dying in this story. o.o

Gaara: Why do I have to die?

Me: Shut up slave and bring Oreos to my reviewers!

Gaara: T_T

Me: Gawsh! I love you really! -Glomps Gaara-

Hehe

Alliteration.

~BuhBye! :]