Catch me as I fall

Say you're here and it's all over now

Speaking to the atmosphere

No one's here, and I fall into myself

:

This truth drives me into madness

I know I can stop the pain

If I will it all away,

If I will it all away

:

Don't turn away

(Don't give into the pain)

Don't try to hide

(Though they're screaming your name)

Don't close your eyes

(God knows what lies behind them)

Don't turn out the light

(Never sleep, never die)

:

I'm frightened by what I see

But somehow I know that there's much more to come

Immobilized by my fear, and soon to be

Blinded by tears

Excerpt from "Whisper" by Evanescence

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any Evanescence songs.

Silent Sacrifice Chapter 12: Phantasm (My Dream, Your Reality)

Bright lights imprinted on her eyelids, and the uncertain hum of silence. She felt a warm presence to her right, and, a little further off, more warmth clustered together.

Her eyebrow twitched slightly. She tried to inhale, but it instead came out as a gasp, and her eyes flew open as she coughed harshly. When finished, she blinked, and glanced around her.

And met a pair of glassy, pure blue eyes.

"Hey, Naruto," she croaked. "Long time no see."

Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he leaned over to wrap his arms around her and clutch her to him. She wasn't completely healed, but the pain was irrelevant to her.

Because she was in the arms of her best friend, and they were together.

"Sakura-chan," he said, voice rough, "you came back. I just can't believe you're here, after two years -" His voice broke, and his hold on her tightened.

As he held her, she was lifted off her hospital bed slightly, and her view of the room broadened. Over Naruto's shoulder, she saw Ino crying along with Tenten and Hinata. Beside them stood Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji, Inuzuka Kiba, Akimichi Chouji, Aburame Shino, Rock Lee, Sai, Yamato, and Shizune.

Sakura felt the tears in her own eyes overflow as she looked to the left and met Tsunade's watering golden gaze. Kakashi stood beside her, his one visible eye soft.

And, with all the strength she could muster, she crushed Naruto to her, buried her face in his neck.

And she cried.

"Itachi?"

The Uchiha glanced at his Akatsuki partner with weary obsidian orbs.

Kisame peered at him. "I'm thinking we need to take a break. That medic said you shouldn't be moving around at all, and we've already traveled five miles."

Itachi just stared, his gaze bleak and cold.

Kisame grinned lopsidedly. "Fine, fine. Have it your way. Just don't take the fact that your dear little apprentice isn't with you anymore out on me."

The Uchiha's eyes flickered crimson for a moment before he turned away and quickened his pace.

He had already caught himself - in the last week since she had left - searching for her chakra signature around him, thinking of what she would talk to him about as they meditated, waking up with a strange, vague feeling of panic when he sensed she wasn't around him…

He didn't need to be reminded that she was gone, and wasn't coming back.

"So, Sakura," Tsunade began as she planted herself down at her desk, "I think it's time for you to explain yourself." Her eyes flashed metallic. "Tell us everything."

It had been a whole week since her fight with Itachi, and she had just been released from the hospital yesterday. Now completely healed, Sakura took in the sight before her. Jiraiya stood beside the Hokage to her left, Kakashi to her right. Naruto sat in the chair to Sakura's left, holding her hand tightly in his.

Four people. Seven watching eyes. One story to tell.

Sakura breathed in deeply. She began steadily with the words, "I met Uchiha Itachi two years ago, and he offered me something I couldn't ignore." Her hand squeezed Naruto's, and he squeezed back. Her voice, when she continued, shook slightly. "He offered to show me the way to bring Sasuke back."

She glanced over at Naruto and saw his questioning, glassy eyes. When she looked, Kakashi's expression was neutral - but she knew better to believe what was on the outside.

With a calm tone, she continued, "He offered, and I accepted. We made it out to seem like he was forcefully taking me, so you wouldn't get suspicious."

Tsunade frowned, and her gaze narrowed.

Sakura kept her face clear of any emotions. "If you haven't noticed, I have marks on my skin." She pointed to the gleaming gold claw-like marks at the corner of each eye, and removed her hitai-ate to show the gold-pronged symbol on her forehead. Across from her, she saw Jiraiya's eyes widen considerably.

"You see, Itachi offered to train me - and train me well he did." She smiled softly. "But he also had something else planned for me."

Desunei, mind showing yourself?

The Tigress chuckled lightly. 'Might as well.'

Sakura stood from her chair and felt the symbol on her forehead fill with chakra. When she looked down, she saw the rest of her marks - the endlessly intercepting golden vines - fill her skin.

Naruto's voice came out warily. "Sakura-chan…?"

The chakra stopped moving, and then the Tigress was in the room, her form concrete and real. She sat next to Sakura, but even sitting came up to the pink-haired kunoichi's shoulders. Her russet fur was smooth and silky, her green-gold slit eyes inquisitive and intelligent.

Sakura placed a hand on the Tigress Spirit's soft head. "This is the Fujin na Tora Seishin, and I am her host."

"What are you planning to do now that the girl is gone?" Pein's Rinnegan eyes were blank, seemingly sightless.

Across from him, "Tobi" sat in a chair, his legs crossed in front of him and hands joined in his lap. His single Sharingan eye gleamed from amongst the swirling of his orange mask. "Nothing in particular," Madara's voice began coldly. "We will continue on with what we already have intended." His eye narrowed. "Now that we know she is strong enough to defeat Itachi, even in his diseased state, and it has been proven that the Fujin na Tora Seishin's powers can be properly used, we must wait until the time is right to act." The Akatsuki founder leaned forward and placed his hands on the desk. "For now, let the sealing of the Yonbi commence."

"He's almost dead," Itachi observed, voice smooth. "Be careful handling such an old man."

Kisame roughly adjusted his catch - the Yonbi, or Four Tails - that was slung across Samehada's edge. The Mist-nin snorted slightly. "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew the bastard," he replied, unforgiving. "This guy wasn't easy to take down, I assure you. You wouldn't understand the trouble I went through to capture him."

Itachi glanced at his partner, and then shifted his eyes to stare morosely at the soaked ground. Around him, rain continued to pour relentlessly. "Hmph."

"Of course," Kisame mused, "I was the one who wanted to fight him alone. But with your condition, who can blame me? When the time comes, maybe you'll even let me have a go at your jinchuriki, too. What an interesting battle that will come out to be, since your target is Sakura's teammate."

The Uchiha's tone was flat and not amused. "Don't get cocky, Kisame. After all, we have plenty of time before my mission needs to be acted upon. The Hachibi has still yet to be captured."

The shark-like shinobi grinned crookedly. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Just then, the small chakra signal from their Leader flashed within them. Itachi glanced toward the sky, the corner of his mouth tilted upward minutely. "He has good timing."

Together, their spirits were sent to the large cave where the Demonic Statue (or Gedo Mazo) was kept. The cave was dark, and Itachi could barely pick out the static-like forms of the other six remaining members, including Kisame.

"You're late," Pein stated emotionlessly from the other side of the cavern.

"We just caught the jinchuriki a few moments ago, and had to make sure we had him fully secured," Kisame explained. "Excuse us for the wait."

"Well, then, it looks like everyone's here," Pein commented, his Rinnegan eyes the only solid part of him.

"Hey, Itachi, I heard that your little Konoha plaything escaped, yeah," Deidara began, a smirk barely visible on his shimmering face. "Too bad. Tobi here said she was quite easy on they eyes, and I wanted to meet her, yeah."

Itachi's eyes narrowed noticeably.

"Did ya at least get to have your fun with her while you had her, hm?"

"Deidara, I would shut up if I were you," Kisame advised loudly.

The blonde-haired man opened his mouth to reply, but Pein cut in swiftly. "Enough of that," the Leader commanded. "We don't have much time, so we must get started as soon as possible."

The room instantly silenced.

Pein's eyes flashed as he continued, "Now let us begin."

When Sakura finished her long story, she met the gazes of the four people in the room steadily, her breath even and unhindered. Desunei was now once again in the kunoichi's mind, and her presence gave Sakura the reassurance she so desperately needed.

Kakashi was the first to break the silence. "Sakura, you're meaning to tell us that you took Uchiha Itachi on and defeated him single-handedly?"

Her fist clenched at her side, but she nodded anyway. "Hai, Kakashi-sensei."

The copy-nin ran a hand through his spiky silver hair and sighed as he leaned against the wall behind him. "Well, damn. I have to admit - I'm impressed beyond words."

Beside her, Naruto smiled weakly. "And I was proud of myself for making chuunin level. What an overstatement."

Sakura felt a pang in her heart. "Naruto," she said sternly, "you have no right to judge yourself like that. Making chuunin level is a huge accomplishment."

"Compared to defeating Uchiha Itachi?" he replied, and she could see the self-disappointment begin to churn in his cerulean blue eyes.

"Naruto," Tsunade bit out harshly, "you are one of the strongest shinobi I know, so don't you even try going down that road with me. I will not tolerate it in the least."

The blonde jinchuriki averted his gaze.

Sakura felt another pang go through her, and so she reached out and grasped Naruto's hand in hers once again. He looked up in surprise, and, upon meeting her soft, caring eyes, smiled a radiant smile.

"I know, I'll shut up now," he said quietly. "The most important thing is that you're here with us. Nothing else matters."

Sakura smiled back. "Exactly." However, her smile dimmed as she turned back to Tsunade and Jiraiya before her. "But that's not really all, is it? I left of my own free will, so I must be punished. Doesn't the whole village know what I've done?"

Tsunade's gaze darkened. "I was meaning to speak with you about that. Only our group of trusted people know the truth of your 'kidnapping.' The Elders still believe Itachi forcefully took you, as does the rest of the village."

Sakura frowned, confused. "But, that one day so long ago, when we accidentally ran into Sai and Naruto, Sai said the whole of Konoha would know of my defection."

The Hokage grinned wryly. "You can thank your blonde teammate over here for that one. He threatened to kill Sai if he ever said anything, and, of course, when Sai reported to me when they first got back, I told him he was not allowed to speak of it."

The pink-haired kunoichi blinked. "B-but why would you do that? If I were anyone else, I would be put on a death sentence -"

"But that's just it, Sakura-chan," Naruto cut in. "You're not just anyone else. I made sure long ago that Sasuke won't be sentenced to death when he returns" - Sakura smiled a little at hearing him say 'when Sasuke returns' as if he were entirely sure it was going to happen - "and I'd hate myself if I didn't do the same for you. After hearing your reasons for leaving, you especially don't deserve it."

Sakura could hardly believe her ears. "So I'm free, then? I'm not going to be punished?"

Jiraiya finally jumped into the conversation as he said, "You will be assigned a different watchman to accompany you every day for a month, but it will always be one out of your age group of shinobi. After that time, if you have proved yourself trustworthy -"

"When she proves herself trustworthy," Naruto interrupted, his gaze locked on Jiraiya harshly.

"Yes, yes, when you prove yourself trustworthy," the sannin continued, his eyes narrowed at the blonde jinchuriki, "you will be free to go on missions and whatnot."

When Sakura smiled, it was sincere and real. "I can't tell you how thankful I am. I promise you will not regret your decision."

"And I hope that promise will be kept," Tsunade added, her golden gaze warm.

"All right, I'll be her watchman for today!" Naruto announced, and hopped out of his chair. He grabbed Sakura's hand and led her out the door, yelling, "Come on, Kakashi-sensei, we're all going to go to Ichiraku's and celebrate! You have to come!"

His voice faded as they walked further off.

"Well," Kakashi stated, "I'd best be going. I can't afford to miss my student's return celebration."

Just as he was about to leap out the window, Tsunade called, "Kakashi, do you think she'll be fine?"

The copy-nin paused and turned his head to meet her serious gaze. "I have complete faith in her, Tsunade-sama." And he disappeared in a blur of movement.

Jiraiya came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. In his rough voice, he said quietly, "We'll make sure she's safe, Tsunade. Even with the Fujin na Tora Seishin sealed within her, we'll make sure Akatsuki knows Sakura is not theirs to take."

When Sakura arrived at the one-story apartment Tsunade had prepared for Sakura at the pink-haired girl's request four days ago (because at seventeen-and-a-half years old, she was in need of her own place - she'd had a teary reconciliation at Ichiraku earlier that evening with her parents, and they had fully supported her in her decision to live on her own), she immediately scoured the area, memorizing its possible escape routes (in case of an emergency), checking under the furniture, looking in all the cabinets, until the whole apartment's layout was imprinted into her mind, never to be forgotten.

She was glad Naruto had said she didn't need a watchman to look after her at night, because she wasn't sure she'd be able to fully relax enough to sleep, constantly wanting to keep track of the chakra signatures around her (even if it were one of her close friends). It had been so long since she'd been around and conversed with people other than Itachi or Kisame, so her senses were on full alert, and she knew it would be at least two or three days before she became completely at ease with her surroundings.

With a sigh, she walked wearily to what she assumed was the master bedroom, and placed away everything she had brought from her parents' house when she had stopped there just before she arrived at her new apartment. She had pretty much stopped growing around the time she left Konoha, so almost all of her old clothes still fit her. When she finished, she took a nice, hot, long shower, brushed her teeth, and then changed into her pajamas before she climbed into her bed, and coaxed herself to sleep.

Just like that, a week passed. Every day people would come up to her, saying how happy they were she was okay, how lucky she was for being able to survive in the clutches of Uchiha Itachi. If they asked any questions about her two-year stay with the Uchiha, she would kindly reply that that information was classified by command of the Hokage (Tsunade had told Sakura to keep it simple in denying people any details). Apparently, they all believed she had snuck away from her captors when they weren't paying attention (when she heard this, she inwardly laughed - Itachi and Kisame weren't in Akatsuki for nothing, but, then again, civilians didn't know much about the clinical ways of shinobi). When they asked about the golden marks on her face, she would reply that it was simply shinobi facial paint.

Sakura was only allowed to truly answer to the questions of the people who knew the real story of her absence, which basically came down to the Konoha Twelve and the people Tsunade believed she could trust (which, ultimately, came down to most of the shinobi Sakura knew).

Each day, she and Naruto (and whoever it was out of their group of friends chosen to watch her) would go out and train together. Just as she guessed, he had improved greatly in the last two years, and they both had their fair shares of wins and losses. They were pretty equally matched - where Naruto was able to continue fighting for what seemed like forever, she could heal any wound that came her way. Sometimes, she found herself dimming down her skills a bit for him, but she knew that he could easily become a stronger shinobi than herself, given the time and practice. So, to help him along that path in becoming stronger, she promised to teach him what she could of what she had learned in her time with Itachi.

Since gaining chuunin status a year ago, Naruto had begun training for the next upcoming Jonin Exams (she found out that they were in just another two months). He demanded that she participate with him when the time came, and she laughingly agreed (because, honestly, she felt prepared for just about anything that came her way). He informed her that out of their group of friends, Shikamaru and Neji had already made it to ANBU level, while the rest had risen to jonin level.

Sakura found herself itching to spar with either Neji or Shikamaru, but unfortunately neither of them were her watchman during the week, and so she didn't see them.

On the day that Ino became her watchman, the blonde held a sleepover at her recently-purchased apartment and invited Tenten and Hinata along with Sakura to stay for the night.

During those times spent with her old friends, Sakura was reminded once again how lucky she was to have a second chance. Because she couldn't even think about what she would do if they had rejected her.

At the end of the seventh day since she had told her full story of her time with Itachi, Inuzuka Kiba (her watchman for the day) walked her home, and they said their goodnights to each other respectively at her doorstep. When he was gone, Sakura stepped inside her apartment and closed the door behind her softly, sinking to the floor soon after and burying her face in her crossed arms.

She couldn't believe how quickly things had changed for her. Just three weeks ago she was still with Itachi, and just two weeks ago she left him.

It made her heart pound a little at the thought that he was still out there somewhere, at that very moment.

She inhaled shakily and forced herself to get to her feet and move to her bedroom. After a quick shower and her normal nightly routine, she fell into her bed, and was asleep within ten seconds.

Itachi knew he should have just continued along with his original route. He knew he only had so much time left. He knew he needed to act quickly.

But he also knew he couldn't do anything else unless he saw her again.

So that was how he found himself breaking into Konoha's boundaries (of course, without the knowledge of anyone in the village), and tracking down her overly-familiar chakra signature.

When he located the apartment she was in, he was relieved to sense that only her chakra signature could be detected. Silently, stealthily, he approached her slightly opened window, and made sure his own chakra signature was dampened down as far as he could manage. Sure that he was concealed, he noiselessly pushed open her window and slid into her room.

Pink hair splayed across a pillow, pale skin gleaming in the faint light, lips parted minutely, breathing even, eyes sealed closed.

Sakura.

His Sakura.

Itachi inhaled delicately before he took a step forward, then another. She didn't stir. Another couple of steps, and he was right beside her, the warmth she gave off radiating to him.

He should not have made a detour.

Itachi knew he needed to leave quickly, so, inaudibly, he reached up to his neck and unhooked the three-beaded necklace that rested there. It came off easily in his hands, and he gently placed it on the table beside her bed. He wanted to give her something to remember him by, always.

Leave, now, he told himself.

But he couldn't make himself move, and instead found himself even closer to her side. Her face was turned toward him, the breath exhaling lightly from her nostrils, her lips now sealed together.

Leave. Stop what you are doing, and leave.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned down and placed a tender palm on her cheek.

You are making this harder on yourself. You are thinking of things you will never be able to have.

He didn't care.

And so he leaned down further still, closed his eyes, and kissed her.

He did not move for what seemed like eternity. He kept his lips slanted over hers, not wanting to pull away, wanting to stay with her for as long as he could. Her lips were so warm, so soft, so tempting. At the same time, his hand gently caressed her cheek, fingered at the small strands of hair that rested there.

Still, she did not awaken.

Pull away now, and leave.

He had to obey, and so he gradually lifted away from her, opened his eyes, and allowed himself one last glance at her peaceful, sleeping form before he slid out her window and continued on to what he had been planning for so long.

You will not see her again.

"Come out, whoever you are." Sasuke's voice was detached, relentless, as he spoke.

A figure clad in a black cloak with swirling red clouds decorating it stepped out of the forest before him. The figure had a bright orange mask on that covered his whole face, save for a cut-out hole where his right eye was.

Sasuke's face remained impassive. "You're -"

"So, you're Sasuke-kun, huh?" The figure's voice was excited, like a child, almost. "You sure do look a lot like Itachi-san!"

At that, Sasuke sent the Akatsuki member - obvious from his cloak - a piercing glare.

Instantly, the child-like figure hid himself behind a tree. "Damn, you're scary!" he declared.

Just then, Sasuke heard the nearly silent brush of wings against air, and glanced up only to find a large clay bird with another Akatsuki member upon it rushing toward him.

During her time with Itachi, Sakura had begun to consider herself a pretty light sleeper. At any sudden sound or disturbance, her eyes would flash open, and she would find herself fully alert, ready for action.

But apparently, as she dreamed, that was not the case.

In her dream, she and Itachi were sitting across from each other, crossed-legged, with their hands in their laps. Unpolished obsidian met watered-down jade, and the distance between them accounted to only a foot.

Sakura's eyes glanced down at a slight movement in her peripheral vision, and she watched as Itachi's hand came up to his neck. He cleanly unclasped the necklace he always wore before he leaned forward and placed it around Sakura's own neck, re-clasping it for her with a flick of his fingers.

A short pause followed, and still he did not remove his hand from where it rested at the base of her neck. Slowly, he moved his hand upward until it cupped the back of her head, and, ever gentle, began to close the distance between them, his lowered gaze soft like she had never seen it before.

Sakura found herself closing her eyes and leaning forward with him just as she bolted upright in her bed, and the dream was severely ended.

Her heart hammered away in her chest, and she took several deep breaths to clear her mind of its incessant chaos: Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, Itachi -

'Sakura,' the Tigress said quietly, instantly halting the pandemonium in the kunoichi's mind, 'look at the bedside table.'

Sakura frowned a little, puzzled, and shifted her gaze to the table at her right. For a moment, her eyes focused upon the clock she had placed there - to her surprise, she found that she had slept in two hours: it was already nine o'clock - before they moved to the small, stringed object beside it.

Any thoughts froze, and Sakura swore she felt her heart freeze as well.

Itachi's necklace. Right there, coiled in front of her.

Her heart then resumed its previous pace, and she sensed the blood pounding away in her head, filling the silence in her ears.

Ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum -

He had been there, in her room, while she was sleeping.

And he had left her his necklace.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Naruto didn't even try to dim his voice as he barged into her apartment (he had a copy of the key) and rushed into her room, where her chakra signature was pulsing softly.

He pushed his way into the room, and found her sitting on her bed, staring into space with a pained expression as she gently fingered the necklace around her neck (vaguely, he remembered seeing it before, but the thought left him as quickly as it came).

Her eyes snapped to him as he entered her room, and she stood up quickly. "What's wrong, Naruto?" Her voice held a layer of worry. "Did something happen -"

"Everything's fine, Sakura-chan," Naruto cut in, his eyes wide and excited. "Tsunade wants us all at her office now. We have a mission."

She was already pulling out her kunoichi outfit, all thoughts of the necklace set aside for the moment. "What mission?"

A grin grew on his lips. "I haven't heard all the details yet," he replied, "but from what I know, Sasuke defeated and killed the Akatsuki member Deidara, and now he's on his way to find Itachi."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"We're going to catch Sasuke while we have the chance."

A/N: Please, please, please review! The more reviews, the faster I write, and the quicker chapters come out. So, please, if you read this chapter (and if you're one of those people who usually reads without leaving a comment), tell me your thoughts! I love to hear from you guys, and, to those who have stayed with me since basically the beginning (namely Akatsuki Sakura Uchiha, Tiger Priestess, AlwaySakura, and Angelic Snow), thank you so much!