I just want to say thank you for the wonderful reviews and all! I love reading them, they keep me going. Hopefully I can get this chapter to be as long as the others! And just so you know, I'm hoping to release a new chapter every weekend, at least for the rest of the month of August. But as soon as this month's over, yell at me. School will be starting and I'm going to be rushing to get everything settled. But if you guys yell at me, I'm sure I will comply with your every demand.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but it'd be pretty nice if I did.

The rain came down harder, screaming for attention as it pelted the figures' bodies. It had only started moments ago and it was already flooding the earth, mud puddles formed throughout the area hungrily. Lightning flashed across the sky, threatening to touch the surrounding trees of the training ground angrily.

"Give us Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke stepped forward from his team, eyes blazing through the darkened night. His hair stuck to his face, eating up the delectable skin. He stood with his hand on his katana's handle, ready to strike if needed.

Sakura's eyes glowered at the man, "Go to hell, Uchiha." I've missed you.

He didn't deserve to be called by his first name; he was a bastard, not an actual person. An arrogant Uchiha bastard. One that thought he could receive anything he wanted, anything he needed at any miserable moment. He had caused so much pain to Naruto and herself, she refused to recognize him any other way then a bastard now.

Sakura couldn't say the aggressively cruel aura didn't fit him, it did. The way his crimson eyes narrowed at her through his dark hair, it made her shiver. How he stood there with power and dominance, it made her want to run with fear. She wanted to give up and sprint for safety, but she wouldn't. She needed to be strong for Naruto, for the village and… herself.

Glaring at the four figures, she rushed chakra to her hands, ready to attack with brutal force. Her emerald eyes glistened dangerously through her pink hair that clung to her face like a second skin, the rain drenching her body. "Leave!" She roared as charged at them, fist glowing with chakra.

Suigetsu grunted, "Well she's got a bite to her." His eyes followed the woman as she ran at them, he shook his head. "These Konohagakure women, so feisty." He chuckled as he wielded the sword in both hands, preparing to swing at her. He wanted her off their backs so they could get what they came here to get. She was holding them back from what was theirs… and that needed to end here.

Sasuke sneered, eyes narrowing at Sakura as she approached. His crimson eyes flickered towards Suigetsu; he held his sword up, ready to swing at her. She was running straight into the swords range, was she not thinking?

No, she was blinded by the emotions inside her, she always had been.

Fool.

Sasuke grunted as he jumped in front of the hued man, eyes hard and cold. He grabbed Sakura's wrist as she ran at him with little effort, flinging her out of the way with a snap of his wrist. She was still weak compared to him, nothing had changed.

"What the hell Sasuke?! I was about to get her!" Suigetsu glared at the man standing in front of him. He shifted his sword, resting it on his shoulder with ease. All he wanted to do was to get rid of the woman, but he was stopped from even doing that.

Sasuke ignored the calls from Suigetsu; keeping his gaze on the form lying on the ground. He didn't need to hear his useless ramblings; he was in no mood for them, but he never was.

Sakura gasped as she stood up, stumbling. He had thrown her so easily, like it had been an everyday task. Her eyes widened as she looked at the dark figure through half lidded eyes. She really didn't know this man; he was a stranger to her.

He was stronger, deadly.

A shiver crept down her spine as Sasuke walked towards her, lazily. Was she really this small compared to him? Was she really no challenge? She had gotten stronger, yes; but to him, no. She was… nothing?

He was colder, uncaring.

She fell to her knees, mud squelching as she landed, splattering her. She gazed at him as he stopped in front of her, she wanted to die. She didn't want to look into his face, those eyes.

He was terrifying, crazed.

Her lip trembled, suppressing a weep as he bent down to her eye level. She felt weak, and it made her sick with disgust. She wasn't strong. Her life had been a waste, and she knew it. All her training–wasted.

Compared to the members of team seven, she was a decoration. There to make the group seem a little more lively. She knew all this, but she kept denying it. She didn't want to believe that she was nothing, she wouldn't accept it.

But as she looked into those Uchiha eyes, she couldn't help but believe it all. Accepting it, despite how much her mind screamed no. It was true, and he was proving it to her.

Sasuke smirked as he took in Sakura's pale face, weak. He suppressed a chuckle as he activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, seeing her gasp in shock–and fear.

He liked the way her face scrunched in pain as she slipped into his genjutsu; it made the corners of his mouth rise. The haunting emotions playing on her face, scarring it; it all made him excited.

He was sick, insane; but he was already aware of that.

Pain was his pleasure.

Sakura cried out into the nothingness. She let it all out, throwing her head back, screaming to the sky. Her fear was maximizing every second, she was terrified.

Choking a sob, she looked around her. She recognized nothing, and that drove her insane.

She sat on the ground, grass irritating her legs as she moved. The forest around her roared with wildlife, the trees' leaves rustling with visitors.

"Aa, there you are."

Sakura's eyes widened at the masculine voice. She lifted her hands, staring down at them as they trembled with fright.

He was here.

The man of her dreams and nightmares stood in front of her, gripping the bloodied katana in his sickening hands.

Sakura's gaze shifted up as he sneered down. "Sasuk-"

She cut herself off with a blood curdling scream. Pain erupted through her leg, gnawing at her flesh. Her eyes flashed to her leg, crying.

Sasuke's eyes beamed as he looked down at her with his katana intruding in her lower thigh. What a lovely sight to him.

Sakura clawed at her beautiful leg, digging her nails in. The pain was excruciating, too much. She screamed; she really did want to die.

This was hell.

But it was her hell.

And she hated it.

She hated everything about it.

Sasuke chuckled as he watched her tear her leg to shreds, her nails digging into the perfect flesh, drops of blood falling to the forest floor quietly. Her pain was ecstasy to him, he wanted more.

Sakura screamed, clawing at her face as he twisted the blade in a cruel manner. She wanted out, out from it all. Her once beautiful nails dug into the flesh of her face, blood dripping and smearing across her pretty features harshly.

The sight was sickening, disgusting.

But not to him.

It was erotic.

Sakura cried out in pain and fear, it was all becoming too much. Her gorgeous emerald eyes rolled back, exposing the whites of her eyes. She let the darkness engulf her, it was peaceful. And that was what she wanted, all she craved.

Sasuke stared at her form as she fell back, mud squelching against her body. He smirked as his cruel eyes gazed at the horrified expression glued to her unconscious face.

Whatever she saw… it terrified her.

"Juugo, get the Kyuubi." Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at the three cloaked forms, now dark onyx eyes glared.

Juugo nodded; stepping towards the limp form sprawled on the ground, he picked Naruto up effortlessly. His thick muscles flexed as he shifted the body on his shoulder, grunting.

Sasuke leaned over the pink haired woman, looking at her lazily through his mysterious eyes. He tossed her over his shoulder, smirking.

She was too good to leave here; her pain was more desirable then most of his kills ever were. The way her green eyes widened at just the sight of him sent shivers down his spine. The way her body trembled as he towered over her made him want to go completely over the edge.

Her pain was his ecstasy.

"What?! Why are we bringing her?!" Karin's face scrunched at the form on Sasuke's shoulder. "We have no need for her!"

She was right, they didn't.

But he… he did have a need for her. His sweet tooth ached for her glorious pain.

And what he wants, he gets.

"Hn." Sasuke glared at the red haired woman, she was by far irritating. He would slit her throat if she didn't serve a purpose to him, but he could wait for the day she was useless. "We're leaving." His monotonic voice rang through his teams ears, fiercely.

Suigetsu snorted as Sasuke walked past him seeing the limp woman sway on his shoulder. What had the girl meant to him that was so important that he needed to take her? There was something under the surface that he wanted to dig out. Something he didn't know, and he was eager to find out exactly what it was.

Juugo walked next to Sasuke as they left; Naruto's unconscious body stern over his hard shoulder. Suigetsu and Karin trailed after them, grunting in annoyance at each other's own presence.

"How long have they been here!?" Tsunade roared as she sprinted to the training grounds with two ANBU by her side. She was furious; leave it to Akatsuki to invade when they're still settling in with the new Hokage.

The black haired ANBU member looked towards her through his mask, eyes stern and focused. "I don't know, Tsunade-sama."

It was true, no one had known how long the Akatsuki had been in Konoha; they could've spent the night for all they know. But that was doubtful; someone would've had to sensed them if that had been the case.

Tsunade glared as the training grounds came into her line of vision, picking up her pace she dashed ahead. She had had enough of Akatsuki and their unexpected intrusions. All they did was cause trouble and kill mercilessly. She was disgusted by even the thought.

She jumped onto the field, looking around with hard, honey eyes. They were gone, they were all gone. She wanted to punch something, needed to, but she wouldn't. She had control over her anger; she wasn't going to slip up now.

She turned to the ANBU who had jumped down behind her, "Where were the ANBU?! You let them come out here and fight them alone?!" She hissed through clenched teeth; her hair blew in the wind as she shifted her weight to her other leg, mud squishing.

"We were alerting the elders and council, they were unaware of the events." The two pairs of ANBU eyes looked at Tsunade blandly, nothing hidden in them.

"Fuck the council and the elders! The Hokage and his advisor are missing, Naruto and Sakura! Do you hear me?!" She glared at the two, eyes vicious. She was sick of their attitude; she wanted to punch their masks off their faces.

The ANBU gazed at her, fear growing in the bottom of their stomachs as they looked at the threatening woman. She was powerful, and they didn't want to die; they knew it would only take a small poke from her to kill them almost instantly. And it would be a painful second.

Tsunade sighed as she looked around the field, a small smirk pulled at her lips. She looked at the ground, seeing the chunks of earth sitting out of place like an explosion had occurred. It made her want to smile, "They had put up a fight."

But this was Naruto and Sakura, of course they would fight. They weren't ones to stand around and do nothing, despite how stupid the situation was. They were stubborn–stubborn fools. They would fight in a battle that they knew was hopeless, they wouldn't care as long as their precious people were safe.

That's all that mattered to both of them, sometimes they cared just too much.

Her gaze turned hard as she looked back to the silent ANBU with her, "Well since you ANBU just love talking to the council and elders, why don't you go run off and tell them that their Hokage and his advisor are missing?" She frowned at them; they should've been there with Sakura and Naruto.

But they weren't.

And now the two were gone.

The ANBU looked at her before jumping off out of the training grounds, leaving Tsunade standing there. They were going to do exactly what Tsunade told them, they were going to the council to announce the recent issue.

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose as she narrowed her eyes at the retreating ANBU figures. As far as she was concerned, they were part of the reason two were missing. They could've been there to help them, but they were busy. She'd never trusted the ANBU before, but now she really couldn't.

She looked towards the trees surrounding the training grounds, frowning as thoughts of Sakura and Naruto ran throughout her mind.

Hopefully the two were still alive.

The room was cold, frigid. The last hours of moonlight seeped through a small window high from the ground, dancing on the room's furnishings and occupants.

Sakura didn't want to open her eyes, she just wanted to curl up in a ball and die. That was all she wanted to do―and it sounded lovely to her.

She scowled at how easily the thought came through her mind, wanting to give up so quickly. Weak. She had no idea where she was, she hadn't even opened her eyes yet to look and already she wanted to give up and let her life vanish from her.

How disappointing.

She thought she was better than that, better than to fall so quickly to an enemy, better than to be captured by the same enemy―and all in one night. She thought she was strong, but now she was learning that she was wrong.

Sakura cracked open her eyes, narrowing blindly as the sudden light disrupted her vision. She brought her hands up, rubbing her eyes awake from her unconscious state. She looked up at the ceiling, it was dirty―foul.

Sitting up with a quiet sigh, her eyes scanned the room she was in. It was a disgusting room; the smell of it burned her nostrils. Sakura plugged her nose, it was a terrible smell. A mixture of smells that was obviously distinguishable, an odor someone would never want to smell.

Sex, blood, and death.

Coughing she got up from the small bed she had laid on, looking around the dark area. It was a bedroom; the small amount of furniture was beat up and carved into. The place was a wreck, torn apart from the core.

It was perfect for a criminal.

Sakura walked to the small window, hoping to see anything that gave away their locations, but there was none. Her hand unconsciously went for her kunai holder for a sense of security, but it was gone. Her brows met, they had taken her weapons. There were no sharp blades to comfort her, just freezing air.

Her head shot over, eyes scanning the area. She had heard a faint ruffle, barely audible, but it was loud enough for her to hear. Whatever was moving was still moving―and she was weaponless and running on her last bit of chakra, she couldn't help but think this was not going to end well.

Emerald eyes widened upon seeing another bed, but it wasn't the bed she was looking at; no―it was the man laying in it. His body draped over the side of the mattress, a thin, stained sheet covering his body from Sakura's view.

Her body trembled without permission, her nerves were a wreck. Her feet patted softly on the cold, stone floor as she hesitantly walked to the body. She leaned over the bed, her hand outstretched over the sheet. Her shaking hand stopped as she clenched onto the fabric, ready to tear it off.

Why was she doing this? She needed to find a way out, not peek under beddings at their occupiers. But she couldn't help herself; she knew she was going to die, and what's the difference between sooner or later? She was still going to die.

Hurriedly, Sakura yanked the sheet off. A gasp escaped her perfect lips as she stared down at the man through widened eyes. It was him.

"Naruto."

His eyes shot open after hearing his name, looking around the gloomy room. Where was he? His eyes fell on the silhouette above him, eyes rounding at who it was.

"Sakura-chan."

Naruto's hands flew to his stomach, hopelessly searching for the deep wound that had been there. But he didn't feel it; his hands grazed the bandages that wrapped around his torso.

Sakura followed his hands to where they roamed, her brows knitted. Lifting up his shirt, she stared at the stained bandages. She hadn't been the one to wrap them around Naruto; she didn't even have any gauze on her. They helped him? But the real question was, why?

Why would they waste their time helping Naruto, he couldn't be that important to them? They could've just let him die, that would've got one burden off their shoulders. But they didn't, and that was what scared Sakura the most. They needed him for something, but what?

"Where are we?" Naruto questioned; sitting up his eyes fully examined the dark, closed room.

Sakura frowned, looking at Naruto through her thick lashes. "I don't know."

They were the words no one wanted to hear, but they did.

Sakura slouched onto the bed staring stone floor with dim green eyes, no longer were they the bright radiant hue that were once loved. She was suffering inside and out, her shine was washing away minute by minute.

"That fucker, he did this. Him. Out of all people, why him?" Naruto hissed through clenched teeth, hands shaking furiously as he grasped onto the thin sheet draped on his legs. "Why, Sakura-chan, why Sasuke?!"

She stared at him through half lidded eyes; he was hurting and so was she, but the only difference was, he was letting it out. Sharing it to the world how he was feeling, how he was suffering. He didn't care how others viewed him―and she admired that. Her sullen form sat there, gazing at the fuming man sitting next to her. She kept her emotions bottled up; she had no plans on letting them seep out as much as she wished for.

She was wearing the mask she had wore for too many years.

"I thought he was different; I thought that maybe―maybe he hadn't changed as much as everyone thought. I hoped―prayed that he was still going to be the same old Sasuke, the one we became friends with." Naruto's hands shook vigorously as he held onto the fabric, his face scrunched in pain as he glared into the dark. "But I guess everything can't go as you hoped it would, right?"

Sakura looked at Naruto, her fine brows arched. She wanted to comfort him, but she didn't, her body didn't want to. "Hai." She murmured as she looked down into her lap, fists clenching.

Naruto sighed, releasing the soft sheet from his death grip. "I guess Sasuke really is a lost cause." He shoved himself off the foul bed, stretching as he stood tall over Sakura's sitting body. "Too bad we didn't just listen to baa-chan."

Sakura's green eyes followed him as he walked around the room, searching. "Naruto?"

"I wish―" He looked at her through the darkened room, eyes stern. "I wish Sasuke would just die." He clenched his fists tightly to his body, looking at his feet.

Sakura's eyes widened at his vicious words, "Naruto―why?" She looked at him, eyes pleading for an answer through her pink hair.

"Think about all the pain he's caused us, Sakura-chan. Think of it all! We've gone through hell and back for him, and yet nothing! He'll never return; he'll never care like he used to."

If he even cared in the beginning.

"Tsunade baa-chan was right; we should have given up long ago! Everything we've done has been useless! I don't even know why we even tried." Naruto pulled at his golden hair that shone in the moonlight peeking through the small window.

"We tried because―because we cared." Sakura looked to shaky man, eyes dull and suffering. "Don't just say it wasn't for nothing, because it was, Naruto―it was."

"Then what was it for, Sakura-chan? To find out that your best friend doesn't care anymore and that he'll never return?! Damn, we really succeeded then, huh?!"

Silence invaded the room, nothing moved, nothing breathed. It was dead.

Tears crept out of the man's eyes, falling deafly to the stone floor.

And the woman wanted to cry along.

"What do you mean the Hokage's gone?!" An elderly woman's voice roared through the room, shaking the surrounding women and men to the core.

Tsunade grunted, "We have belief that the Akatsuki took him and his advisor to an unknown location."

Voices boomed throughout the room; the council was in an uproar. The clan's heads and elders sat around a large table, yelling and discussing the current issue in distress.

"I cannot believe that such a weak shinobi was chosen as the Rokudaime, our Hokage should not have been taken down so easily by the Akatsuki! I always knew that we shouldn't have let that fox run this village, something was bound to go wrong!" A man stood from his chair, yelling to the others that sat with him.

"Hai! And look now, we have no Kage to represent us! This village will be in chaos in the next few days!" Another man yelled through the room, voice aggressively engulfing ears.

Tsunade glared at the group before her, honey eyes narrowing at the man and women. "Will you all shut up?!"

The voices didn't stop, they got louder.

"You Tsunade―you were the main reason that Kyuubi boy was even chosen as the Hokage! If only the boy were more responsible like his father had been, then maybe we wouldn't be in such turmoil!" Another shrill voice rang throughout the closed area.

"We have to find a replacement; we can't leave this village without a guarding Kage!" A suggestion was thrown out by a booming man.

"Hai, but who?!" A woman shrieked back.

"I believe Hatake Kakashi should be considered." Tsunade glared at the chaotic group, hands pressed flatly against the table.

"No! Get her out of here! We don't need her suggesting anymore failures!" A tall, brooding man stood, pointing at the busty woman.

Tsunade gasped at the man's blunt words; Naruto wasn't a failure, and neither was Kakashi. They were brilliant shinobi no matter how they presented themselves; their skills surpassed others by far levels.

"You listen here; you will take Hatake Kakashi into consideration as the replacement Kage!" Tsunade stood from her chair, yelling at the enraged council.

"Someone get her out of here! She's gone mad!" A voice yelled over the others.

Tsunade glared at the foolish group as two ANBU stood next to her.

"Tsunade." An ANBU motioned her to the door.

She huffed as she walked to the exit, looking back at the people who filled the room. "Since when did Konoha have such a foolish council behind it?!"

And she shut the door with a soft click.

"What the hell is all this yelling going on in here about? I can hear it from down the hall." Suigetsu walked into the dark room, eyes focusing on the two silhouettes.

Naruto glared up, his face scrunched in anger. His once gorgeous blue eyes glowed red in the darkened area. "You―you helped him!" His voice boomed throughout the closed in room as he looked at the blue hued man.

Sakura winced at his voice, her eardrums throbbed in pain. She looked at Naruto, eyes glazed with tears that would never fall. "Naruto―"

"Why, why, why?!" He shrieked as he ran at the man in the doorway; anger flooded his thoughts. He wasn't in his right mind, he was blind.

Suigetsu's eyes became slits as he looked at the man coming at him, "You're a brave one, Kyuubi." He chuckled as he pulled out the sword that rested on his back.

Sakura stared in horror as Naruto ran at the man, who was preparing to swing his blade at Naruto. Her eyebrows met as she saw that he had no intent of stopping his run. "Naruto―!"

"I've got you now!" Suigetsu laughed as he swung the glorious blade at the blond, expecting a direct hit. His eyes danced dangerously in the moon's light.

But there was no sound of blood splattering to the ground.

No sound of screams of anguish.

Nothing.

Just two bodies on the floor, breathing heavily.

Sakura glared down at the blond beneath her, it had been a last minute decision. She ran, tackling him―cheating his death. She couldn't have him get hurt, she wouldn't have been able to heal him, and she doubted that he would receive proper medical treatment from anyone here. They would merely just slap a bandage on him.

Naruto groaned; his face smashed against the floor. She was too quick; he had no time to react. He looked at her through the corner of his eye, "Sakura-chan." He pleaded breathlessly.

Suigetsu scuffed down at the two, "Next time she won't be there to save your sorry ass, Kyuubi." He narrowed his eyes at Naruto, "Just wait."

"Wait for what, Suigetsu?"

Sakura went ridged, she hadn't had even sensed him. She didn't even hear his breathing. She wanted to die right when he spoke; his voice was a thousand angels screaming to her ears. It was horrifyingly unpleasant. She stared at Naruto's back, not daring to move.

Naruto looked at her through the corner of his eye, noticing her body tense at the voice. The voice was familiar to him, but he couldn't put a name to it.

Hello mystery man.

He laid there as Sakura sat on top of him, not moving. He wasn't facing the door; he couldn't see the owner of the demon's voice, he knitted his brows together as he took in Sakura's petrified face.

"Nothing, these two are just being a pain in my ass." Suigetsu eyed the two on the ground with deadly eyes as he shuffled his sword back in place.

"Hn."

Suigetsu huffed, "Noisy as fuck too, sounds like a fucking war is going on in here."

Onyx eyes looked at the two figures, "Then why don't we split up the two?" His monochromatic voice sang through the dark atmosphere.

Sakura cringed.

"I don't even know why you put them in the same room to begin with―" Suigetsu stopped, crimson orbs glaring at him with intent to kill. He would never admit it, but he was frightened of the man. Everything about him creped him out to some extent. He would never verbally announce this―unless he had a death wish.

And he just might.

"Uzumaki can stay here." Angels screamed.

"Hai."

Soft pattering footsteps fell across the floor, nearing Sakura. She wanted to run, break free, cry, die. But she couldn't, she could do nothing. She sat there, trembling over her best friend.

Coward.

That's all she was, that's all she felt like.

Sakura didn't look back as Naruto looked over her shoulder through a small slit of his eye. She knew he was behind her, she knew. But she was afraid. Afraid of what she'd face―though she already knew what she would.

And that's what terrified her most of all.

"Sasuke!" Naruto roared as he shook beneath Sakura, looking over her small form.

But she still didn't care, she still didn't move.

And that's when she felt it, that slight pang in the back of her neck. The one she felt so many years ago―when he left. But this one was different. There were no words to back it up, nothing.

Just a dark, black, nothing.

But she welcomed it with open arms, none the less.

And it was nice.


Okay, okay. I know this isn't as long as the other chapters, but I'm leaving soon and I won't have an internet connection for the next couple days. So I thought that I should post something before I left to suppress your eagerness.

Reviewing is god's gift to mankind.