A/N: You know it's getting close to the end now...only a matter of time until they get what's comin to them. Enjoy this chapter and the fruits of my imagination. Oh, and I don't own the characters from Naruto, just the ones I created to go along with them. You know who you are OCs!

Chapter 43: An Orphan No More

Sasuke couldn't understand why he was so reluctant to take the girl lying on his bed. Sure, it was partly due to Sakura's threat, but from the way this girl was dressed, it was easy to say he'd paid her. Maybe it was the way she'd cried out in pain that kept his from taking advantage of her. He glared at her…she was just a woman, there was no reason he shouldn't do exactly as he please with her. She was weaker than him…it wasn't like she could fight him, even if she wasn't in this state.

His mind made up, he got up and went to the side of the bed. He took her glasses and put them on the nightstand by his bed. He proceeded to strip her of her clothes. The more he took off, the more he was mesmerized. She had fresh wounds on her body, like she'd been attacked already. Perhaps she had, but that didn't matter to him. What did matter was she was female and he was aching for release.

He had just thrown her top to the floor and was working on the skirt she wore when he heard her groan and watched as her eyes opened slightly. He knew the minute her body tensed that she was fully alert. What he didn't expect was for her to kick up her leg and unbalance him. He didn't expect her to hiss at him as she crouched on his bed and glared at him, her eyes squinting at him. He didn't expect her next words either.

"Bastard! Get away from me, Madara-teme!" Sasuke froze and glared at her. She'd just called him Madara. Madara was his father, who had died years ago. He moved then, faster than she anticipated. He pinned her to the bed and glared down at her, his eyes bleeding red. She squirmed and he felt himself getting aroused. Until she growled at him again. "You going to kill me again, Madara? Maybe stick me in her body again? Perform more of your sick experiments on me? HUH? Why don't you just kill me and get it over with, you sick pervert! I'd rather die than let you put your hands on me again!" Sasuke released her like he'd been burned. He got up and threw her glasses at her and waited for her to put them on.

When she did, she looked at him, her eyes narrowing. "You're not Madara…even if you look somewhat like him…who are you?" he smirked at her and he noticed her blush. She was attracted to him…that he could work with.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. Now…why don't you tell me how you know this 'Madara'." He noticed her eyes go flat with hatred and the sudden guarded expression she gave him.

"Uchiha, huh? So…you're the one she was talking about. You're his kid…the one he left to observe for his sick experiments. Shoulda known, since you look like him and all." She blatantly disregarded him as she looked around his room. "Nice place ya got her…Sasuke." he felt his temper rise and he took a step towards her. She gave him a droll stare. "No offense to you and your manliness, but your old man already killed me and stuffed my soul into another chicks body. There's really nothin you can do that's gonna hurt me." his eyes went wide and he stared at her.

"You…you've seen him? My father? He's still alive?" he watched her as she looked him over once and then smirked.

"Honey, he's alive alright. He's been hidin in his underground lab for years now. From what I picked up while I was stuck in Lotus' body, he's been experimenting on kids for years, trying to create an unbeatable army. And at the forefront is Lotus…the woman he wants to use to create the 'Ultimate Heir'." Sasuke narrowed his eyes on her as she said this. What, exactly, did that mean?

"What do you mean the 'Ultimate Heir'? He has me. What about Itachi and my twin? Were they there?" he noticed her roll her eyes to the side, as if thinking.

"I don't remember an Itachi, or even someone that looks like you, other than Madara. But there was a guy named Obito there. I saw him plain as day in Lotus' mind. He was really cute in a 'I'm dumber than a brick' kinda way." Sasuke's eyes widened. It was rumored that Obito, his pregnant wife, and Madara had all died on the same airliner. This was getting messy. He sat on the bed in front of her.

"Tell me everything you know. Anything you remember about what happened, where you were taken, and who you saw." his eyes were serious and she seemed to notice, because she swallowed hard and nodded in understanding.

Sakura opened her eyes slowly and looked around. She could see the walls of a cave, could hear the dripping of water from somewhere, and she could feel the breath of her mate against the back of her neck. She stretched and growled slightly at the soreness in her body. They'd both been insatiable last night…or was it this morning? She couldn't tell…all she knew is that she wanted a soft bed to sleep on for once.

With that thought in mind, she turned over and wrapped her arms around her mate and visualized her bed at the mansion. When she opened her eyes again, she was in the very bed she'd visualized. She sighed and smiled. However, she didn't get to sleep as she'd hoped. Something was nagging at her. Something she needed with her that she didn't know where it was. She thought about it and stiffened. Where was Akouji? She bolted up in bed, making her mate growl. She hissed at him and threw off his arm and searched for the boy with her mind.

She found him, huddled in bed with Sora. However, he seemed to be crying in his sleep. Sakura keened low in her throat and disappeared. Gaara opened one eye just as she did and bolted up in bed after she was gone. He looked around, trying to figure out where they were. He could tell it was almost time to get up, because he could smell the morning dew. He looked around for Sakura, but she wasn't even at the house anymore.

He touched her mind and felt her tears. She was holding Akouji in her arms and weeping. She was mad at herself for leaving him. Gaara cursed himself and called her to him. He made it so that she could not resist the call. She appeared, dressed in a light weight white night gown. There were tears in her eyes. "I'm a horrible mother…" she whispered as she cuddled the boy to her. Gaara looked down at him and touched him. The boy shifted and settled at the touch of someone familiar. Gaara looked at Sakura and frowned.

"He was having a nightmare…he was remembering the guy that was trying to entice them with candy. How is that your fault?" Sakura sniffled and shook her head.

"I left him alone with people he didn't know. What kind of a mother does that?" she looked up when Gaara growled dangerously.

"You are not a bad mother, Sakura. You're probably the only mother that child has ever known. Look into his mind, love. See the horrors he's faced. He's strong, but only as strong as you help him be." he kissed her and nuzzled her, his fingers teasing her skin. "Why don't you call Hime to you? I'm sure she's missed you as well. I asked everyone if they'd seen her and the last anyone had seen of her, she and Ichimanako had gone back to your house to guard it. It's time for them to meet the newest addition anyways. We can sleep until they get here." Sakura smiled through her tears and kissed him on the cheek.

"You're so smart Panda-chan." she watched the smirk rise on his face and she giggled. He kissed her on the head and led her to the bed. She climbed in, Akouji on her chest. The boy sighed happily and Gaara smirked. He couldn't blame the kid for being happy where he was. He heard Sakura's giggle and then the mental call. He heard two distinct answers and he chuckled at the happiness he sensed in them both. He stretched and then curled back up around Sakura, who yawned and put her hand on the little boy's back. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Shikamaru blinked sleepily. The last thing he remembered was making out with Temari in the pool. He looked down and noticed he was nude and that Temari was draped over him. He smirked, his mind clearing. Now that he thought about it, he HAD brought her back to their room to finish what they'd started in the pool. She'd certainly been vocal with him about certain things. He chuckled and noticed it was disturbing her sleep. She growled slightly at him in her sleep and he shook his head.

He looked at the clock. It was five in the morning. He glared at the hateful clock. He hated mornings. With a yawn, he curled up around Temari to the best of his ability and went back to sleep, cursing the clock as he did.

Karin jumped as her nightmare ended and wakefulness invaded. She looked around frantically and found herself cuddled up against Kankuro. She smiled and looked around. They were still in the study and, from what she could tell, they were the only ones awake. Well, at least she was. She giggled when she heard a light snore come from her lover. With an arched brow and a wicked smirk, she slipped down his body, the couch they were lying on long enough to accommodate what she had in mind.

With careful fingers, she undid the waist of his dress slacks and carefully pulled them down slightly. She thanked the heavens that Kankuro preferred to go commando in these kinds of pants. She stared at his semi-hard member and smirked. Very gently, she licked it. She heard him groan and knew he probably though this was a dream. She giggled lightly and licked him again.

She heard his light growl and smiled. It was time to let him know this was much more than a dream. Gently, she started working his member, her small hands gently massaging him. She heard his gasp and knew he was starting to wake up. To encourage him, she gently took the head of his swiftly stiffening manhood into her mouth. He gave deep throated groan and his hands crept into her hair. She smiled and took more of him into her mouth. She heard him moan then.

"Mmmmm…feels nice…mmmm…Karin…tight…" she felt his hips slowly rocking against her. She knew from the way he'd murmured that he was still in the place between sleep and awake. She hummed, making him arch against her. He chuckled, though she wasn't sure about his state now.

However, she knew the exact moment he realized this wasn't a dream, because his hands tightened in her hair and she heard his choked gasp. "K-Karin!" she smiled around his erection and continued the sensual tease. He was panting and she could tell he was enjoying himself. She felt his member throbbing and knew it wouldn't be long until he came. However, she had plans that she intended to enact. With that in mind, she pulled away, much to his disappointment.

With a sly grin, she laid herself overtop him. She kissed his lips and moaned at the feel of him. She felt his arms tighten around her and smiled. "Morning." she whispered to him with a grin. He nuzzled her, his panting slowly returning to normal breathing.

"You can wake me up any day…" he told her breathlessly. She giggled and sat up, looking down at his slightly flushed face. With a purr, she pulled off her shirt, which immediately caught his attention. He stared up at her as she removed her bra as well and pulled one hand up to her and put it on her chest. She was blushing, but there was a smile on her face.

"Kankuro…I want us to make love again…" she whispered to him and bent down to kiss him. She heard his groan and felt his hand tighten around her breast. She sighed and reached down, tugging at his shirt. He sat up and let her pull it from him. She then ran her hands over his well muscled torso and licked her lips. She watched as he leaned forward and capture one of her breasts in his mouth.

She giggled when she felt him shifting and pulling at his trousers. When he settled again, she felt him run his hands up her legs and carefully remove her pink silky undies. She could feel his heat against hers and she blushed lightly. She moaned when he rubbed at her, but was intent on being in charge this time. With a quick kiss and a nip on his lip, she pushed his hands away and carefully positioned herself.

Very carefully, she lowered herself on top of him, his heat pushing into hers persistently. She gasped and then groaned. She started moving at a slow pace and noticed the utter rapture on Kankuro's face. He was panting and massaging her breast, which made her mewl slightly as well. She lifted herself one good time and dropped back down on him, shattering any semblance of control he'd once had. With a growl, she felt him pick her up. She gasped as he stood with her and carried her over to the desk they'd worked on earlier. He laid her over it and started pounding into her, his face contorted with lust.

She gasped and wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her back as he did delicious things to her body. She felt her insides tighten, like she was about to break. And then she felt like she was floating. Her body jack knifed off the table and slammed into him. The only thing keeping her from screaming and waking everyone up was his mouth.

Lights were flashing behind her eyes, she swore she heard harps and angels singing. When she could see again, it was to find him staring down at her, awe on his face. She looked up at him with hooded eyes and watched him smirk. Suddenly, she found herself on her stomach, her breasts pressed against the hard wood of the desk. She felt him pumping into her again and this time, he felt larger, hit deeper.

She gasped and tried to grip something. When she couldn't, she settled for clenching her hands into fists. She bit her lip to keep from screaming and it worked…for a while. She felt him going faster and faster, hitting her deeper than ever before. And then she felt that familiar tingling. She was floating again, and this time, her scream was muffled by the desk. She looked at him, over her shoulder, as she came this time. There were no lights this time, because she wanted to see him, to see his face when he came.

She watched his eyes clench shut, his mouth drop open. She could hear the soft grunts, the stifled yell. She felt him pumping, even after she felt the warmth spread inside her. Finally, she watched him stiffen and fall on top of her. She smiled and rested her head on the desk, content.

Ino woke when she felt the sun hit her face. Normally she would just turn over and growl about being woken up. However, something felt off. She looked over at Kiba, who was still sleeping. Gin and Tsume were curled up between her and her boyfriend. She smiled when she noticed that Kiba's arm was over both kids protectively. As quietly as she could, she got up and got dressed. She touched Akamaru, who followed her out quietly.

She made her way to the dining room, where she found Shino and Sai. The latter was in a wheel chair now, a soft pilled helping his sit up. Raidu was there too, as well as Choji and Michi. They seemed to be talking about something. She felt the tension and sat down, allowing them to fill her in. She was about to comment on what they'd just told her when Naruto and Hinata walked in. Shino carefully explained to the couple what was going on and watched as Naruto's fists clenched.

The next couple to enter were Neji and Tenten. Both looked like they hadn't gotten much sleep last night. They sat down and started eating, listening to what was going on. It was about that time that Lacey and Lee came in, their kids still sleeping. Temari and Shikamaru showed up, both freshly showered, and asking what was going on.

Ino watched them as they listened to what had happened at the market last night and she got to thinking about something. What was Sasuke doing at a market in Kagure…especially this far from his mansion. She gasped when she figured it out, drawing the attention of the others. "What's wrong, Ino-chan?" Hinata asked gently. Tears formed in Ino's eyes.

"I was just thinking about why Sasuke would be at a market in Kagure…especially one this far from his mansion. There's only one reason he'd be here…he's moved to Kagure…" Naruto jumped up at his and was about to say something, but crying was heard and he suddenly bolted out of the room, Hinata not far behind. Lacey and Lee perked as well and headed out of the room to check on their girls. Sai looked at Shino, who nodded and got up to check on the small boy in their room. Eto and Cheela came in, both yawning sleepily. They sat down and started eating breakfast.

It was Cheela that looked at them." I got a call this morning from Tsunade-obasan. She says that several kids from the school have disappeared. That guy we saw last night…Uchiha…was one of them. Obasan says to be careful around him…he may have been taken by the Center." everyone nodded and looked at their plates, not really hungry anymore. Ino got up and headed back to her room, Akamaru right behind her. When she got there, she slipped into a pair of soft pants and a baggy t-shirt. She slid into bed and shut her eyes, wishing she could just pretend this morning hadn't happened.

Madara's eyes were bloodshot. He'd been up all night looking for the information on the subject of Project Crystal. Hatori Karin, is what Minotsu was calling her now. He'd really screwed Madara over by taking the girl and raising her. Everyone knew her and it would be hard to abduct her without someone noticing. Especially if she was anywhere near Sakura. He looked at the video footage from Minotsu's home. Other than growing at an alarming rate, the girl seemed to be nothing special. However, in order to understand how to create a reproductive system inside Lotus, he had to get his hands on her and dissect her.

Minotsu would never allow it, he knew. He'd have to either distract his witless benefactor or get rid of him. He really wanted to kill the man, but he couldn't afford to lose that cash flow. Sighing, he went over more notes. There was nothing really significant anywhere from what he could see. Closing his eyes, he yawned. When he opened them back, he grimaced. Still nothing. He shut his eyes for a few minutes and ended up falling asleep.

Had he been awake, he'd have seen the image of the young Karin doing a rubix cube in under three minutes. He'd have seen her hacking into computers she shouldn't have been able to access. He'd have seen her eyes glowing and tears coming from her eyes at the news that her grandfather was dead. And he'd have seen her pick up her large oak dresser and throw it across the room. But he didn't…because he was lightly snoring, his head on the table.

Lotus took a deep breath and sighed. She'd gotten that girl out of her and now she could function again. She could feel Madara's anger, could feel his exhaustion. She wondered what was wrong with him. She walked towards the room where she sensed him and stopped. He was on Yamato's computer. He'd been looking for whatever she'd discovered. She smirked at the thought he'd seen exactly what she'd wanted him to see. She also saw the subject from Project Crystal, Karin, yelling at someone.

Her eyes glowing, Lotus held out her hand. The footage on the film suddenly became blurry and corrupted. It would be impossible to view from hence forth. Turning back towards her own room, she walked out. She sensed him stirring and doubled her efforts to get away. He didn't want to have to tell him she didn't kill the girl.