"Sasuke?!" Sakura exclaimed, dumbfounded at his presence.

At that moment, she understood everything. Why didn't it dawn on her when Itachi first mentioned his clan's name that Sasuke shared the same last name? After all her interest in Sasuke, it didn't even cross her mind. She assumed he may have been a descendant of the clan or just a coincidence. Sasuke must be Itachi's younger brother he could not kill. How did Sasuke live this long? He was in college with her for Kami's sake!

"Well Sakura, I guess you did serve a purpose," Sasuke said, not even looking at her when he spoke. "Thank you for giving me the Mangekyou Sharingan."

"What are your plans Sasuke?!" Sakura shouted while moving closer to Itachi. "How about you fuck o-"

"Shut up," Sasuke retorted with no malice in his voice. "You're annoying as shit. This has nothing to do with you. Leave now or die."

The younger Uchiha pulled a long sword from his back, piercing orbs glaring at his older brother. Its steel glittered like diamonds under the light of the moon. Sakura looked up to see Itachi's Sharingan activated and ready for battle. With one swift movement, Itachi shifted from Sakura's side and closer to his brother.

"Sakura, leave now," Itachi ordered.

"But I-"

"Now."

Sakura hesitated before turning on her heels and jumping through the brushes. The two brothers stared each other down, memories burning through their minds. As Itachi gazed at Sasuke, he heard the screams of his clan members running from him as he murdered them without hesitation one by one. Sasuke's heart was burning with hatred, remembering the death of his mother right in front of his eyes. He clenched his fists together, feeling the hurt and agony of seeing his mother's expression go blank when the last drop of her life seeped away.

Sasuke hated his brother, hated him with every fiber of his being. Now he would pay for his crimes. Still, what happened taught him a hard life lesson: corruption was human nature. The cycle would never end because of human traits such as greed, pride, and envy. This plan to control humankind would destroy the cycle, but first, he had to avenge his fallen clan members by destroying Itachi and taking his eyes. His vision had grown blurry and his eyes bled sooner than they used to from constant training.

"I will destroy you," Sasuke promised. "You will pay for what you've done!"

"Is that so?" Itachi responded, facial expression remaining the same. "Do you plan on taking my eyes?"

A smile spread across Sasuke's face. "I will take them. You understand what happens next."

"Enlighten me."

"Don't play stupid with me!" Sasuke roared. "This world stays corrupted with evil, twisted people who need cleansing of such wicked ways. With the Mangekyou Sharingan, I can continue this work for an eternity and I will rebuild the clan you destroyed." Sasuke's expression of anger dissipated as he said, "It seems you have grown fond of Sakura, which means she has worth. I'll start with her first."

Itachi's expression did not change, but inside, something twinged. Was that... jealousy at the thought of his younger brother impregnating Sakura? The older male couldn't deny it, this woman had grown to mean something to him. He was not in love with her, but Itachi found himself enjoying her company as the time passed during her training. Despite his cold exterior, loneliness was inevitable during his time as a dragon. Then came that mess of pink hair stumbling in. Who would have guessed they would form an attraction to one another?

Although he turned his nose up at her begging for her life, he was a little surprised when she offered to free him. No one else who had the misfortune of finding him offered such a thing. He felt Sakura showed just how human she was, how pathetic people were. She'd heard the stories about him, but the woman agreed to free him, anyway. Itachi knew it was more than that as he grew to understand her way of thinking. Sakura accepted she didn't know the whole story about what happened. And even though she called him a monster, Sakura witnessed his human side he had no intention of showing her. She accepted him without knowing why he destroyed his clan.

Itachi focused his attention back on the task at hand. He knew he would not defeat his little brother with his current strength. Before, he longed to face his brother; now his desire changed. Was it because of Sakura? Maybe she had given him something to live for although he shouldn't be alive. He had lived long past the span of a human due to his dragon form so did that mean he was soon to perish? That was not what he wanted. Sakura had brought much curiosity and Itachi secretly wanted to try one of those "apple cinnamon muffins" she always raged.

There was a way to possibly beat Sasuke with Sakura's help. He hadn't told her about it before he sent her away. Then again, his brother had yet to say he planned on using Sakura as his first mistress and Itachi refused to allow that.

"Well," Itachi replied while hooking his right arm into his black robe and activating his Sharingan. "Shall we begin?"

Sasuke responded by rushing at him with his katana raised. "I will destroy you Itachi Uchiha!"

Sakura stopped when she heard the sounds of battle begin. Her heart pounded a mile a minute and her hands shook with adrenaline. Sasuke was Itachi's brother, which meant both were centuries old. It was a lot take in at once, but she should be used to outrageous surprises. Sakura shook her head to rid her mind of those thoughts. The question was, what should she do? No one would believe her story of jutsus, a dragon, and two men who still lived from the Uchiha clan.

"What should I do?!"

She looked around at her surroundings, not seeing anything but thick brush, tall grass that had a deep blue hue to it from the moonlight, and a large bird sitting in a tree off to her right. It squawked and flapped its wings in a frantic dance. Green eyes narrowed in confusion as she studied its form more intently. It had a jagged, long beak the same length as its body. A third leg hung from the lower portion of its belly, and cinnamon-colored feathers were sticking up in all directions. Another unusual trait of the bird was it had two black rods sticking out of its neck. How was it still alive?

The bird turned its head and Sakura realized it had Pein's eyes. She would never forget such a haunted stare. Maybe this was one of the summoning creatures Itachi spoke to her about. When Sakura's chakra control increased, she noticed crows flying close by that also had the Sharingan. Itachi told her he was a shinobi prior to his state as a dragon and used them for espionage. That made it all the easier to tell that this ugly bird belonged to Pein. Where was he?

"Smart girl. You've figured that the bird is my summoning."

Sakura whirled around to see Pein standing behind her, the same cloak as Itachi billowing around his ankles. "How did you know?"

Pein stepped closer. "That is not the question you want to ask me Sakura."

He was right. She needed direction on how to help Itachi. Sakura knew he wouldn't want it, but damn it he would get it. She wouldn't get in his way or give Sasuke the upper hand by stepping in. The thought of losing Itachi wrenched her heart and Sakura would do anything to keep it from happening. She couldn't believe she had fallen for her captor and he for her. It was classic Stockholm syndrome, but the pinkette didn't care. She couldn't take back the feelings she had now.

"What can I do to help Itachi?"

"Why do you want to help him?"

Sakura locked eyes with Pein and stated, "Because he's important to me."

Pein was silent for a few minutes. Yes, Sakura would end this entire war. As the god of Pain, he maintained the balance of good and evil within the world. Pein could end the conflict if he so chose, but as a God, he preferred his vassals to complete the task. He sensed this woman was one of the handful left who could still use chakra. Ninjas had fallen away as technology appeared and advanced. Most humans now did not understand chakra or knew of its existence. She and Itachi's powers complemented each other and if Sakura was not on the battlefield, Itachi would lose and Sasuke gained the Mangekyou Sharingan from that defeat. Sasuke's heart became corrupt and although his intentions included avenging his clan, they would soon change. It was not his place to interfere and alter the world into an unimaginable state of hypnosis.

"You must return him to what he once was."

With that, he disappeared. Sakura didn't understand. Turn him back to what? She wracked her brain trying to figure out what exactly he meant when it dawned on her. A smile cracked her face, and she sprinted like an Olympic track star toward the battle, pushing chakra into her feet to increase her pace to an ungodly speed. Her lessons had a purpose in the real world and she would use it to save Itachi's life.

The two brothers separated and slid to a stop in the dirt. Sasuke gave Itachi a wicked grin "Why don't you destroy me with the Mangekyou Sharingan, or am I too strong for that now?"

Itachi exhaled. Sasuke's abilities improved exponentially over the years, but his confidence bordered on arrogance. His brother failed to understand the severity of the plan he'd chosen. He opened his mouth to voice his thoughts but paused when he felt that familiar pulse of chakra.

She has returned.

Sasuke's gaze turned to see Sakura burst out of the bushes, determination written on her face. She didn't stop to talk, but ran to Itachi, performing hand signs as she went. She slammed her hands against Itachi's chest and searched, just like she had when returning him to human form but hoping her hands against his skin would aid her.

"Just what are you doing?" Sasuke called to her. She ignored him, continuing to explore as fast as she could. He would not let her continue much longer. "Answer me when I'm talking to you!"

Sasuke ran toward them and Sakura knew she was out of time. Just as she thought it was the end, Sakura found what she was looking for and pulled hard enough to make her veins bulge from the strain. Sasuke stopped in his tracks as a blinding light surrounded the area. Wind just as powerful as a category five hurricane blasted around them, causing Sasuke to shield his eyes with his left forearm. Debris flew like projectiles in every direction and trees were leaning painfully due to the force of the wind.

Soon, everything calmed and when Sasuke looked again, his eyes widened in surprise. There stood a large black dragon with Sakura standing on its back. Her fists were glowing with chakra. Sasuke knew the dragon was Itachi. Itachi got released from his dragon form, but he could still return to it?

"Itachi," Sakura said, bending down to rub his sleek scales. "Let's take him down."

He responded by opening his large wings and launching himself from the ground. Black flames Sakura had never seen before erupted from Itachi's mouth. Sasuke dodged and moved towards them at lightning speed. Sakura launched from Itachi's back and slammed her fists into the ground in front of her with the strength of a meteor smashing to the earth. It caved in underneath Sasuke's feet. He jumped over the rocks and raised his katana to strike. Sakura channeled chakra into her fists and grasped the sword with one hand. Despite her preparation, she could still feel the weapon bite into her palm. She ignored the sharp sting and brought her other fist up to connect with Sasuke's face.

When she connected, it sounded like a sonic boom. Sasuke went flying into a large mountain of rocks and slammed into them, causing cracks to emerge around his body. Sakura stood up and hooked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Fuck off Sasuke!"

He pulled himself from the hole shaped like his body, chuckling as he did so. "She has the worth required to carry the Uchiha name. Sakura, you were always after me in school. Anyone could see that. You should join me."

Sakura's eyebrow lifted. Was he serious? That comment made her want to bash his face in. Her anger mounted, and she rushed towards him again, "Never in a million years!"

Suddenly, Sakura was in a pitch-black area. She gazed around frantically but couldn't see anything. Trying to move her legs was impossible, there was a rope wrapped around her body, constricting her from movement. What was this?!

"Shouldn't be so eager Sakura."

An enormous eye opened just above her. It was massive and there was no mistaking the design of the Sharingan. Itachi stood in front of her with a kunai in one hand.

"Itachi, where am I?" she called. "I heard Sasuke, but where is he?"

"I'm right here," Itachi said, but it was Sasuke's voice that emitted from his mouth.

A second later, excruciating pain burned from her abdomen as the kunai sank into her. She screamed when he dragged it from the left lower quadrant of her stomach to the right upper quadrant in a diagonal line.

Oh no, I'm trapped in Sasuke's genjutsu, Sakura thought frantically to herself. She had to flair her chakra as high as it would go to break its hold. Sakura tried to do so, but when Itachi pulled the kunai from her stomach and sank it into the center of her chest, breaking through her sternum, it stopped her in her tracks. She shrieked again at the unfathomable pain radiating through her entire torso. What was she going to do? Sakura struggled to bring herself to flair her chakra due to her pain. She had to push through. There was no other choice.

Trying to ignore the excruciating pain, Sakura flared her chakra to its peak, closing her eyes as she did so. At first, she didn't think she had broken through. That confined sensation still prevented her movement. Sakura opened her eyes to see the forest once again. Confused at why she remained immobilized, Sakura looked down and found that she had tangled herself in vines while lost in Sasuke's genjutsu. The woman freed herself, still able to feel a throbbing pain where the fake Itachi stabbed her. Green orbs moved over her surroundings to see the two brothers locked in a vicious battle.

They separated once more and Sasuke jumped to stand on a tall ledge. He held his hand up to the sky and thunder sounded around her. Black clouds billowed, and lightning erupted from his hand. Sakura's eyes widened as she watched lightning flutter around Sasuke, but never strike him as it lit up the entire sky.

"This is something I didn't think I would have to use," he commented. "But this will be the end Itachi. I will have avenged our clan and can move forward with my plans.

A deep roar echoed around them. Sakura's mouth dropped when she saw an enormous dragon, made of lightning, emerge from the clouds and position itself next to Sasuke. Its size was unimaginable; the younger Uchiha was a speck compared to it. The blue lightning of its form cracked dangerously.

"Die!" he shouted as he directed the dragon towards Itachi.

The dragon hid itself within the clouds again before emerging and moving with such speed, Sakura's eyes couldn't follow. She shielded herself as an explosion like an atomic bomb denoted around them. The impact uprooted and disintegrated trees within milliseconds. The blast threw Sakura hundreds of feet back. She skidded at least another hundred before slamming into a rock, knocking the breath out of her. Smoke engulfed the area, causing Sakura to coughed hard once her lungs filled. She continued to shield herself as huge pieces of rock and trees pelted her. Once it subsided, the woman looked up, and her heart dropped.

Itachi was lying face first on the ground. He'd reverted back to his human form.