Dark Paradise

Chapter 8 – Sick and Tired

'Your love isn't fair. You live in world where you didn't listen, and you didn't care. So I'm floating, I'm floating on air."

Sakura spun around to face him. The man who had undoubtedly ruined their lives, starting that day during the Chuunin Exams. Orochimaru. He just stared at her, his snake-like eyes narrowed into slits.

Wordlessly, she took out the Shinobi Alliance forehead protector and she saw recognition flash in his eyes.

"We don't have long," Sakura said. "I need to know how to get out of this jutsu."

Orochimaru watched, assessed her silently. He stood unmoving, it seemed to Sakura like he was barely even breathing.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you're aware that this is the Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Sakura asked, she could just barely hear Naruto through the wall of debris she'd created.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly, telling her that he may have been aware that this was Genjutsu, but maybe not the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

"How are you aware of that fact?" he asked, his voice sending a chill down her spine.

"Obviously you and I aren't the only ones who know."

"Who else?" he demanded and Sakura shook her head. "That doesn't matter."

"It matters if you want answers from me!" he exploded suddenly and Sakura flinched unwillingly.

"Sasuke-kun knows."

"Of course," Orochimaru smiled slowly. "And why isn't Sasuke-kun before me?"

Sakura bit her lip and tried, but failed to look away from his gaze. "He doesn't want to leave the jutsu."

Then, Orochimaru laughed. It was a strange rumble from his throat that made Sakura grimace and regret her decision to speak with him. Itachi really threw her top the wolves this time.

"Tell me what you know!" Sakura cried, forcing him to a stop. "Don't you want to get out, too?"

Orochimaru stared at her – clearly not enjoying her disrespect. Sakura forced herself not to react and eventually, Orochimaru nodded. "My research has shown only one definite thing."

Sakura tried not to deflate at that. She'd been hoping for so, so much more. "What is it?" she asked anyway.

"Not everyone on that battlefield became entrapped."

"What is that's supposed to mean?" Sakura asked and Orochimaru seemed to be taking great amusement from her confusion. He tossed a scroll at her and Sakura caught it with one hand before it hit her face. She stuffed it into her bag.

"As for how to get out of here," Orochimaru strode toward her and suddenly Sakura couldn't move, she could feel something around her feet, slithering up her leg. He reached out, his hand coming up to stroke her cheek. There was something clammy about his palm as he moved it over her. "Look to the Uchiha for that answer."

The wall of rocks began to crumble.

"The Naka Shrine. Under the seventh tatami mat, you'll find a secret entrance, and inside – a room Madara had intended for no one to find."

"How do I get in there?" Sakura nearly screamed as the snake came up around her throat.

"You can't. Only an Uchiha can."

And then he stepped away from her and began to melt. A clone!

The snake's head reared back and then slammed its teeth into her neck. Sakura screamed over and over again, her knees giving way. The wall burst apart and someone caught her before she hit the ground. Naruto.

Sasuke came into her vision. "Which one bit you?" he demanded and Sakura felt a numbness set into her body. "Sakura!"

"Grey." Sakura whispered, her tongue heavy. Sasuke turned around, going to a shelf and tossing the bottles around. He came back with a clear liquid and tipped the container over her open lips.

"Drink," He whispered insistently and Sakura managed to swallow a few gulps before she started gagging.

"Keep it in!" Sasuke ordered while Naruto held her awkwardly, unsure of how to help her.

As the feeling returned to her body, Sakura took deep breaths and kept whatever Sasuke had given her down.

"Thanks," she mumbled and he stood swiftly. "Where is Orochimaru?"

"He tricked me. It was a clone. And I fell for it." Sakura lied, letting her head drop. "Naruto, I'm so sorry." She did feel guilty about hitting him back like that.

"Sakura-chan, I don't understand! We could've taken him together!"

"I panicked, ok?" she rubbed a hand over her face wearily and stood. "I wish I'd taken a different approach, really. But it wouldn't have mattered. He knew we were coming."

"We have other locations. We'll return this information to the Hokage and await further instructions." Kakashi's voice rang out.

It seemed that Sasuke didn't need to be told twice, he moved from the room and after one last confused look at Sakura – Naruto followed him. Kakashi lingered behind, his eyes knowing.

"This isn't like you, Sakura."

"I know. I'm sorry. Like I said – I panicked."

"There's no way around this, Sakura. We'll have to report it to the Hokage." Kakashi sounded apologetic, and Sakura gave him a small smile. "Do what you have to, Kakashi-sensei."

x-x-x-x-

They spent the night at an inn near Tanzuka Town. This time, Sakura made sure they didn't get a couple's room again, but unfortunately – there was a double bed. She stood in the shower, just letting the hot water rain down on her. Her meeting with Orochimaru had not given her any kind of peace – it only gave her more questions and of course – a definite answer. She couldn't do anything about the jutsu. Only an Uchiha could. And she definitely wasn't one.

Her only hope was to study the scroll and then give it to Itachi, maybe the two of them could figure it out together.

Sakura dried off, got dressed and stepped outside. Sasuke was sitting on the bed, facing away from her in the dark. He often sat in the dark for some reason. Silently, she padded over to her bag and zipped it open, intending to pull the scroll out…except….it wasn't there!

Sakura began to empty the contents of her bag on the floor but she knew she wouldn't find it. Her eyes shot up to Sasuke's form and she stood smoothly. "Where is it?"

"Oh," he stood and turned to her, open scroll in hand. "You mean this?"

Sakura swallowed, crossing the room to get to him. "You had no right."

"I had every right. You went behind my back."

"I had no other choice!"

"Neither do I." Sasuke said, and then his eyes turned red, and blood began to well in one of them. The Amaterasu! Sakura reached up before she could think better of it, her hand closing around the scroll just as the black flames exploded. She cried out, her hand gripping his over the scroll just as the flames began to burn away the flesh on her hand. Of course, in her life – Sakura had felt a lot of pain, but nothing before like this.

Sasuke cursed, immediately pulling the flames back. Her hand shook terribly as she took the scroll from him and slowly her tear-filled green eyes moved up to meet his. Sasuke's had reverted back to darkness but blood ran down his cheek.

"Sakura-" he began but she looked away from him. Wordlessly, he moved past her and into the bathroom, slamming the door in his wake. The scroll dropped to the floor with a thud and Sakura stood silently as the tears ran down her face. She knew he hadn't exactly meant to burn her, but he could have just as easily let her die. Things would have been easier for him that way. And that scared her. How long would Sasuke really keep up with her before he decided that she was too much trouble. Feelings only went so far.

Sakura looked down at her hand it was raw and bleeding. She began to heal it slowly, and the healing might have hurt more than the actual burn, but it took so much longer than healing a normal burn and in the end – she had to wrap it up, after she managed to stop the bleeding. And then she turned to the scroll.

Sasuke didn't emerge from the bathroom for a long time, in which she managed to read all of Orochimaru's findings. By means of a forbidden jutsu – and the help of both an Uchiha and a Hyuuga (both of whom Sakura knew might not have been exactly willing) Orochimaru had noticed one distinct difference in most of his test subjects (citizens and shinobi of Konoha) some had distinct chakra malfunction in the brain – and other had none at all.

Hinata had told Sakura that there was some kind of chakra disturbance in her mind, which Sakura took as part of the unrest in her mind – but it wasn't. According to the scroll, everyone with the same kind of disturbance was trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, but that didn't mean that they were aware of it at all. The charka disturbance was part of the jutsu blocking their memories and enforcing the Genjutsu. Those who had no activity were not trapped. Most likely, they were still fighting the war back in the real world…if the war was still going on. Sakura stared at the scroll, could she really believe that some people escaped the Madara's chakra? If only she had her memories of that day…she knew Sasuke did but he would never tell her. Not after what just happened.

At the very bottom of the scroll there was a list of names, an X indicated if they had brain activity or not. Many names Sakura didn't recognize but she was shocked to find that many of the rookie nine had been tested. The Uchiha user erased their memories after Orochimaru was done with them.

Namikaze Naruto was one, but his name held no X. Sakura felt a rush of hope – if Naruto hadn't been trapped…then maybe…maybe there was a chance that Madara was defeated.

None of their friends held Xs….but Kakashi's name did.

The bathroom door opened then and Sakura turned to face Sasuke. "Kakashi-sensei knows?"

"No." he answered stiffly and walked around the bed. "But he is trapped." She pressed and Sasuke's eyes went to her hand before he gave a nod. "Yes."

Sakura watched him climb into bed and after a moment she put the scroll away and crawled in next to him. Sasuke had his back to her but after a moment he said, "It was your fault. I wouldn't have used Amaterasu on you. You got in the way of the jutsu."

"Is that your way of apologizing?"

Sasuke said nothing.

"Sometimes, even if we don't mean for things to happen – they do. No one can control everything, Sasuke-kun. Not even you."

"It would be a lot easier if you didn't keep getting in my way."

"It wouldn't be much fun if I didn't, now would it, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, jostling the bed as if she was going closer to him and Sasuke spun around to glare at her.

"Why can't you just let it go? Why must you ruin this for me?"

Sakura stilled. "This isn't about you, Sasuke-kun. This is about what's right."

"Why do you get to decide that?" he demanded and Sakura just stared at him. "This is Madara's jutsu. Isn't he the one behind everything? The war? The Kyuubi attacking Konoha and everything that followed?!"

Sasuke stared at her, Sakura couldn't know….no way. She didn't know about Itachi. Naruto wouldn't have told her. So what was this look in her eyes?

She was right. He knew she was, but still – Sakura knew Sasuke would fight it. "That was Obito."

"With Madara playing puppet master! Listen to yourself, Sasuke-kun!"

"You wouldn't understand." He told her stiffly before turning away. Sakura let him be.

x-x-x-x-

They moment they arrived in Konoha, Sakura was pulled away by Kushina while the rest of her team headed to the Kage tower. "Well? Have you thought of anything?"

"Actually, a few things." Sakura admitted, and felt a bit guilty at forgetting about it. Even though Sakura knew that Kushina wasn't essentially here, at the moment – it felt real.

"Do you thing the Hokage would notice a giant seal painted over you?"

Kushina laughed. "Yes, even in the dark. Minato has keen eyes." Something glinted in her eyes and Sakura so wasn't going there.

"Alright, maybe you should try this." Sakura produced a small piece of white paper and copied the seal that Jiraiya had given to Yamato to supress the Kyuubi's chakra.

"There's no guarantee that this will work, but maybe," Okay, yes, she didn't have Yamato's chakra – Sakura wasn't even sure he had the First Hokage's cells here. So she fused the small seal with a precise amount of chakra. "You need to keep it on you…when you…"

Kushina nodded.

"Possibly in your hand, skin contact is preferable."

"Okay, I'll try."

"Let's hope this works."

"I'll report back," Kushina told Sakura and after a quick hug, the two separated and Sakura headed to the Kage tower where she knew what would await her, and she was right.

"Kakashi informed me of what happened. It was reckless and irresponsible. What do you have to say for yourself?" Minato demanded and Sakura looked away. "I panicked."

"Not good enough." He snapped, awaiting an answer from Sakura that never came.

"You will not leave Konoha until we can look into the matter and you will not receive any missions. You have to know how this looks."

"I do, Hokage-sama."

Minato was silent for a long time. "You will report to Morino Ibiki for questioning tomorrow."

"What? But, Hokage-sama, I-" Sakura had never expected interrogation, especially not the kind that Ibiki was known for.

"It's out of my hands. I'm sorry. The elders heard about what happened."

"I see."

Still, Minato was waiting for answers that Sakura couldn't give him.

"You are dismissed, an ANBU will bring you in tomorrow."

Sakura bowed and left the office and headed straight to Sasuke, it was an automatic thing and she didn't change course once she realized it and once she entered the Uchiha Compound – she realized how stupid she'd been. The answer was right in front of her all this time. Sasuke would probably hate her for it, but now – she had no choice.

-x-x-x-x-

She entered through his bedroom window and Sasuke looked up as she did. "Forgot how to use the front door?"

"You have five minutes to help me get out of this jutsu, or I do it myself."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I'm calling your bluff, Sakura."

"Five minutes." She insisted and sat down on his bed. Sasuke simply watched her without speaking. Minutes ticked on and Sakura never smiled – never gave any reaction, and that's what worried Sasuke.

"What are you planning?"

"Three minutes."

"Dammit, Sakura!"

"I'm serious this time Sasuke-kun. Please," she whispered, "Tell me."

Sasuke looked away, his jaw clenching and Sakura sighed, her foot beginning a slow tap on the floor.

"Two minutes."

"Stop this." He demanded. "Stop this now, Sakura."

"I can't stop now. It's already been put into motion."

Sasuke looked her over with this Sharingan, his eyes not missing anything – he even double checked. "I don't see anything."

"One minute. It's not something you can change with your eyes Sasuke-kun. Speak or lose this game."

"It's not a game to me Sakura! This is the life I chose!"

"Then you choose Madara, and again – you choose wrong."

Sasuke grabbed her shoulders. "Sakura!" she seethed. "Don't you love me?"

Her eyes moved to his, "That's not fair, Sasuke-kun." Sakura reached up, her palm cupping his cheek. "You know I love you." And then she kissed him. It was a simple thing, just her lips against his and then the door opened and Mikoto entered the room.

"You wanted to see me, Sakura-chan?"

"Your five minutes are up, Sasuke-kun." She whispered lowly, so only he could hear and then she spoke to his mother, "Yes, Mikoto-san, I did. We have good news."

"Oh?"

"Sasuke-kun and I have decided to move the wedding up." Next to her, Sasuke stilled completely.

"To when?"

"This weekend."

"You mean the one after Itachi's birthday?" Mikoto asked with a frown.

"No, I mean the one closest."

"But…but that's in two days."

Sakura smiled. "I'm sorry it's such short notice…but….we can't wait anymore."

"No," Mikoto said with a shake of her head. "I can manage! It won't be as glamorous as I would have wanted but you'll have your wedding." She paused. "Forgive me for asking, but are you pregnant, Sakura?"

Sakura's jaw dropped, yes it was a logical conclusion – but one she'd completely forgot about. She had no time to school her shocked expression.

"I'm sorry, mother." Sasuke spoke from behind her and then she felt his arm slide across her shoulders. "We didn't mean for it to happen."

Mikoto closed her eyes. "I can't say I'm not disappointed, son. I'll go tell your father." And then she stepped out of the room.

Sasuke had no possible reason to do that. He gained nothing except to spite her. She moved to get away from him but Sasuke held her there. "You won't win, Sakura. You can't. Not with me as you opponent."

"I've already won. And as long as you don't know what I'm planning. I'll keep winning."

x-x-x-x-x

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