Chapter 11: Confrontations

Sasuke caught her waist as her legs gave out pathetically. She was apparently incapable of standing at the moment.

"Why are you here Sakura?" She was irritated at his ludicrous question.

"Clearly it wasn't my goal at the moment. I was with my team when your brother took me," she managed to say.

"Why did he take you?"

"Well, I may be completely off-base here, but it seemed like his motives revolved around you. But I guess you'd have to ask him yourself," she bit out scornfully.

She could tell he was annoyed at her sass, but he also didn't release her. His arm was still wrapped around her securely.

"Why do you always end up needing to be rescued Sakura?" He asked exasperatedly. Her legs suddenly felt much steadier than before at his words. She put a hand on his chest, infused with chakra, and pushed. He was forced back, his arm releasing her, and he looked at her in surprise at the strength she used.

"I don't always need to be rescued, Sasuke. I was dragged into the middle of YOUR conflict." She hadn't recovered, so she swayed a little after using her chakra. She'd be damned if she would just let Sasuke belittle her though.

"Who's your friend Sasuke? She's cute," The white-haired man spoke. The woman made a sound of outrage at his compliment.

"Cute? As if Suigetsu! Never seen an uglier woman in my life." The woman bristled.

"There's that jealousy again, Karin. You're just upset because Sasuke had his hands all over her," Suigetsu pointed out.

"That is… completely ridiculous! As if I'd care! Besides, jealous of what exactly?"

"Oh right, my mistake… You have no reason to be jealous over a beautiful girl who Sasuke seems to be acquainted with," he mocked.

"You're the only one who finds her attractive Suigetsu!"

"Of course," he remarked sarcastically.

Sasuke's teammates so far were, admittedly, weird. They didn't seem compatible at all with the introverted, stoic Uchiha she knew.

"Enough Suigetsu, Karin," he ordered harshly. "Is Naruto nearby?" His attention was back on her.

"No, he's…." The realization hit her, like one of her mentor's fists she was too slow to dodge. Kakashi, he would most certainly come. His own power transcended Kisame's by a large degree, so she couldn't imagine he hadn't finished him off by now. She couldn't sense his potent chakra yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

"You'd better leave Sasuke," she urged. As annoying as she found his attitude, she didn't want him in Kakashi's path when he inevitably found her. Even as she issued her warning to him, she felt herself dropping, before Sasuke caught her, again.

"You're too weak to be left on your own," he muttered reproachfully.

"It's just the aftermath of his genjutsu. I'm physically fine."

"Even so, we'll wait." He wouldn't meet her eyes directly, but he still held onto her waist. His eyes seemed to take in her features, observing the changes she undoubtedly went through over the years. Her cheekbones were a little more defined, her forehead much less pronounced than when she was 12. She thought she saw a look of appreciation on his face, as he looked her over, before it transformed into impassiveness.

"Sasuke, can I ask you something?"

"Hn."

"It's been years since we saw each other. You've never given any indication that I meant anything to you, other than a bothersome teammate you were saddled with. So, what was that before?"

"Don't think more of it than it was."

"Oh, I'm not, believe me. I know you're not in love with me or anything so ridiculous. I was just questioning your reasoning."

He didn't seem to be forthcoming about his earlier behavior since she could see him visibly shut down at her statement.

"A little pathetic, aren't you? Can you not stand on your own?" Karin called out spitefully.

She attempted to ignore her since it was clear why she was being malicious. She was another woman obsessed with Sasuke it seemed.

"Be quiet Karin." Sasuke's eyes turned to his teammate with displeasure.

"Why? It's not like you to coddle someone like her. You always said you valued strength, yet all I see is weakness," she insulted. "Not a shinobi, a damsel in distress."

Her rage was blinding. How was she supposed to fare against Itachi Uchiha? The same man who Sasuke had a vendetta against, whose caliber was apparently comparable to Kakashi's. it's not as if she got her ass handed to her by some run-of-the-mill shinobi. But still, the woman's words reopened old wounds she thought she cauterized. She dislodged Sasuke's hold on her, and she grabbed his teammate's seemingly dainty throat. She could feel her swallow against her palm as she held her in a lethal grip. Her windpipe would be so easy to crush. She could picture the bones breaking beneath her hand as she applied a smidge of chakra. Karin tried to pry her off, but her struggles were nothing. 'Who's the weak one now bitch,' she thought jeeringly.

"Sakura, you've made your point. You'll kill her," Sasuke said from behind her. She blinked, and her violent urge dissipated. She remembered herself, and her hand unclenched. Karin's hands massaged her throat as she hunched over, choking.

"I know Karin is a nuisance. It's best to ignore her words." He was right, and it was ironic it was Sasuke of all people telling her to control her impulses. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. She turned back to him, and he smirked in response. She absentmindedly healed the small cut on her neck with her chakra.

"You're a medical ninja," he stated.

"Among other things," she responded.

"You asked to come with me before. Does that offer still stand?" He was close, barely an inch from being right up against her. Why on earth was he saying that? He couldn't mean he wanted her to join him now? She heard Karin sputter in fury.

"Sasuke, I can't. I'm loyal to my village."

"You love me, right?" She almost thought he was mocking her, except his tone was oddly serious. Before she could reject his claim he continued, "when I defeat my brother, I'll come for you."

"What?" Not the most intelligent response, but she couldn't think of anything else to say. There was no way her luck was really this poor. She heard Karin gasp in dismay at his words and Suigetsu whistle. His other teammate hadn't spoken, so she had yet to find out his name.

He was about to say something else when she felt it…. his chakra, approaching quickly. She grasped Sasuke's wrist in alarm. "You need to leave right now Sasuke. You and your team, go!" Her hand squeezed his wrist harshly to convey the seriousness of her words.

"It's just Kakashi, Sakura," he remarked, after noting the chakra signature.

"Sasuke, I'm serious, go! You'll be in danger if you stay here!" Did he not sense how deadly his former sensei's chakra really was?

He wasn't moving. His face didn't show the slightest trace of concern. Her hands came up to his biceps, shaking him harshly. She was contemplating picking him up and tossing him to get him going. She would have…except it was too late. He was already almost on top of them. "Shit," she exclaimed before releasing Sasuke from her bruising grip. Her sense of foreboding at this encounter was pronounced. Sasuke was looking at her in mild alarm at her behavior, and she would have laughed if the situation wasn't so perilous.

"I must admit, I wasn't expecting to see you." She shuddered at his voice, before turning slowly to face him. She noticed right away he was soaked in blood and the metallic smell reached her nose. Her eyes took in the sight of his hands, and the red stain was prominent. Despite all the blood, it was clear none of it was his own. He didn't look like a savior here to rescue her; he was sinister. His gaze met hers briefly, looking her over for injuries. She looked disheveled but nothing more, and it appeared Kakashi was pleased by that.

"Where are Naruto and Sai?" She asked. She hoped he didn't blame them for her disappearance.

"They'll catch up," was his short response, his attention focused on Sasuke. Sasuke didn't seem to know what to make of Kakashi. The Kakashi he knew was perpetually late, laidback, a condescending genius, but not this. As children, they knew he was incredibly powerful, his reputation proceeded him after all. But they didn't know he was so cold-blooded, so ruthless to anyone who opposed him. This wasn't a Kakashi he was familiar with.

"It wasn't their fault Kakashi. Itachi used a genjutsu to capture me. They were caught unaware, just as I was."

"I know Sakura. Naruto is particularly susceptible to it."

"So, you didn't hurt them, right?"

"I didn't have the time to waste when I realized you were gone. Their confused countenance filled in the blanks for me. I knew you didn't foolishly leave on your own, so I deduced it was Itachi. Only he could have done that so efficiently while I was engaged, without me being the wiser."

"And Kisame, I take it you killed him?" The evidence was staring her in the face, but she asked anyway.

"Oh yes, and don't worry, his death wasn't quick. He suffered greatly, and Itachi will suffer much more when I get a hold of him," he promised darkly. "He dared take you." Kakashi was livid, unsurprisingly. She assumed he was as 'collected' as he was only because she was visibly unharmed.

"That's not necessary Kakashi."

"Maybe not, but it will undoubtedly happen. I'll make sure of it."

"My brother isn't your concern. The only one who will be finishing him off is me," Sasuke interjected.

"I don't know who you think you're talking to boy. But the fact that you're here means you're partly responsible for her being taken. So, traitor, I'm more than happy to take my frustration out on you."

"I'm no longer 12, Kakashi. You don't scare me. I'm beyond you now," Sasuke said cockily. Sakura strongly disagreed. Sasuke was very powerful, to be sure, but as far as she saw so far, not on Kakashi's level. Not even close.

"Let's see then, Sasuke-kun," Kakashi mocked. She could tell he was grinning wickedly beneath his mask, and it made him look even crueler.

"You can't Kakashi! Leave him be, please!"

"No Sakura, not this time. I warned you what would happen if he got in my way."

She needed to intercept this battle somehow. If she didn't, she wasn't hopeful about the outcome – for Sasuke anyway.

Sasuke caught her wrist lightly. "I don't need you to intervene on my behalf Sakura." His haughty demeanor grated at her nerves, but she noticed him looking at her oddly. It was a softer look than she was used to on Sasuke. When they were on a team the only emotions he ever displayed were anger, torment, and his incessant need for revenge. When she blinked it was gone, and his face was its usual aloofness.

"You will release her immediately or there will be nothing left of you for your teammates to even bury." Kakashi's voice dripped with venom. Sakura quickly pulled out of Sasuke's hold. As soon as she was out of Sasuke's vicinity Kakashi shot forward, as graceful as he was deadly. The sound of lightning permeated the air as they clashed with each other. It was amazing how good Sasuke had become since he left them. He definitely exceeded her and Naruto's skill by far. And yet, it wasn't enough…

Kakashi was completely unmarked, except for the blood stains painting his body. Sasuke wasn't so lucky; he wasn't able to block all of Kakashi's attacks. Sasuke was fast enough to at least dodge Kakashi's lightning blade, but she could see the frustration building on his face. He was beginning to realize Kakashi was evidently the superior of the two in close combat. He changed tactics and it was soon an all-out battle of ninjutsu instead. She was transfixed as she watched it ensue. There was no denying how talented Sasuke was, nor how powerful he had become. But Kakashi was in his own league, and she watched as he paid tribute to his reputation – the Copy Ninja indeed. She had never even seen some of the jutsu he was using, and she absently wondered where he picked it up. She knew the Sharingan could copy any jutsu, but it was just strange to her that Sasuke didn't have the same arsenal as well. After all, he was an Uchiha by birth and had both Sharingan in his eyes, not just one. She didn't know how Kakashi came about his own, but it was obvious by his scar he lost his own eye prior. Yet, Kakashi may as well be an Uchiha by the way he utilized the Sharingan to the best of its abilities. He was just so brilliant; she could admit it. He was the epitome of what it meant to be a prodigy. He hadn't even used some of his more potent attacks, like the Kamui, that she knew he had.

Sasuke diverted from his signature fire ball jutsu and sent a powerful water jutsu toward Kakashi. He countered, not with a lightning jutsu, but his own fire style. It took on the form of a bird, wreathed in flames. It appeared to spit out fire from its mouth, and as it flew forward, she noted the sheer speed of the jutsu. It appeared to snuff out Sasuke's water jutsu, even though fire was undoubtedly weak against water. It was astonishing how powerful it was, and she knew Sasuke would die if this went on. He was injured, after bearing the brunt of a lot of Kakashi's attacks, and she could see him slowly running out of chakra. Kakashi noticed as well because he advanced and hit Sasuke with his lightning blade. Before, Sasuke was quick enough to avoid Kakashi's Chidori attacks, but this time he wasn't. It wasn't a direct hit, but it was enough that the lightning grazed his side. He went down, coughing up blood violently. She saw the demented relish on Kakashi's face at seeing Sasuke struggle. As he picked himself up, he was indubitably on the defense. It was all he could do to evade Kakashi. She could see Kakashi was toying with him, since he was no longer even bothering with his more powerful jutsu. She saw one of his teammates rush to his defense. It took them this long to realize Sasuke clearly wasn't winning this? Though, she supposed she couldn't talk about their lack of action. What was she doing exactly? Standing on the sidelines idly, not even trying to do anything. 'Well, I'm not his comrade, so it's not my job.' But she lacked conviction in that statement. She wasn't his comrade, but she still cared about him, did she not? He may not necessarily be an ally to her, but he certainly hadn't tried to harm her. He even chose to save her over pursuing his brother. When she saw Kakashi hit the man called Suigetsu with Chidori, she watched his whole body become immobile. It was like he was made of water, or at least partially.

Sasuke was gravely injured, and she knew he wasn't going to survive another hit from Kakashi's lightning blade. She didn't wait for his other teammates to come to his aid. She pushed chakra into her feet and shot forward. Just as he was about to land the blow that would have killed Sasuke she drew her fist, glowing with chakra, and went to punch his side. He noticed her, and he suppressed his lightning before he caught her wrist. His grip was harsh, grinding her bones together, before he turned to her coldly. She could see it on his face, his bloodlust. It didn't matter that Sasuke used to be a student. He left their village, so in his eyes he was an enemy, someone he could exterminate.

"You know better than to interfere Sakura."

"I won't let you do this; you won't kill him."

"You won't let me?" He scoffed cruelly.

"You'll have to get through me to kill him, Kakashi." She raised her free hand and called forth more chakra.

"Your stubbornness is cute to me on occasion, but this isn't one of those times."

She heard Sasuke try to protest her involvement weakly, and she growled at him to be quiet before she responded to Kakashi. "You'll have to run me into the ground for me to allow this to happen."

"I won't have to do that, and you know it."

She went to strike the ground with her other fist, but he caught it before she could split the earth. He pulled both of her hands above her head and brought her closer, so she was pushed against his body.

"I'll let you get out of my way freely. Or I can make you. If I have to do that, I won't be pleased. Choose wisely," he warned.

She knew he would too. She really wasn't going to be able to provide any resistance to him if he was determined to kill Sasuke. She had to think of a different strategy.

"Fine Kakashi, you win. I know I can't actually stop you from doing what you want," she acknowledged. "However, know this. If you kill him, I will never forgive you," she promised. She wasn't sure if that would persuade him, but that's all she had to bargain with. She meant it too. If he killed Sasuke, she would never find it in her heart to give him absolution for it.

"You think you can control me that way, Sakura?" He asked quietly.

"It's not about control. I'm just telling you what will happen. You can force me to do many things, but the one thing you can't command is my affection. How do you expect to win me over if I despise you?"

"You're saying if I spare him, you'll be receptive to me?"

"No, but I'm saying if you do kill him, you will have no chance of changing my mind about you." Her tone was purposely unrelenting, and she held his gaze.

He was looking at her critically, thinking over her words. He had to incontrovertibly believe she wasn't bluffing. Tsunade-sama thought she could use his 'feelings' to her advantage. Well, this was about to be the ultimate test to see if there was any semblance of truth in that claim.

She could still see the need on his face… the need to shed blood, the need to end life. His hands shook slightly as he continued to hold her wrists tightly. "Please, Kakashi," she whispered imploringly. His eyes shut briefly, he seemed to be at odds with himself. When she met his mismatched gaze, he looked far from elated.

"Only for you." His face was stony as he said it. She inwardly relished in her first small victory over Kakashi. He stopped because she gave him an ultimatum of sorts. Lady Tsunade was correct, at least to some extent. It seemed whatever he felt for her was a bit more complex than she thought. She knew he didn't love her; she wasn't even sure he was capable of such an intricate emotion. She didn't even believe what he felt for her was anything close to what one would define as romantic feelings. He was just too damaged and narcissistic to truly care about her. He punished her, humiliated her, and had absolutely no remorse over it. It was hard to comprehend him 'liking her' in any capacity. And trying to understand him was more than likely a futile pursuit.

He dropped her wrists and his arms fell down to his sides stiffly. He was like a live wire, ready to explode at the smallest provocation. "I won't do this again Sakura." She knew that too; this was more than likely a one-time deal. But still, he backed down this time. She'd worry about the next time when she had to.

Karin came forward to kneel next to Sasuke after Kakashi halted his attack. At first, she was a bit disgusted when Sasuke had her arm in his mouth, and she cried out in ecstasy. But then, she understood exactly why she was on his team. Weak she may be, but she clearly had her own unique purpose. Sasuke's chakra reserves started increasing, and his injuries healed. It seemed she was actually feeding him her chakra, and the medic within her was fascinated by the technique – she'd never seen anything like it. When Sasuke was well enough to get off the ground, she saw the look he gave her. He was out of commission before, but he definitely heard most of the conversation. He looked appalled, considering the power imbalance between them. Kakashi was her captain, and most would call him her sensei. She called him sensei out of habit before, but she never truly considered him her teacher. Lady Tsunade was her mentor, she molded her into the adult she was today. Kakashi really only took on the role of her captain when she was 15, and even then, he was usually absent. He was nothing like a teacher to her, and she never really thought of him that way. It was merely a title she used to show him respect up until recently.

She had to get Kakashi to leave before Sasuke said something stupid. Something that would undo what she just accomplished, and she could tell he was about to. "Sasuke saved me from Itachi, but he already left long before you got here. There's no reason for us to linger here. Let's go find Naruto and Sai."

He nodded imperceptibly and she sighed in relief. Somehow, she managed to prevent this confrontation from being lethal. She nearly turned back to Sasuke to tell him how he owed her for this…

Kakashi's mood hadn't improved hours later. When they found Naruto and Sai, both picked up on Kakashi's dark aura. No one said a word as they made their way to a nearby village to find rooms for the night. She may have persuaded him, but he was irrefutably conflicted over his decision. He hadn't even looked in her direction since they left, and the black look on his face wasn't reassuring. When he requested two rooms she was filled with a feeling of dread. She gravitated toward Naruto, hoping Kakashi would be too angry with her to want her in the same room as him. Luck was definitely not on her side today.

"Sakura, you'll be staying with me. We'll all meet downstairs after we've cleaned up."

Of the four of them, Kakashi was really the only one in need of that. He was a bloody mess, and she saw how horrified the man who checked them in was at the sight of him. She of course, wasn't foolish enough to point this out to him though. She gulped as she followed Kakashi into their room reluctantly. One bed, perfect… 'Somehow, I don't think Kakashi will stick to his side,' she thought humorlessly. So far, he hadn't made a move on her though. The door closed behind him as he went to shower, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly changed into civilian clothes while he was gone and sat on the edge of the bed nervously. 20 minutes went by, and he still hadn't come out. It either was taking a long time to wash all the blood off, or his mood was still foul. After another 10 minutes or so he finally emerged, in his boxers.

'Oh wonderful,' she thought to herself. He didn't seem to be paying her any mind, so his state of undress was at least not a tactic to seduce her. Her eyes took him in while he ran a towel through his wild hair. She couldn't help herself; he was impressive. As a medic she'd seen her fair share of the male body. Something about Kakashi's though was different. He was well built, not overly bulky, but his muscle tone was undeniable. Well-developed biceps, defined forearms, and his back in particular was quite nice. When he turned in her direction, he still wasn't looking at her, and so her gaze found the front of him as well. The definition in his chest and abdominals had her mouth feeling a bit dry. His six-pack was obvious, and her eyes found the V-shape that dipped down beneath his boxers. She blushed in embarrassment, forcing herself to look away, before her eyes settled once more on his abs.

"If you don't stop looking at me like that my control will snap," he growled. Her eyes met his and there was nothing teasing in his expression. It was a warning to her. His mask was off, so the dark expression on his face was more apparent than ever. And yet, it didn't take away from his looks at all. She couldn't keep looking at his handsome face, so she buried her own in her hands.

"Could you at least get dressed?" She grumbled.

"Why, tempted?" He mocked. Her head shot up at that. "No! I'm not," she denied, even though she could tell how red her face was. When her gaze found him again, she couldn't help but notice another part of him twitch. His boxers didn't hide the bulge, and she stared a second longer than she should have. He looked big… really big. 'Did you really expect him not to be endowed?' She chided herself. Everything about his aesthetic appeal was perfect. It only made sense his penis matched that as well.

"Sakura, I can smell you," he bit out. "You need to leave. You can't be around me in that state when I'm this angry. I'm too rough."

Did he think she wanted him to take her now? The desire she was feeling against her will began to taper off, to make way for anxiety. He didn't need to tell her twice; she wasn't about to stick around and find out how far his control could be pushed.

She was twitchy, to say the least. She found Naruto and Sai in the pub downstairs. Naruto gave her that look of concern she was growing accustomed to seeing on him. It was all too much, she needed to relax. She ordered a bottle of sake for her to do just that.

"Uh Sakura, is that really a good idea?" Naruto questioned.

"It's the best idea I've had in a while. Don't worry, I don't plan to get wasted."

"But for your judgment to be skewed around Kakashi is just asking for problems," he whispered.

"He doesn't exactly respect my wishes when I'm sober anyway," she pointed out. "I need to decompress."

When Kakashi found her, she wasn't inebriated, but she was definitely tipsy. He put his hand over her glass as she tried to bring it back up to her lips again.

"You've had enough," he ordered, pulling the bottle away from her.

"Says who? I'm not even drunk," she retorted.

"You will be if you keep this up."

"Do you have to control everything I do?"

"I have your best interest in mind."

She was getting angry, and the alcohol loosened her tongue. "Oh, of course you do. Everyone knows your judgment is completely reasonable."

"Are you sure you want to speak to me that way?" His stare was challenging, and despite her liquid courage, she knew when to pick her battles. She stayed silent.

"Be a good girl. You know I won't tolerate your obstinance outside of the village."

She crossed her arms and sulked to herself. He was such an overbearing asshole. His arm came around the back of her chair. He looked to be in a better mood than before, which made her reluctantly open her mouth to offer gratitude.

"Thank you, for earlier," she murmured, loud enough for only him to hear her.

His expression instantly hardened. "Do not thank me. He deserved to have his insides gutted open."

"He was once a comrade of yours," she reminded him. "Besides, he did me no harm. He chose saving me over trying to follow his brother."

"That's because he has feelings for you, which he should rid himself of if he knows what's good for him. And it still doesn't matter. He's a rogue ninja, a traitor. He didn't deserve my mercy, even if he did save you."

She glared at the floor, regretting even thanking him. "Sounds like you're threatened," she baited.

"Pardon?"

Completely sober Sakura would have tread lightly. She wouldn't have tried to provoke him this way. But it seemed the sake boldened her tongue because she continued recklessly. "That's the real problem, isn't it? That's why you wanted to kill him, and that's why you're so irate now. He did nothing to actually warrant a death sentence. He's a missing-nin, but everyone knows the reason why. You just wanted him dead for your own selfish reasons."

"And what would those be?" His voice was dangerous.

"You're worried that I would choose him over you if given the chance. I used to have feelings for him after all, and Sasuke is more handsome than ever. Are you questioning if he could bring me pleasure you could not?" She emphasized the word 'pleasure.'

He laughed darkly before he haled her against his body. "I warned you not to play with me."

They flickered back into the room and her asinine bravery faded. He ripped his mask off and stared at her, as if she was his next meal.

"Why are we back here?"

"To accept the consequences of your words."

"Wait, I'm sorry! I was just a little tipsy and angry, and I got carried away!"

"It's too late for that." She watched his shirt come off and all the warning bells sounded in her head.

"Please, Kakashi, wait," she groveled. The back of her knees hit the bed.

"Why so nervous, Sakura? I'm simply going to give you another lesson. One you were practically begging me for." He stalked forward and she found herself pinned to the bed by him. He had her wrists in one hand, and his body weight settled over her pelvis.

"What do you mean?"

"You claimed I can't bring you pleasure; you're about to eat your words. All your thoughts will be so consumed by me that you will never even dream of considering another. You'll be screaming my name in pleasure, pleasure only I can ever give you."

"I won't," she growled vehemently.

"You will." He smirked, and at the moment she wasn't distracted by his maskless face for once. She was too overwhelmed by her own trepidation at what was to come.

"Your mind may not have accepted me, but your body will undoubtedly know that it belongs to me soon."

"Kakashi, stop!"

His mouth was an inch from hers, and his eyes were locked on her own. "I won't stop until I taste your surrender on my tongue, over, and over, and over again," he promised. "Then you'll tell me how unequivocally mine you are."

I know I left on a cliff hanger, sorry about that... Please review!