ZERO / BLEACH / TWIST / REVERSE / DYE (here) / RED

"It was a mistake," you said. But the cruel thing was, it felt like the mistake was mine, for trusting you. - David Levithan

Sasuke stared hard at the floor.

"You left me out last time?"

"Yeah. And you ended up dying anyway," Sakura told him. She leaned her head back and let it knock against the cabinet door.

Sasuke's mouth puckered. He clenched his hands together, then looked up at her. "Well good. Now you know that shit doesn't work. I don't care if you're worried about me. Keep me in the loop," he ordered.

The kitchen was too small to fit all of them comfortably. So Itachi was standing in the doorway, arms folded across his chest. He nodded. "The same for me," Itachi said.

"Me too," Shisui chimed in.

The coffee was done, but no one moved toward the carafe or the four mugs that sat waiting on the counter. The sun was just beginning to rise, a ball of deep red climbing up from the black horizon. The people would start to rouse soon. Preparing for another beautiful but cool autumn day in the city of dreams.

"So… what do we need to do now?" Itachi inquired.

"I've managed to die really horribly pretty much every time. I was hoping for some… input," Sakura admitted, pressing her hands together. Her gaze flitted between each of her cousins.

"Talking to Uncle is out," Shisui said.

"After I stabbed him?" Sakura replied. "Yeah, I'd say so."

Sasuke's lower lip stuck out as he gave a shrug. "Sounds like he kind of deserved it, if you ask me." When Shisui nudged him with his foot, Sasuke batted it away. "I said what I said. We wouldn't be in this mess if he didn't… well… whatever he did, it's his fault."

Shisui and Itachi exchanged a nervous look. But Sakura understood. Sasuke always took her side, even when he wasn't sure she was right. It was another painful reminder of how much he loved her, and how much she loved him for that.

Itachi cleared his throat before he spoke. "You said that last time it seemed like Tobirama knew more than he was letting on. Why not go to him again?"

Sakura frowned. "You were both against that last time."

"It wasn't like talking to him hurt. You said he was helpful. We should get more out of him," Itachi insisted.

"I was just asking him about theory last time. How am I going to explain all of this?" Sakura gestured all around, nearly smacking Sasuke in the face. He ducked out of the way.

They all considered that. Shisui leaned against the counter. Cheek in his hand, he blinked a few times.

"Why not bring in the proof then?" he suggested.

Everyone stared at him. Sasuke's face contorted with disgust as he realized what Shisui meant.

"Shisui, what the fuck?" Sasuke barked, whirling around to smack Shisui's shin. Shisui barely flinched.

"What? I can't make a suggestion?"

"What the fuck is the matter with you? Sakura's clearly traumatized as is. And you want us to shove him in her face?"

As the two bickered, Sakura considered the possibilities.

If she remembered correctly, Itachi reported that Naruto showed very few signs of aggression until the very last moment. The brief lapses in his clarity seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Never enough for him to do any damage.

Itachi squeezed into the kitchen to crouch in front of her. He rested his hand on her ankle. He only spoke when their eyes met. "Based on what you've told us, it doesn't seem like the worst course of action. But it could be dangerous."

"If I die, apparently we can just try again. I think it's worth a shot," she replied, smiling.

Itachi didn't return the expression. His fingers closed around her ankle.

"Sakura-"

She didn't want to hear whatever else he had to say. She pretended not to hear him as she grabbed Sasuke's arm to break up the argument.

"Fine. Someone come with me to Senju Academy. The other two will go get Naruto and meet us there."

"Sasuke, go with Sakura. We'll go get Naruto," Shisui immediately decided.

Itachi opened his mouth to protest, but Shisui explained. "We're grabbing a demon. I want a demonology expert with me." When Sasuke also opened his mouth, Shisui added, "You're friends with Naruto, aren't you? It'll probably be harder for you to deal with him than it is for either of us."

Both brothers' mouths snapped shut.

Everyone jumped when Sakura gasped.

"What about the shop?"

Sasuke glanced down at his watch. "It's barely 6. If we hurry, we might be able to swing it."

Everyone began standing and gathering their things. As Sakura headed for the bathroom, she felt a tug on her arm. It was Shisui. She expected him to say something. Maybe even crack a joke to try to make her smile.

Shisui just looked her in the eyes for a moment. And then he released her, slipping past like that interaction hadn't happened at all.

They parted ways on the street outside of Shisui's apartment. Sasuke didn't say much- not that he was ever much of a chatterbox. When he felt her stare, he raised his eyebrows. He looked at the pole he was grabbing for balance. Shifted his hand up and gestured to the space underneath. Sakura conjured a spectral hand to grasp the spot.

Sasuke grimaced.

"Creepy."

"Practical," Sakura countered with a sniff.

When they arrived at Senju Academy, it was so early that there were almost no students around. Those that were looked grumpy and barely conscious. They were probably heading to the dining hall for some breakfast before their morning lectures.

Sakura reached for Sasuke's hand as they walked. She cast the first half of a linking spell, like spindly fingers stretching across the space between them. When Sasuke finished the other half of the spell, the threads connected. Sasuke's irritation rushed through her. That caught her by surprise until Sasuke read her expression.

Smells like ass on the subway.

She smiled. She went to release his hand. Sasuke wasn't a big fan of physical affection. But he held on tighter when he felt her slipping away.

Stay close, he thought across their bond.

Okay.

Sakura didn't bother with the library this time around. They made their way straight to the headmaster's office. The secretary looked just as apologetic this time as she informed them that the headmaster would be in meetings for most of the morning.

"Actually, I was hoping you could get in touch with Professor Tobirama," Sakura said. The secretary looked down at her watch. Then at her computer screen.

"His first lecture doesn't start until later, sweetheart. I'm afraid he hasn't come in yet," the secretary told her.

Which made sense. They were here a few hours earlier than last time.

Sakura bit her lower lip. She leaned in a little closer to the secretary, who copied the gesture. "I'm really sorry to ask this. But… would there be a way to get in touch with him? It's kind of an emergency."

The secretary gave a furtive glance around. She picked up the phone, held the receiver to her chest.

"Don't tell anyone I did this," she whispered. Sakura nodded.

The secretary dialed a number, then she paused. "What do I tell him?"

Sakura gave Sasuke a look, who just shrugged in return. "Uh… well.. could you tell him that Madara's kid has a question that her dad can't answer?" The secretary finished dialing the number. She held the receiver up to her ear, tapping her bright nails against the desk as she waited.

Tobirama sounded grumpy over the phone. Sakura couldn't exactly hear his words, but the tone came through. When the secretary relayed her message, there was a series of loud noises. Then the line went dead.

The secretary stared at the phone. Then at Sakura.

"Well… I guess he's-"

The heavy double doors to the office swung open. A burst of cool air accompanied Professor Tobirama. His hair was sticking up at odd angles, and his shirt buttons didn't match up. He searched all around the office until his gaze landed on her.

"I'm assuming this is an emergency if you're here this early looking for me," Tobirama said.

Sakura nodded.

Tobirama gestured for her to follow. Then he was turning on his heel, striding out of the main office.

Tobirama's office was located several floors above his brother's. The heavy wood door swung shut behind them. Inside, little motes of green and white swirled around, pulsating faintly. They made tinkling sounds as Sakura brushed past them. Sasuke paused to squint at one of the little orbs until Sakura pulled him away.

Tobirama gestured to the two chairs facing his desk as he dropped his coat. A spell swept it away, presumably into some closet hidden somewhere. Heaving a sigh, he ran both his hands through his messy hair. He leaned on the edge of his desk.

"So?" Tobirama prompted.

Sakura twisted around in her seat. She pushed her hair off the back of her neck. Tobirama leaned forward, his eyes widening.

"When did this happen?" he demanded.

"Today," Sakura answered.

Tobirama leaned in even closer. He conjured glasses into his hand and perched them on the bridge of his nose.

"This is… hm… Who made this contract? It doesn't look like it was you," Tobirama half-mused to himself.

Sakura huffed. "Clearly, there's a reason why I'm asking you about this and not Papa." She lowered her hair and faced Tobirama.

"Can you tell how old it is? Was it made before or after I met him?" she queried.

Tobirama's mouth puckered as he considered that. He gave a small shake of his head.

"That's not the kind of thing you can tell just by looking. Sorry. Any idea what the price is to fulfill the contract?"

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a grim look.

"My heart," Sakura answered.

Tobirama's frown deepened. He folded his arms across his chest. "That's some ugly magic, then. Old stuff."

"Any chance that this kind of contract can be broken?" Sasuke spoke up for the first time.

"You can kill one of the parties involved in the contract. But that would be impossible unless you could find the spirit that the contract was made with. And even then-"

The door to Tobirama's office opened. Sakura hurried to pull her hair back over the back of her neck. Irritation crossed Tobirama's face as Shisui walked in with a person slung over his shoulder. Itachi followed, sighing as he closed the door behind them. He was rubbing his forehead.

"It's polite to knock, Shisui," Itachi scolded.

"Too busy for manners," Shisui replied. And then he looked at Tobirama to ask: "Do you know what's going on?"

Tobirama stared at him. "I'm sorry. Did you drag an unconscious person into my office?" he demanded.

Shisui's eyebrows rose. "Oh. No, he's awake." He turned around to show off Naruto's face. Naruto gave a sleepy wave.

"I told him it was an emergency. He was happy to come along. Nice kid," Shisui then said, mostly to Sakura and Sasuke. Naruto smiled.

"Thanks," he yawned.

Tobirama glared at them all. He folded his arms across his chest before he heaved a sigh. "Okay. Anyone care to supply me with some context?"

When Sakura pointed at the back of her neck, Tobirama's eyes widened. One of his eyebrows rose. Then fell. Then both rose together as he turned to Naruto. Shisui took this opportunity to set Naruto on his feet. It was a little crowded with all of them in the office, but Tobirama still gave a wave of his hand to conjure the rest of them chairs. They weren't as nice as the ones Sakura and Sasuke sat in, but it was better than nothing. Naruto looked around before taking a seat. Shisui and Itachi exchanged a wary look before they sat too.

"Have you had any physical symptoms that have felt unusual within the last few weeks?" Tobirama inquired.

Naruto rubbed a knuckle across his eyes. "Not really."

"Headache?" Sakura prompted, remembering they conversation they'd had a few loops back.

Naruto's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! How'd you know that? And I've been falling asleep earlier than usual. Guess I've just been tired from work," he then elaborated.

Naruto then glanced around at all the grim faces.

"Wait, what's going on? Did something happen?" he wondered.

Tobirama grabbed Naruto's chin. He forced his mouth open to look at his teeth. He shot a little beam of light from the tip of his finger into Naruto's eye, moving it back and forth to examine something.

"How…odd," Tobirama muttered. He took Naruto's hand to examine his nails.

"Uh… what's… hello?" Naruto fumbled for words as Tobirama poked and prodded him.

"Everything appears normal. But… hm…" Tobirama stopped in the middle of his musing. He looked at Sakura.

"May I?" he asked.

Sakura almost said no. But this was the best shot they had at even beginning to come up with a plan that didn't involve her dead before the new year. Sakura put her hand on the back of her neck. Hesitated. And then she nodded. She turned in her seat so her back was to Naruto.

She was glad that she couldn't see him. When Tobirama pushed her hair out of the way, and she lowered her hand, she heard an odd gurgling.

And then Sasuke's arms were around her, yanking her away as he snapped: "What the fuck!". His panic flooded into her so quickly that she gasped too. It was like being plunged into icy water.

"Itachi!" Shisui shouted at the same time. Itachi lunged and seized Naruto under the armpits.

There was no need for the panic, however. Silvery chains appeared around Naruto's throat, criss-crossing across his chest and then around his arms, his legs. When Tobirama snapped, the chains suddenly tightened, paralyzing Naruto.

Sakura began to sit up straight, but Sasuke clapped his hand over her eyes.

Don't look, he warned through their link. She pushed his hand away.

"I'm fine," she insisted out loud.

The Naruto she faced wasn't quite the one from her nightmares. His eyes had turned red, but his nails were still just nails. Even as she looked at him, the wild look in his face began to fade bit by bit.

"Interesting," mused Tobirama. "A direct reaction to the stimulus." And then he tilted his head to look at Sakura.

"I hate to admit this, but I think we'll need my brother here for this."

Sakura pulled her hair down to cover the back of her neck as well as she could. "I thought he would be busy with meetings or something."

The corners of Tobirama's eyes creased. "You've never been in a meeting before, have you? A magical emergency is the perfect excuse to escape one." And then he was pulling his phone out of his pocket, typing with one hand while the other sustained his spell binding Naruto.

Sakura started. That made Sasuke jump too.

"How long do you think it would take the headmaster to get here? We have to open the shop," Sakura then said.

Sasuke glared at her. "Is that really important right now?"

You're an idiot, Sakura shot the thought at him.

You're an even bigger idiot, Sasuke snapped through their link.

Sakura glared right back at him. "Yes! You don't think Papa would find it strange if none of us showed up at the shop today?"

"She's right. That would be weird," Itachi agreed.

Just as Sakura suggested splitting the group up, Tobirama glanced down at his phone.

"Oh. Looks like this meeting actually was important. How shocking," Tobirama remarked. He read a little more before adding, "Why don't you all go open your shop and be back here tonight? Let's say by… 6?". He typed a response to the text before dropping his phone back into his pocket.

They exchanged looks.

Sasuke's worry poked at the edge of her consciousness. Sakura poked him back until he let out a sigh out loud.

Do you trust him?

Sakura almost laughed at that question.

I used to trust Papa, didn't I? What's the point?

Sasuke's eyebrows pulled down. He reached over and patted her forearm a few times.

Tobirama's eyes flickered back and forth between them. There was no way that he could hear the contents of their silent conversation. But there was no doubt that he could feel the way their thoughts flowed. Like little jolts of magic pinging back and forth along the same nerve.

"That's not an easy spell. You're both excellent at it," Tobirama observed. And then his gaze softened a little as his eyes fell on Sakura.

"I'm glad you managed to pull that spark free. Looks like sending you with Madara-"

Sakura felt ill as she remembered the last time he'd said those words to her. She held a hand up, the other clasping over her mouth.

"Please don't say it," she whispered.

"Uh… could someone explain what's going on here?" Naruto finally spoke up. He looked over at Tobirama, who he undoubtedly recognized as his professor from his days as a student. Tobirama glanced over him. Naruto's eyes were blue again.

"In a bit. After these four are gone," Tobirama promised him.

That was their cue to leave.

Sakura didn't really remember how they got to the dream shop. They had probably taken the train. Someone had been pulling her along by the hand. By the time Itachi was pushing a cup of coffee into her hand, they were already in the store. She was standing behind the counter, the appointment book open in front of her.

"You okay?" asked Sasuke. He ducked under the mobile of colored ribbons and bells that hung from the rafters. In his right hand was a bag from the cafe down the block. The smell of bacon seeped out from the contents within.

"No. Bad question, Sasuke," Shisui snorted from across the room. He sat on the bottom of the steps that led upstairs.

"I know that. Just…" Sasuke grumbled, glowering at Shisui.

"It's the thought that counts," Itachi smoothed things over. Sasuke set breakfast on the counter, nodding at Itachi.

"Don't be a bully, Shisui," Sakura said without thinking. It came automatically at this point. Bantering with them. Just like how Sasuke always knew to ask for extra black pepper on her breakfast sandwich. Or how she knew to get Shisui's drinks with light ice.

Sasuke and Itachi distributed their breakfast. She was convinced that nothing would sit right in her stomach after the events of the morning. Instead, as her stomach filled, she found herself feeling a little better. And as her cousins chattered and bickered, she even found herself smiling a little.

They day was simultaneously went too slowly and too quickly.

By the time Shisui locked the doors to the shop, Sakura almost wanted to call the whole thing off. To run home and crawl into her bed. Maybe she would wake up and realize that this was all some elaborate nightmare her brain had tangled into itself one particularly stressful night. She would wake up. Madara would be himself. Naruto wouldn't be…

It was so untrue that she couldn't even finish that thought.

When they arrived at the Senju Academy, most of the lights in the administrative building were off. The few windows that were illuminated looked like a scattering of broken teeth.

Sakura took a deep breath of the cool autumn air. Her hands were deep in the pockets of her jacket. She almost reached for the scrying bone to hold for a bit of comfort. But she realized that it wasn't there. It was still sitting at the bottom of Madara's drawer.

It was odd. How empty she felt without the shape of the bone secured in her pocket.

"You ready?" Shisui asked.

"No," Sakura answered, already walking into the building.