Sasuke had to do it. He couldn't hide it from Sakura anymore. Tonight, when Akuma took over, she'd finally witness the demon's true form. 'And she'll be terrified, disgusted, or both after that.' More than anything, the prince didn't want his fiancee to experience any more negativity on his behalf. He already felt guilty for what hadn't happened yet. That was why he found it hard to act normally around the pink-haired woman when they were alone and even at dinner. Thankfully, his uncle put in most of the work to keep the conversation flowing.

"I'm told there isn't a single vacant room at the capitol's inns tonight!"

Sakura made a subtle sound of intrigue to show she was paying attention but said nothing.

'She's not eating much. Is she nervous about tomorrow?'

Who was he kidding? Of course, she was. The truth was hanging over them both like an anvil. At some point in the near future, denying his feelings for her would be impossible, and a decision on how to proceed with her sacrifice would need to be made.

"I can't wait to see you in your wedding gown, Niece. You'll surely take everyone's breath away," the king tried again, oblivious to his dining partners' wishes to eat in peace.

The pinkette cleared her throat before bowing her head low, "May I be excused, Uncle? I fear I'm much too anxious to eat."

Sasuke watched with a concerned face as she stood, rising to his feet to escort her without saying a word, only for Madara to lift a hand, "I'll have guards stationed outside her room, Nephew. I'd like a word before you retire for the night."

Only when the pinkette offered him a look of reassurance did the prince sink back into his seat. The Uchihas watched three guards follow her out. When they were gone, and the door was closed, Madara's hyper-friendly persona relaxed.

'He was trying to make her feel comfortable. At least he's not entirely bad,' Sasuke studied his uncle's face and waited for him to speak. It didn't matter that he was being friendly now. He still didn't trust him in regard to his or his fiancee's well-being.

"It seems a group of mercenaries are responsible for kidnapping Lady Sakura. Rest assured, we've captured, interrogated, and dealt with the criminals."

Sasuke's mouth moved before he could stop it, "When did this happen? And why am I only now being notified?" He glanced at his elder brother, who dropped his gaze to the table as though ashamed.

"You've had enough on your plate preparing for the wedding and dealing with your fiancee. I hardly think-" "What do you mean by "dealing with"? With all due respect, Your Highness, do not speak as though she's done something worthy of blame." The prince wanted to bite his tongue, but it was too late.

Madara's eyes narrowed. He tilted his head with a frown, "Everything I've done has been for your benefit. The least you could do is show some gratitude. Your parents raised you better than this."

For some reason, that statement, which normally would make Sasuke shut his mouth in shame, angered him further. He rose to his feet with fire in his veins but couldn't find the correct words to say. Madara got up, too, seeming to match the younger Uchiha's ire, only for Itachi to suddenly interrupt, "It's a full-moon tonight. What will you do?"

'Ah, that's right. What are we doing? There are more important things to focus on right now than generational discourse regarding the royal family.' Swallowing his rage, Sasuke looked across the room to the long windows to see the sun would soon begin setting, "If she's to die for my sake, she deserves to witness the truth."

"Are you in your right mind?" Madara shook his head, obviously disagreeing with the choice, "That girl is damaged enough. Why knowingly put her through another trauma?"

"You don't-!" Sasuke's mouth clamped closed as he bit off his outburst. His brother and uncle watched as he took a calming breath. After a moment, he restarted, this time with more composure, "You don't understand. Sakura is not like others. Hiding would do more damage than showing her the true form of a demon."

Without another word, the prince excused himself from the dining hall. 'And she's not damaged, not permanently. If only I weren't cursed and she wasn't so keen on dying for me, I'm sure I'd be able to help heal her pain completely. We could be-' He cut off his own thoughts, frowning at the ground while ascending the stairs.

Upon arriving at their room, he waved off the guards and paused outside the door. 'Once I go inside, there will be no turning back. She'll see everything. She'll know the truth.'

Honestly, the Uchiha man knew why he'd waited so long to show her this hideous sight. It was because she'd find it horrifying and be that much more inspired to die, and he could barely take her lack of self-preservation already. The first woman he genuinely took comfort in, and she was eager to disappear forever. His luck had always been awful.

Sasuke entered the bedroom, eyes darting to the closed bathroom door when he realized Sakura wasn't in bed, at the desk, or at the tea table. Panic sent electricity through his body, and he hurried across the room to wrench the door open. He fully expected to find her bloody and broken on the floor like the last time he saw her in such a room, but instead, he was met with a surprised pink-haired woman in a towel.

She fumbled to hold it more firmly around her and blushed, "S-Sasuke!"

Heat met the man's ears, and he closed his eyes, shut the door, and grumbled loudly enough that she could hear through it, "I'm sorry. I thought…."

'Her hair was wet and stuck to her damp skin. Her green eyes seemed brighter. Has she always had such a milky complexion?'

Sakura's bashful voice met his ears from the other side of the closed door, "It's alright. I'll be out in a moment."

Sasuke groaned. He took off his shoes and changed into a pair of sleeping clothes while trying not to picture what was happening in the bathroom. The Uchiha prince himself had never been with a woman, but Akuma had caught one of the previous fiancees, and he was forced to witness a horrible crime. So, Sasuke wasn't exactly a virgin, by the definition, but he personally didn't consider what'd transpired sex.

A wave of pain shot up his back, first his spine and then either side. The air in his lungs disappeared as he gripped the edge of the footboard to keep himself upright. Naturally, the bathroom door opened right then, and Sakura barely paused before realizing what was happening and coming to his side.

His gaze flickered to her pretty white nightgown before he squeezed his eyes closed. He gave her no time to speak, "There's something I must tell you."

The woman cautiously lay a hand on his arm, "Don't speak if it hurts too much."

"No, I-!" The man's teeth gritted as another wave of agony washed over him, this time a dozen times worse.

She gasped, lurching forward to catch him when he fell forward, "Oh, gosh!"

Shaking with effort, Sasuke hissed breathlessly into her neck, "Tonight, it'll be-! I-It'll be different. I'll change." He finally managed to gather the strength to push her away.

For a moment, Sakura seemed confused and ready to argue, but when he felt the familiar burn of his skin darkening, she went pale. Tears welled in her eyes as he shoved her with as little strength as possible, stumbling away in case the demon unintentionally lashed out amidst the shift, "Stay back!"

Sasuke tried with all his might not to let the torture pull sounds from him but simply couldn't manage it. He fell to his knees with his hands on either side of his head, eyes squeezed closed in agony. It felt like lava was being injected into his bloodstream. At that moment, he forgot all about his fiancee because it was all he could do to remain sane in such a state.

Akuma rasped, obviously angry, "Fool! She cannot be permitted to-!"

Something warm and firm met his middle as he began falling forward. Only when he heard her quick heartbeat and terrified voice did he realize Sakura'd caught him, falling to her knees under his weight, "It's alright. You're not alone anymore."

'What is she….What is she doing? She could get hurt!'

The prince thought that and wanted to say so, but his body disobeyed. His arms wrapped tightly around her, fingers tightening into fists of the gown on her back as he pressed his face into the crook of her neck. She was crying, but she didn't move. No, she held him there, whispering short sentiments of comfort as his body transformed into something no longer human.

Finally, Akuma was in control.

His eyes stared at Sakura's pink hair as he panted for breath, 'She'll be terrified when she sees my face. I've lost. The prince knows that.'

The soft-spoken woman's sniffles slowed. They sat wordlessly there on the floor for a long time. Eventually, her shaking hands snaked around his torso to his back, feeling the bases of the massive, hand-shaped, fleshy wings there. That was when she tried to pull back, obviously to see what she was touching, but Akuma tightened his hold, "Do not move."

She sucked in a breath at his intense voice. Moments passed as she waited for him to say something else, but he couldn't. He didn't know any words that'd remedy this situation, so he just stayed still.

'It's over.'

He tensed when her hands slid between their torsos, running up to cup his cheeks and then running back into his long with her thumbs on his face and fingers behind his ears. She whispered, "It's okay."

The demon shook his head, burying his face more deeply into her embrace, "Your master told you not to move."

"Akuma, let me see."

Usually, uncontrollable rage would overcome him at blatant disobedience, but it didn't happen. No. In fact, the opposite occurred, and he found himself allowing the woman to push him back. He held his breath when she finally opened her eyes to look into his red ones. They widened as she searched his features. Something wild, akin to shame, had the demon pulling away, only for Sakura's grip on him to tighten. When he stilled, she gently moved her hands back to his cheeks.

She ran trembling fingers over his skin with a look of intrigue, "It's nice to finally know your real face."

"...You aren't afraid?"

The pinkette shook her head, brushing his long, messy hair out of his face before tilting her head with a sad expression, "You're still Akuma. What matters to me is your character."

Bitterness met the demon's tongue as he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes, "Humans find my character abhorrent."

A tiny giggle left the woman, "It can be intimidating, yes, but you're not completely inhuman."

Akuma's eyes shot open, "I am a demon, Sakura. Look at me."

"Yes, I can see that, but you're not the same demon I met that day, are you?"

She said the words, and then he knew them to be true. He had changed since their first meeting. That day, he spared her life because it was amusing. Now, he only thought of protecting her, even if that meant being civil with humans.

'When did I stop acting like this because of my deal with the prince and instead because it was my true desire?'

Tears met Sakura's eyes as she brought her gaze back to his face, having been inspecting his body, "If only you'd been born a human, or there was a spell that could-" "And if I was human, would you choose me?" Akuma gritted his teeth. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.

The woman's chin quivered as she searched his face. She took a long time thinking up a response, only to shake her head, the tears overflowing to slide gracefully down her cheeks. She tried to say something, but her voice cracked, and she closed her mouth again.

Again, the demon expected the familiar rage to flood his entire being, but it didn't. Instead, a cold sensation brought goosebumps to his skin. Hurt. He was sad at her rejection. 'Somehow, it's worse that I know she's not choosing him because of my appearance or past mistakes. She's forgiven me, but she still can't walk away from that goddamned prince.'

In the most human moment of his existence, Akuma simply nodded, wiping at the girl's tears without saying a word. Before, the demon's only goal was to gain control of this body and live his days as a human. Now, he was willing to give that up if it was what Sakura wanted. Somehow, she'd become more important to him than himself.

Selfishly, he pulled her into a strong embrace and held her close, memorizing the scent of her hair. 'At least I know she won't be going to Hell when she dies. She won't suffer because of me ever again.'