"Absolutely not," Madara hissed, offering a rare expression of unfiltered ire.

Sakura lowered her uncomfortable gaze to the ground but kept her lips sealed.

Pein had summoned them to his office and announced she was to become Madara's partner. That meant she'd do his assignments alongside him. It meant she'd be going outside. The fact that it was to do terrible things made her want to cringe.

The Uchiha man was understandably upset. Since they began working to repay their debt to The Akatsuki, he's made it clear she was to remain out of danger's path. At first, Pein heeded the request, but he'd apparently changed his mind.

'It's probably because he saw me beat up that shooter yesterday,' she thought.

"This isn't a debate. You'll both do as I say or face the consequences," the ginger man spoke firmly. He paused before adding, "Ultimately, it's your decision."

"I said no-" "I'll do it," Sakura cut Madara off. She sensed him look at her in disbelief but ignored it and lifted her gaze to Pein's, "I'll do it, but you're going to double our earnings for each job, and you're not going to try anything underhanded to make us stay after paying off our debt."

The Akatsuki leader smirked, shaking his head amusedly, "I see working here hasn't dulled your spirit," he tilted his head as though curious, looking over the pair, "I agree to your terms. Leave for your first assignment immediately."

Madara accepted a file containing their orders, and the pair left the office. Sakura didn't need him to say anything to understand how angry he was, and he knew that, so he remained silent. Not a word was spoken as they parted ways to pack a bag each, nor when they met at the door to the inconspicuous house.

Upon climbing into the large black truck he uses for missions, Sakura was handed the mission file.

She glanced at the quiet Uchiha man, swallowing anxiously when he kept his glare on the road, 'I can't worry about him being angry right now because we need to focus on the assignment.'

It was no secret Madara was doing the worst jobs to make money more quickly. The medical student heard Zetsu talking about it with Sasori a few times. Opening the file, Sakura covered her mouth with one hand and closed it again. It took everything in her not to throw up or blurt out a question of if this was some sort of sick joke.

There, in her hands, was a photo of Pein's brother's corpse, plus his wife, Konan. The mission is to retrieve their bodies and drop them off at a safe point at the docks on the outskirts of the city.

'Why would he risk sending us to Konoha? My hair's pink again.'

Time had passed since the manhunt for the woman began, but, at least to her knowledge, it hadn't been called off. She wasn't sure, though, because the disposable phone they'd set up as a method of contact with Sasuke was confiscated by Pein. He didn't want them to feed information to someone with it. He also wasn't sure if they had any other allies that might come to their rescue.

"Do you still have the ring?" The Uchiha man suddenly asked, tone professional and emotionless.

Sakura looked down at her left hand resting in her lap, where the fake wedding band he'd given her the day they boarded the plane to Otogakure to help make their story of being a married couple more believable rested. For some reason, it felt taboo to remove it. She wore it at all times, even when showering and sleeping.

"Yes, but will it still work? My hair…." The fake ID and passport he'd expertly crafted both said she was blonde.

"In the file."

The complete lack of warmth in Madara's voice made goosebumps crawl up her arms, but Sakura did her best to appear calm as she flipped the thing open again, this time filtering through the papers there to find new proofs of identity there. Ones that accurately described her features.

An understanding hum left her throat, and then the vehicle became silent once more. She looked at the large hands on the steering wheel. There, on the fourth finger of his left hand, sat the band that matched hers.

'Did he keep it on all this time, too, or did he just do it without me noticing?'

The romantic in her fantasized that Madara had felt the same way as she did, that keeping the piece of jewelry was a reminder of their relationship, even if they're not even speaking, much less engaged or married. Realistically, she knew he probably put it on in his room when they were separately packing their bags.

A sluggish feeling washed over the woman as she tossed the closed file onto the space between them, looking out the window at the trees that passed on the side of the road. For some reason, the ring on her finger felt like it was burning.

Sakura felt like a fool.

Since their unexpected tryst ended last night, Madara has shut her out even harder than before. Her love for the man is so overwhelming that she can't bear to imagine being apart for the rest of their lives.

She's not a complete idiot. The bright future she's strived for might be impossible if her name isn't properly cleared. Growing up, Sakura's only goal was to marry Sasuke and become a doctor. Her grandmother and mother both had the profession, so she chose to follow in their footsteps. The sleepless nights spent grueling over books, frantically trying to cram information in before tests may have been in vain, and the thought made Sakura want to cry in frustration.

When she thinks about what she'd have to do to get back on that path, going to the police and telling them honestly what'd happened, it becomes clear that her love for Madara is stronger.

It's reckless and probably unwise, but it's how she feels. The heart doesn't ask permission before latching onto something or someone. Just thinking about never seeing his face again was enough to send Sakura spiraling with anxiety and panic, and she thought Madara felt the same way about her.

He's doing all of this to save her life. She knows that, but she wholeheartedly wishes he was as desperate and attached to her as she is to him.

'I'm selfish. That's why,' Sakura turned further toward the door to try and mask the fact that her eyes were filled with thick tears threatening to fall, 'I want to be with him no matter the cost, whereas he's prepared to give up anything and everything just to make sure I'm safe.'

Deep in her heart, Sakura was beginning to realize it didn't matter what she wanted. Once their debt to The Akatsuki Gang is paid, Madara will disappear. Now, she can either begin convincing herself to do what he wants as one last testament to their love or to fight tooth and nail for the same reason despite knowing it'll upset the man.

Sleeping with him was a mistake. Ever since then, the woman was snapped out of her delusion that things would eventually be okay. It was slow, the descent into depression and disappointment, like quicksand.

When they arrived at the airport, Sakura was exhausted from the tension. Her eyes remained low as Madara held her hand and led the way onto the plane, all part of the married couple act.

They were soon in the air, the man wordlessly having her sit inside by the window as he had on their way to Otogakure. Also, just like last time, Sakura was terrified. Every part of her wanted to hold her probably ex-boyfriend's hand for support, but she couldn't gather the courage to do it, so she crossed her arms tightly and tried to take even breaths to keep her pulse calm. It wasn't working.

Maybe half an hour after lift-off, a feminine voice interrupted the pink-haired woman's fretting thoughts, "Are you alright, Sweetheart? A few of the passengers have expressed concern. Is it your first time flying?"

Sakura's eyes darted up from the floor to see a pretty brunette stewardess smiling at her. She was doing little to hide the fact that she was eyeing Madara, as well. 'I bet she only came to check on me so she could get close to him. That really pisses me off.' The instant realization that Madara would probably go back to his one-night stands after leaving her in Konoha lowered her mood further, if possible.

"Please tell them we're flattered," Madara said before Sakura could, expertly pulling off the image of a doting husband while smiling softly at her, "My wife is pregnant and has struggled with nausea the past few days."

The blood in the woman in question's face drained because the warm expression didn't reach his eyes. Instead, she lowered her gaze to her lap, a lump rising in her throat that made it impossible to speak lest she begin crying, 'I wish I were anywhere but here.' She just wanted to crawl into bed and hide from these awful feelings.

"Oh, she's your wife! Congratulations on your pregnancy." The stewardess' voice was noticeably less chipper, though she remained polite, "Would you like some motion sickness medicine, Ma'am? It should help with the nausea."

Sakura shook her head, "No, thank you. I'll be alright."

Madara hummed amusedly, "I've tried, believe me. She refuses to take any medication because she's worried it'll affect the baby."

'Can he stop talking about our fake child already? This is torture.' It was a little too much in her vulnerable state to see and hear the man acting so lovingly.

"I see. Well, please flag me down if she changes her mind."

There was an awkward silence after she left, Sakura returning to her task of staring at her bouncing knee and counting her breaths. It was interrupted by Madara suddenly murmuring, "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine," she quickly replied. Her acting job was dismal just then, so she didn't want to seem even more worthless by complaining.

The man took off his jacket and laid it over her like a blanket, purposefully avoiding meeting her eye, "Try to get some sleep. I'll wake you when we arrive."

As sad as it was to admit, the man's scent on the article of clothing worked wonders to distract her from her discomfort. Her arms hesitantly uncrossed, fingers gingerly pulling the jacket closer as she blushed, turning slightly away from the man so he wouldn't see her humiliated expression.

'It's for her own good.' That's what Madara repeated to himself like a mantra.

Sakura's asleep at his side, finally. Week after week of pretending to be okay at the hideout had worn the woman down. Now, it was cracking. She was desperately trying to keep the pieces glued in place, but Madara could tell before they even hooked up last night.

Sleeping together was a mistake, but he just couldn't help it. Sakura's legs were around his hips, and she'd been staring at him with those bright green eyes. And, fuck, did it feel incredible.

For that one hour, the man was taken back to the night they first had sex. He recalled how excited and nervous he was because there'd be no going back. Madara missed the days when they'd stay up late in his apartment talking about anything and everything because going to sleep meant they'd have less time together.

'If only I could've frozen time after Christmas. We could've stayed happy like that forever.'

Madara was just as enamored and in love with the sleeping woman as he was then, if not more because she's gone above and beyond to prove her loyalty when she never should've had to in the first place. He knew. He knew she'd go to the ends of the Earth to be with him. That's why he has to fix the mess he's made of her life and disappear.

'She deserves a normal life. A house with a white picket fence. A dog. Neighbors that can't mind their own business,' the Uchiha man's gaze turned onto the sleeping woman, his chest feeling hollow, 'She deserves someone she can marry. Someone who can devote his life to fulfilling her every desire.'

He can't give her that, no matter how much he wants to. When they first agreed to date, he never expected the aftermath of what happened at Danzo's mansion to be this substantial. He was a fool, and Sakura's the one paying for it.

Thinking about how he's failed her was only pissing him off, so Madara distracted himself with thoughts of their assignment. Sending them to Konoha was obviously a test to see if they'd try to run away. The Uchiha man would bet his life that someone, maybe multiple people, were tailing them.

One of the things that always confused him was that Yahiko's code name when he worked for Danzo was "Pein", his twin brother's name. As far as he's aware, his former boss did not know the Akatsuki leader's appearance, name, or relation to his employees.

Was it just a coincidence? Maybe he'll ask Pein sometime, though it's a bad idea, considering he's the one who killed Yahiko. As nonchalant as the Akatsuki leader tries to appear, Konan and his brother are the only people besides Nagato that he cares about. It's no wonder he was deadset on trapping Madara like he had.

And this assignment is crazy, too. Other than for sentimental purposes, what use will two likely half-decomposed corpses have? Madara knew something else was happening because Pein didn't try to hide it. It was a clear challenge. Since he demanded Sakura come along, it was apparent he felt he'd end up on top.

When they land in Konoha, they must be cautious not to encounter anyone who may recognize them, especially Uchihas. Even Sasuke was on the do-not-trust list at this point. Maybe it was against his knowledge, but Madara feared his devices were being monitored. It truly is them against one of the world's biggest crime syndicates.

The jacket covering Sakura suddenly slid down. Madara quickly grabbed it, staring at her sleeping face sadly as he covered her again. Keeping emotional and physical distance from this warrior of a woman has been and will continue to be just as challenging as their battle with Akatsuki.

To his simultaneous delight and disdain, Sakura unconsciously moved closer when his hand came close to hers. He glared at the ring on her finger as she clutched a handful of the jacket.

'If it were possible, I'd marry her. Pretending to be married is a fucking treat.'

Though he constantly warned himself against it, the man never took his off, and he knew she didn't either. All it did was give him false hope that their feelings for one another were strong enough to beat anything, even this terrible situation.

That's when a thought crossed Madara's mind, a dangerous one, 'What if I hide her away while I kill everyone?' The only reason he hasn't slaughtered the Akatsuki was because she'd remained in their clutches. Now, she's with him.

Puzzle pieces soared through his mind. 'Do I send her to Ino and Sai? No. Other than her parents and Sasuke, those two would be the first place anyone who knows her would look.'

'Maybe I should get her out of the country. I have enough money to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life, even if I don't survive.'

That idea became the primary choice. The warmth he'd tried so hard to stifle re-erupted within his chest as he looked at Sakura again.

He'll do it.

For her, he can do anything.

All he has to do is convince her to allow it.