Disclaimers: Naruto is not mine, sadly. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.

Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, sexual assault, torture, sexual content (yaoi), & angst.

It's All In Your Head

Chapter 43: Believe (It!)

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Sasuke blinked and suddenly found himself sitting on a rough wooden chair, his wrists bound securely to the mahogany monstrosity with thick leather straps. He gave each one a sharp tug, already knowing it was useless. None of it was even really there, after all.

Technically, he wasn't really there either.

This dark room of gaudy chairs and dejected prisoners was nothing but a figment of Itachi's morbid imagination- an illusion he had forced into the mind of one very miserable blonde.

Sasuke glanced over at said blonde, his stomach tight with concern. Naruto was also bound to a chair, but a thick binding covered his mouth as well- sealing his voice tight behind it. He didn't look scared, but he definitely looked frustrated. His eyes were glaring daggers at the eldest Uchiha, a silent protest to his treatment. Which, of course, had absolutely no effect on him.

"Naruto- hey, are you ok?" Sasuke called out, needing to be sure.

He nodded mindlessly, unbelievably. Then those cerulean eyes darted over to him and inspected him closely- as if to ask the same. Sasuke didn't respond. He wasn't ok, but not in the way Naruto thought. Physically, if you could call it that in an illusion, he was fine- he was just livid. With Itachi, and with himself. For being helpless and useless as his brother assaulted the love of his life, as his person's muffled cries were left unanswered. And to be honest, he was also frustrated with Naruto. For telling him not to lash out at Itachi, for trying to defend him.

Why the fuck would he try to protect Itachi?

The thought shot through the space around them, the joy of having their minds connected, and Itachi smirked in response. "Maybe his feelings have changed, Sasuke. You may have arrived a little too late.."

"Mmnphh!" Naruto tried shouting behind sealed lips, his eyes flashing with anger and alarm.

Sasuke glanced over at him, studying him. "Looks like there's a different reason" he murmured.

Naruto nodded but Itachi simply waved it away. "Why don't we let you decide for yourself."

An image suddenly appeared before them, a memory. Itachi was carrying Naruto in his arms, holding him close, a small smile on his face as the blonde questioned where he was taking him. Itachi lowered him onto a blanket outside and pushed him onto his back, his movements gentle as he gazed at the blonde with a look that made Sasuke's stomach roll. He knew that look, because it was exactly how he looked at Naruto.

He looks at him like he.. loves him. The thought escaped him before he could stop it, and it was clear that they heard it. Naruto looked away but Itachi continued to watch his brother closely, curious to see his reactions.

"If you really felt that way, you wouldn't treat him like this" Sasuke grated out, jealousy and anger rising.

"I could say the same to you, little brother."

The memory changed, and this time it was just Naruto- on the night he found Sasuke's note. The raven watched with overwhelming guilt as he collapsed to the floor, gripping his shattered heart. When he breathed a pained "why..?", Sasuke's own heart shattered with him.

"Naruto, I-" He looked over at the blonde, but he wouldn't meet his gaze. He turned back to face his brother. "I know I fucked up. But I'm not the monster here, Itachi. You claim to like him" he grimaced at the thought, "and yet he is your fucking prisoner."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "You mean like this?"

Another image, splayed across the dark recesses of Naruto's mind. Sasuke watched, horrified, as he forced himself on Naruto- grinning as the blonde screamed beneath him. His wrists were pinned, eyes wide with terror and confusion, his leg restrained. Even when he tried to crawl away from him, he couldn't get very far. And it was clear from the looks on their faces that they both knew it. Sasuke swallowed back his revulsion as he watched his own eyes shine with excitement, gleaming towards the blonde fighting to stop him.

"That wasn't me" he said weakly.

"Then it was Orochimaru who chained him to the bed?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "I had no choice. They would have thrown him in a cell if I hadn't-"

"Face it, Sasuke. You and I have far more in common than you think."

Another memory to replace the last: Itachi in a kitchen, cooking something. Naruto's eyes wide with surprise as he asked why he would make it.

"Because you like it."

And then Sasuke watched the blonde, his blonde, smile. A real, genuine smile. For the man keeping him captive and constantly trying to force himself on him. The fucking psycho who killed the entire Uchiha clan, who ruined Sasuke's life, got a smile from the only person Sasuke ever tried to make happy. The kind of smile he thought only ever belonged to him.

Dark eyes shot over to stare at the blonde, rage flashing in their inky depths. Naruto met them with wide ocean eyes. He shook his head and tried to get Sasuke to read him, but his message clearly wasn't getting across. Sasuke's jaw clenched tight, his temper flaring.

"This is real?" Sasuke grated out. He didn't wait for a response. "The two of you look happy" he spat.

Naruto shook his head violently, wanting him to understand, but Itachi kept his thoughts tightly locked away. He didn't want him to ruin his plans, not when he was so close to getting Sasuke to do what he wanted.

"Mmm.. yes. For a while we were quite happy."

The moment in the kitchen dissipated, and this time.. this time was far worse. Itachi and Naruto were in bed together, and Naruto..

Sasuke jerked his head over to glare at the bound blonde next to him. "What the fuck is this!!?" he screamed. "Why are you-"

He turned away, unable to look at him or at the image on display before him- of Naruto cuddling up close to Itachi, sleeping peacefully while the raven lazily fingered his hair. They looked like a fucking couple.

And it didn't look one-sided.

"What the fuck is this" he growled.

Naruto's sheer panic and desperation tore through Itachi's control, if only for a moment. No!! I thought it was you, Sa-

Itachi quickly forced his thoughts back, but it had been enough. He could see the hesitant relief in his brother's eyes, the doubt lifting with just the smallest reassurance. Sasuke was so fucking eager to believe Naruto, and for some reason it irked the Uchiha to no end.

"You thought it was me?" Sasuke asked, ignoring everything else. "That's why you were.."

"Mmnnhh!" Naruto nodded vehemently.

Itachi gave a humorless laugh, then strode over to them- eyes dark with purpose. "You're right Naruto" he murmured slyly, "why try to hide the truth."

Naruto gasped from behind his bindings as several memories were suddenly ripped forward, one after the other. Itachi shoving food into his mouth and slamming his hand down, forcing him to swallow. Itachi and his fucking Mangekyou making him relive those horrible memories- the torment and abuse he had faced throughout his life. Itachi grinding against him, moaning into his ear as he pushed his pants down lower. Itachi grabbing his head, ignoring his pleas, and kissing him.

Sasuke screamed, a wild animal trapped and rabid, eager to tear something's head off with his bare teeth. He bucked against the chair, fighting to break free of it. Itachi smirked at his attempts, then closed the distance between them. He grabbed a fistful of dark raven hair and jerked his head back.

Sasuke groaned, then glared up at him with every last bit of hate. "You will pay for this" he growled, those horrible images still flickering all around him. "I will make sure you never touch him again."

"Will you?"

"You can count on it" he snarled.

Sasuke bit down on his lip hard, tearing a gash across it. He sucked the blood into his mouth, jerked his head back, and spat out. The wad of blood flew in a wide arc towards Itachi, but fell short, splattering against the arm of the chair.

"You missed" Itachi gloated with amusement, not noticing as Sasuke's fingers stretched out, wetting the tips in red.

Sasuke smirked back- a cruel, bloodied smile. "Did I?"

Itachi's eyes widened as a massive serpent suddenly lunged out from beneath Sasuke's blood-tipped fingers, its venomous maw unhinged. It lashed out and dug its fangs into Itachi's chest, which burst into a murder of crows- their angry caws a deafening cacophony in Naruto's mind. The snake sliced through Sasuke's restraints and awaited his orders, poised for an attack, its reptilian eyes locked on the enemy.

"A summoning jutsu in an illusion.." Itachi murmured. "Impressive."

"I don't need your fucking approval."

The serpent launched a sudden attack, and Sasuke used the distraction to race over to Naruto. He quickly unfastened the bindings around his wrists before freeing him of the one around his mouth. Naruto gasped with his newfound freedom and quickly got to his feet.

"Sa-"

Sasuke pulled him into a fierce hug and buried his face in his hair, breathing him in for the first time in weeks. Even if it was all an illusion, and his consciousness was just trapped in Naruto's, he knew what it felt like to have him in his arms like this. He knew that he was just below chin height, so he could cradle him close to his chest. He knew the feel of his hair- thick and wild, and soft against his face. And he knew that Naruto always smelled like the woods- the place he ran to if he was afraid, the place he could lose himself in when he couldn't face anything else. A scent of grass and pine and home.

Sasuke tightened his hold on him, relishing the familiar feelings. It was almost as good as the real thing.

"You'll be free soon" he murmured. "I will save you, Naruto."

"Don't be so sure."

They both stiffened as Itachi reappeared beside them. Before either could react, Sasuke was torn away from the blonde and sent flying.

"Sasuke!" Naruto tried to go to him, but Itachi's illusion closed in on him and forced his limbs still. "Nnnn! Release me!"

Itachi eyed the blonde, then stepped around him without a word and made his way over to Sasuke. The snake that he had inexplicably managed to summon here lunged for Itachi, baring poisonous fangs. Without even sparing it a glance, Itachi snapped his fingers and the serpent burst into flames. He moved past its remains and grabbed his brother, forcing him to his feet.

"You truly thought you could defeat me in my own illusion?"

Before he could answer, Itachi rammed his knee into his gut and threw him up against the wall. Sasuke gasped and tried to pull away, but his limbs were frozen under Itachi's control- leaving him utterly helpless to stop any of this.

"You abandoned him for nothing, little brother." He leaned in, his mouth close to Sasuke's ear, ensuring that he would hear every last word. "You are still too weak to stop me."

He grabbed him by the throat and squeezed hard, watching with his cold dark stare as Sasuke's eyes bulged, his panic taking over the rational part of his brain- the part trying to remind him that this was nothing but an illusion. That Itachi couldn't really hurt him.

Naruto was having the same problem.

"Let. Him.

Go."

Both Uchihas froze.

They knew that voice.

And it definitely wasn't Naruto's.

Author Note:

Ok, how are we feeling? Still enjoying the story, or are you kinda over it? You can be honest- I won't be offended. :)

If nothing else, I hope that you appreciated/ also rolled your eyes at this chapter's title. I'm sorry- I just couldn't help myself!

You know what.. on second thought, I'm not sorry.

Believe it!

:P