Chapter 3

--

Evanescent like the scent of decay, I was fading from the race
When in despair, my darkest days ran amok and forged her face
From the fairest of handmaidens to a slick perverted wraith
Nymphetamine
Heaving midst narcissus on a maledict blanket of stars
She was all three wishes: Sex, sex, sex
A lover hung on her death row, I was hooked on her disease
Highly strung like Cupid’s bow whose arrows hungered meat and the blinding flare of passion
In the shade of narrow streets where their poison never rationed
All the tips they left in me
Two tracks
Bric-a-brac
Something passed between us like a bad crack
Upward-lit
I’d met another kind
Of rat
In fact
With every rome inside me
Licked and ransacked
She haunted at the corners of my mind
In black
Cataracts
Wouldn’t whitewash away her filthy smoke stack
She burnt me like a furnace
For my future suicide

--

Sakura kept her eyes closed for what seemed like an eternity...the pounding never stopped. Her head hurt and the thunder didn’t seem to be ending its wrath anytime soon. She had curled herself up into a fetal position on her side, grasping onto the silky sheet for dear life. Her cuts stung, the bruises made her appendages stiff, her legs felt like she had been running for hours and she knew her innards were utterly beaten.

She knew she could heal herself, but she didn’t want to...she didn’t feel like doing anything after what had just happened. ‘I’ve changed.’ She thought. ‘I’m no longer...myself.’ She wished he would have finished her off already, wondering why he hadn’t put her out of her misery. ‘What am I supposed to tell the others? How can I even show my face in the village!’ Her heart wouldn’t allow her to lie or pretend like he had raped her, because that wasn’t true. In fact, his words came back to haunt her...she had begged him just like he said she would.

The rain was falling heavily now, the wind tossing itself relentlessly against the glass window. The distant rumbling of rolling thunder vibrated throughout the walls of the room-causing her to cover her head like a frightened child with the sheet. Why did it have to be storming!

“Father...” Sakura heard a deep voice mumble painfully into dark atmosphere. ‘I-Itachi?’ She froze-was he still in here? She heard him grumble once more in restlessness and shift slightly, signaling to her that he was sitting on the edge of the oversized bed. Didn’t he know she was awake?

With her headache miraculously disappearing all of a sudden, her mind began reeling with curiosity. And like a little mouse sneaking around in the night, she slowly slid the sheet back down over her head to peer around the room.

There he was, the object of her misery. Sitting on the edge of the bed like some weary soul, finally giving in to the pain. His hair was down, freed of its bindings to fall over his carved back. His elbows remained planted on his thighs as his hands cupped his ears, pressing them into the sides of his head like he was trying to silence some demonic voice that would not end its torment.

“God dammit all.” He cursed under his breath, digging his fingers past the thickness of his hair and into his scalp. Was...was he thinking about his past?

“Even after death...you haunt me.” God, he could be creepy.

Sakura was sure he would tear his own scalp off if she did not stop him. For some reason, she began to feel a sense of pity for the sick man. As if an angel had stumbled upon Satan, only to show him some kind of freakishly weird display of compassion.

Quickly wrapping the covers around her bloodied body with a single hand, Sakura used her other to rise to her knees. “Itachi?” She called out quietly, unsure whether or not she would be punished for listening to his ‘private conversation.’

His body stiffened, and his hands dropped from his head...the moment of truth. He straightened his back and starred into the dark abys of the room. “What?” Was his only response.

She was unsure how to approach this situation. Should she let it all go and ridicule him for what he had done to her, or maybe on his demented mind and how sick of a person he really was? ‘Hell yeah...Let him have it! That bastard deserves to be made fun of!’ Her inner self ranted. But she was certain he already knew all those things about himself...and welcomed the fact that he was most likely crazy.

“D-don’t you remember?” Her mouth acted on its own. For some reason she felt like she was supposed to confront him peacefully. She was treading on thin ice, and still, she watched her tongue. “Being a child, that is.” A loud crack of lightening hit just outside the window and she couldn’t stop the gasp she let out, noticeably flinching while he didn’t even seem to care. She scooted a little closer to him, not really sure why. Maybe it was because the storm didn’t seem to affect him, maybe a little bit of that attitude could rub off on her.

“Can you no longer remember?” Her hand reached out to him, the tips of her fingers ever so bashfully brushing down the length of his back and over countless scars. “Do you ever think of what it was like, being that innocent soul so long ago?” Although he would not turn to look at her, she could visibly see his jaw clenching tight-perhaps she had hit a tender spot.

“Clean yourself up.” He snapped back at her as he stood and left the room, the bright light that glared in from the hall stung her sensitive eyes-only to have him shut it and leave her in darkness once again.

Sakura sat in the bed, confused and completely unsure of what had just happened. As goose bumps wracked her exposed body, she squeezed the sheet in her hand closer to her chest. ‘He...he didn’t kill me.’ She played the scene over and over again in her mind, trying to decipher what kind of reaction she should truly have. ‘Did that really just happen? Or am I dreaming?’ Reaching up and gently touching the small knot on the back of her head, she briefly wondered if she was experiencing a hallucination from her injury.

She smiled, wondering if anyone else had ever gotten that close to the infamous Uchiha, Itachi. When she had touched him, she felt more than the flesh of a man. It was hard to explain or describe even in her mind. She felt his soul, hazy and difficult to read as it was, she somehow saw through it all. She saw through the darkness and the blood, and unbeknownst to her...Sakura had touched a hidden part of Itachi that she doubted he even knew existed. A part of him that still longed for the days of old, long past and destroyed by his own heart and hands...It was something that would leave an imprint in her memory forever.

She blushed and slid herself off of the bed, feeling genuinely uncomfortable and rather disturbed by these strange feelings. Pushing those thoughts aside, she looked around the room and found a second door. ‘...that must be the bathroom.’ Her blurred mind thought aimlessly.

--

Sakura ran herself a hot bath and sank into the large tub to clean her beaten body. For some stupid reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about how he had touched her. ‘I just had sex with...Uchiha, Itachi. Uchiha...Itachi. Sasuke’s older brother.’ She never thought it would have been him-under any circumstances. Her head tilted to the side a little in contemplation as she ran a soft, soapy wash rag up her arm. ‘And I enjoyed it too...at least when he wasn’t hurting me or talking like a freak.’ She had always heard women usually didn’t actually climax during their first experiences of intercourse. But she had, twice to be exact-and it was fascinating.

She stared at her reflection in the water, watching as its crystalline clearness was soon tarnished as the dried blood on her body melted off her skin and stained the water. She sighed in pain when she ran her wash cloth down her stomach, even her abdomen still ached.

Wiping off the thick layer of fog that had formed itself over the mirror, Sakura stood bare before it and stared at herself once again as she brushed out her wet hair with her fingers. She felt empty inside for some reason...maybe it was post traumatic shock.

She leaned in closer to the glass, inspecting every inch of her face and smoothing away stray hairs. She ran her hands over the porcelain skin of her face, trying to find a fault and what was so different about her. ‘Perhaps it’s not on the outside?’

Sakura paused for a moment and glanced at her ear. Oddly enough, she was missing an earing. It was just a tiny, diamond studded little thing that Naruto and Sasuke had pitched in together to give her before she left the village. Looking over to her left ear she noticed its counterpart was still there. It must have fell out during all the commotion, and she dismissed the problem as fast as she had realized it.

When she left the steamy bathroom, the lights of the once dark room had been flicked on and the curtain windows were opened. Tiny glints of the sun peaked through thick clouds in the sky and sent a grey hue over the everything, threatening to end the nights reign. A heavy mist had settled itself over the ground outside due to the extensive rain that had just fell, reducing visibility to only a minimum few feet. ‘The weather changes so fast...’

With the lights on, she found the room to be rather charming. Although, there was nothing much to be seen other than black and red, it was still nice nonetheless. She let the towel that she had been hugging to her chest fall the floor when she saw a little black dress sitting on the bed waiting for her. Its edges trimmed in red, and its design held the red Akatsuki clouds drifting carelessly around the waist.

Slipping the tight dress over her head, she found it to be much more shorter than she would have preferred, especially since she was lacking her underwear. She frowned when she felt how her breasts bounced a little too much without the aid of a bra. ‘Better than running around naked, I suppose.’ She tried to look at the positive side.

Sakura picked up the long hair pin that had been placed beside the dress and, with a well practiced hand, she twisted and tied her pink locks into a simple, delicate and timeless bun. A few curling strands falling in front of her green eyes.

Sakura opened the heavy door of the room, rather surprised that it was unlocked all this time, and was met with the hard and menacing glare of the Akatsuki leaders right hand man...or beast, or whatever the hell he was.

The scaly thing had his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the wall across from her door, staring at her like she were his arch enemy.

“Ano...” She looked at anything other than his freakishly green skin, looking all cold and clammy. “Yes, Kisame?” Was that his name? She couldn’t quite remember after so long.

He continued to stare at her for a few more moments, making her feel nervous and fidgety. Perhaps she should turn around and go back into her room.

“Itachi-samma has sent for you.” His slimy voice drawled out, making her queezy.

“Okay...” This was awkward...did he know what happened last night? Oh, gawd...this was embarrassing. He could probably smell it, after all he wasn’t entirely human. She blushed deeply, wishing she could just stick her tongue out at him and wipe that smug look off his ugly face.

“Follow me.” He ordered, breaking the silence. Glaring at the girl for a moment longer-he decided he was disgusted with the fact that she was wearing their clans markings. She followed him through the long corridors of their ‘hideout.’ Before she knew it, they were standing outside two large doors.

‘Is Itachi in there?’ She thought. ‘What am I supposed to say to him? What if he’s decided to kill me now?’ Although, in her genius mind, it seemed unlikely that he would do this now after waiting for so long. But the fear still lingered in the back of her mind. Never mind all that-she had to be strong. She couldn’t let him rule her fears or her mind.

“What are you waiting for?” Kisame hissed. She didn’t realize she had been dawdling outside of the doors. “He’s waiting for you...although, I don’t know why.” He mumbled the last part, convinced that his leader had lost his mind. Why hadn’t he disposed of the girl already...that’s how the process usually went.

“Hmph.” She squeaked out in a high pitched tone, snubbing him in the process of entering the room. What a grouch he was! Satisfying her mental urges, Sakura quickly turned around, stuck her tongue out and blew him a well deserved raspberry before rushing into the room and slamming the door shut behind her.

“Why you little...” She heard the scaly man loose his temper just as she snapped the lock. She couldn’t help but smile triumphantly.

“Kunoichi.” Itachi’s stern voice boomed in the room and she froze, completely at a loss as to what to do. “What do you think you’re doing?” He sounded so angry. “You’re a prisoner here, not a guest!” Oh, was he losing his temper?

She stared at him, wide-eyed and fearful. He sat as his large, red oak desk glaring at her. His hair was pulled back once again, his hitae-ate, cloak and everything back in its natural place. He looked at her as if he owned her, like she was his object to do with as he pleased. Maybe she was...She felt so dominated by him that it sickened her. “I-...I’m sorry.” She lowered her head and stuttered. ‘Wait-what are you apologizing for! You don’t belong to anyone!’ She quickly scolded herself and crossed her fingers together behind her back

“Come here, now.” He ordered, no familiarity between them after what had happened appeared on his face. Only a blank stare.

“Why should I?” She retorted, a fire sparking the depths of her eyes-she wasn’t going to play along with his game.

“You will do as I say.”

“Is that so?” Her brow furrowed in defiance. The arrogance of that bastard.

“I will kill you, Kunoichi-that is, if you have any more objections.” Damn him.

That was enough to tame the unruly girl as she slowly shuffled her bare feet on the carpet to stand in front of his desk. Glancing from the floor to his face, refusing to meet him eye for eye. She knew if she did, the blush that was already heating her face would spread like a wildfire-disgusted in herself for being like this when she really should have been pissed as hell, causing the biggest uproar humanly possible for a girl in her situation.

“What do you want from me?” She finally stated. “I can’t possibly be of any importance to you, the great Uchiha, Itachi.” Her words held the distinct trace of criticism.

The tension failed to ease as he leaned back in his chair, smirking at her and undoubtably laughing in his mind at how ‘weak’ she was. How should he tell her?

“Tell me. Why were you sent to this country?” He decided on the subtle approach for now. “Considering the large distance between here and the Hidden Leaf.”

“Huh? What does it concern you?”

“I’m just curious to see what kind of lies Kohona is capable of producing.”

‘Lies?’ Her mind was buzzing with confusion. He must have become delusional over all those years of murdering people and spilling blood. Why would her village want to lie to her?

“For your information, I’m a medic-nin.” She said matter-of-factly. “I was sent to that...that place to accept much needed medicine for the children of Kohona. And now, thanks to you...those children could very well by lying on their death beds.” Her voice had raised slightly, feeling that he was to blame for all of this. She clenched her fists, stifling the urge to lean over the large desk and punch the brute.

She really was getting all worked up about this, wasn’t she? He sat back and stared at her with a rather amused look. She wanted to scream at him, yell at him, shake him around violently-anything to get a response out of this calm man.

Sakura kept her ground as he raised out of his chair, walking around his large desk to stand close to her figure. He was making her feel uneasy again.

“I believe this is yours.” He stated simply, holing up a tiny, shiny earing between his thumb and forefinger. His dark eyes bore into her soul, pinning her to the spot-funny, how he was capable of doing that.

“Wh-where did you find that?” She managed to get the words out of her mouth. For some reason, she didn’t like this new smirk that he had on his face.

“You have been deceived, Kunoichi.” She shook her head, unsure of his meaning.

“You were sent here as bait-a trap that I was supposed to have fallen into. The tracking device inside of your jewelry only solidifies my point.” He lifted her hand and placed the small diamond in her palm, never taking his eyes off of her. Itachi soaked in every emotion that played across her pretty little face. Disbelief, horror, confusion. “That pathetic village should have learned by now that it is useless.”

“You’re lying.” He had expected such an answer from her.

“Am I?” He simply commented, as if to encourage her accusations-trying to add fuel to the fire and spark as much hate out of her as possible.

“But...the children, the medicine...” She argued.

“It was all a lie.” He told her, watching as her eyes glazed over.

“You can’t fake ill children, Itachi.” She hissed. “It’s impossible.”

“Maybe not, but it’s certainly possible to lie about a medicine that doesn’t even exist.” Sakura heard him give a dark laugh. “You really are stupid.” He was insulting her! If she were capable-she would have smacked him.

“No...I don’t believe you, my village would never do that to me or the children! Sasuke and Naruto would never...besides, I have an extent knowledge of the medicinal field. I would know if the cure had been falsified or not.” She clenched her jaw and practically shot bullets at the man with her eyes.

“Please, then...share with me the name and qualities of this ‘miracle drug.’” He was mocking her...and she realized, with horror, she had no answer for him.

“How would you know? How could you know anything! You’re trying to trick me, this is just another of your messed up mind games!”

“I have my ways of knowing.” It was his only reply and somewhere in the back of her mind...she knew the man he had murdered last night at the club may have somehow been his link. But she refused to believe him, her friends would never harm her or place her in the path of danger. Why would they? Her teammates had spent the greater half of their life protecting her. Although, Sasuke had said many times before that he would go to any lengths to stop his brother...and Naruto pledging on his life to do whatever it takes to become village Hokage.

“Then why don’t you just crush this so called ‘tracking device?’ Aren’t you afraid they might actually find you-heaven forbid you would actually have to fight this so-called ‘weak’ village.” She snapped, her feelings of embarrassment around the man had long dissipated with her anger.

“I do not fear the Hidden Leaf.” He commented, tucking his finger beneath her chin. “And I could care less if they found me-they are no threat. If you still do not believe me, stay here and you will understand. They will be here by nightfall...looking for me-but the Akatsuki will be gone.” Sakura jerked her head from him-but he held tight, his piercing onyx eyes steadfast and unwavering. He glanced down at her lips and back up to her watering eyes, he smirked. “I suggest you find a new occupation, Kunoichi. Kohona obviously views you as expendable, disposable...weak.” He brushed his thumb over her quivering lips.

“You’re a liar and a back-stabber, Itachi.” Dammit, she was crying in front of him. “I wouldn’t take your word for anything.”

“So naive...” He bent down and brushed his lips to hers. “No wonder they sent you.” She pressed her lips tightly shut-resisting him.

“Then why don’t you just kill me?” She wished he would release her chin and stop touching her like that. “Or am I not worthy of your time?”

“Oh, you were worth it...” His breath played across her ear. “But, letting the truth be revealed to you is going to make me feel so much better. Perhaps, in the future, you’ll thank me for sparing your life just so I could watch your pathetic, little heart break. And then, Kunoichi, you can tell me what it feels like to be rejected.” She could feel his lips on her skin, so cold, so cruel.

“The day I thank you for anything is the day I die.” Sakura said shakily.

“Then I’ll just have to force it out of you-like I did last night.” His tongue licked the wound on her neck he had given her and she cursed herself when her breathing hitched. “Do you honestly think anyone in that village is going to treat you the same way now? You’re a traitor-you were the little slut sleeping with the enemy.”

“Just...please, leave me alone.”

He chuckled. “Just remember one thing, Kunoichi-you belong to me, now.” And then he released her. With that as his last statement, Itachi walked out of the room-his cool persona never once failing.

Sakura sank to her knees, trying to put the puzzle pieces together in her broken mind.

When she heard him shut the door as he left, she knew he was gone. ‘Gone forever, I hope.’ She even hissed at him in her mind. ‘I hate him!’ He didn’t lock the door, he didn’t order her to stay put or be sentenced to death. He simply left her wondering what the truth really was. He was a terrible, retched man-and all she ever could do was melt at his touch.

She knew that devil was lying, there was no doubt in her mind about it-Kohona was not capable of such betrayal, not after pledging her loyalty to them. Itachi got a kick out of other persons suffering, and that’s exactly what he was trying to pull with her. But something deep within her subconsciousness nailed her to the floor were she sat, when she truly should have gotten up and left for home. But she just had to see if it was true, even though wasn’t, was it? She was so...confused.

Morning passed and the day turned into late evening. She had not moved-spending her time pondering every word that had passed between them, every other possibility to his accusations. But, when Sakura heard the familiar voices of hunter-nin echoing down the halls and outside the building walls, she couldn’t stop the hurt that swelled up deep within her chest.

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing their voices to go away...they weren’t really here, they couldn’t be...It was logically impossible for them to know where she was at. There was no other reason for them to be here, unless...she looked down at the tiny earing she had been coddling in her hands. ‘That bastard wasn’t lying.’ She could have laughed at the irony.

As she stood to her feet, she could feel the rush of blood flowing to her lower appendages that had been denied oxygen for so long. And suddenly, she felt a rage so deep within her soul that it made her hands shake and fist at her sides. Anger, hate...every negative emotion played its way through her mind. Betrayal.

“Sakura!” Sasuke’s voice called out to her upon opening the large doors. “Thank God, you’re okay...” He rushed up to her, but she wouldn’t look at him. Rather, chose to stare at the floor. She could feel his eyes on her, inspecting the cuts and bruises...the strange new dress and her odd behavior.

“What hap-”

SLAP

Sasuke stood still-his eyes wide in disbelief. Sakura...had...just...slapped...him. Him.

He brought his hand up to the red mark on his swollen cheek. His mouth slightly open, unable to find the words to say in the odd moment. Her gesture had insulted him deeply for some reason. Sakura had never been known to slap, she had always punched-usually good natured, friendly and almost always directed at Naruto. Something told him that what she had just done had been meant to tell him something...that she knew.

“I think this is yours.” She said, pausing for a moment to place the sparkling earing in his hand. She walked past him, still limping from the strain his brother had caused her the prior night.

“Sakura...” Sasuke’s voice seemed a little more stern this time...but none the less apathetic. “Why are you limping? Are you injured?” So calloused...acting like nothing was wrong.

‘Yes...you’ve all injured my heart, you’ve destroyed and ruined my trust in everything.’ Her mind screamed, wanting to pour out all the pain she was feeling in her soul right now.

“No, Sasuke.” She opted to answer instead, not stopping or turning to look at him. “I...I twisted my ankle trying to get away from Itachi.” Her voice cracked upon saying his name, as if it were lodged in her throat. Her eyes watered, but she refused to cry what she knew were only crocodile tears-there was no sense in pulling out the violin now.

“Where are you going?”

“Home.” She whispered wearily, limping her way past the hunter-nin who had crowded around the door.

--

One Month Later...

--

Haruno, Sakura found herself standing in front of the large building that had once been her prison. It looked rather shabby now that it was empty and uncared for. The weeds had taken over, and in such a short amount of time it had morphed into an abandoned structure.

She squinted her eyes as the bright sun gleamed over her face, making it difficult to see. Being the beautiful day it was, it had been impossible to not be compelled to take a walk...a very long walk it seemed. Strange that she would end up here of all places.

The breeze played with her long hair, making it sway over and around her shoulders. Overgrown grass tickled her ankles just above her sandals as she began walking closer to the building. Here she was, wearing an almost identical dress with the exception of one thick, red, medic cross embroidered on the hem. Same pink choker, same pink toenails and same pink hair.

Upon her return to the village one month ago, she had been hounded with endless questions and interrogations. What happened with Itachi? What did he do to you? Did he tell you anything of importance? Where did he go? She didn’t know a single truthful answer to most of their questions and remained silent through their endless prying. Even if she had known...something told her she would never have blabbed. Neither did she reveal to anyone what had happened between her and the Akatsuki fiend upon the night of her capture.

Tsunade did not deny the fact that she had sent Sakura to an almost unavoidable doom, nor did she take responsibility and apologize for it. It hurt her feelings that her mentor had treated her like some pawn in a board game. Tsunade said it was Sakura’s duty to the village-if she had told her, then the mission would have been blown. Why? Sakura had yet to figure that one out.

Naruto and Sasuke opted not to mention it around her. She knew they felt guilt weighing heavily down on their shoulders, but at least they had given her a heartfelt apology. And somewhere among the pieces of her shattered heart she found the courage to forgive them both, although her trust had yet to be earned back. Maybe she would never trust them again. It was anyone’s guess, those kind of repairs took time to heal.

It seemed as if Naruto would never look her in the eye again, she could tell he was disgusted with himself and his village. “If I could have stopped them, Sakura...” He had said to her. “I would have.” And that was the last mention he ever gave on the subject. Afterwards, she had noticed he no longer seemed to flirt or chase after her as much as he used to.

Sasuke...It seemed to have effected him most of all. As if he felt like he had finally stooped to an all time low in order to defeat his brother. He apologized to her, in his Sasuke-ish sort of way. He tried to put on a mask and act like nothing had happened, but it never seemed to work. Not around her, anyways. She knew he felt like he was no better than Itachi.

Kakashi-sensei had expressed his remorse for her a thousand times over and then some. The poor man truly didn’t know the danger they had sent her into, he had been away on a mission. He swore over and over again on his life that he would have done anything to have been there for her, if only he had known. He felt like he had failed his student in some strange way. His thoughts on the situation did not go unvocalized to Tsunade.

And Itachi...he had disappeared the moment he walked out of that room. She never heard from him again, it was as if he no longer existed. Just like it was before her life had been changed. The hunt for him by her village, however, still never stopped.

She hated him for what he had done, for everything he had done. Maybe, if it wasn’t for him then her village would not have betrayed her. But she scolded herself for such childish thinking.

Sakura had never wanted to see his face again.

But his face was the only thing she saw, everyday, every moment. Each time she looked in a mirror, there he was standing right behind her. Sometimes just staring back, sometimes kissing her, sometimes touching her, and sometimes more...

How many nights had she woke up from her dreams haunted by him? It was a curse from his Sharingan-she knew it had to be. Why else would she have been so restless? So...empty.

‘What have you done to me?’ She had asked herself that question numerous amounts of times.

She could hardly bare to look at Sasuke, every time she did-Itachi would creep into her head. It made her uneasy and nervous to be around him. Naruto had said it was because she was scared of Itachi and that since Sasuke looked so much like him it was only natural to feel awkward. She guessed that was a possibility.

That particular trail of Sakura’s thought ended when she entered the large room that Itachi had left her in. The desk still sat in its original position, the carpet was still there and everything else was exactly as it had been back then. With the exception of basically looking unlived in. She let out a soft sigh, what else had she been expecting?

It had been exactly one month since that day, so why was she back?

She let herself wonder over to the far end of the dusty desk where he had once sat in his chair. Where he had once threatened to kill her, to be precise. Scooting the wooden chair aside, she swiped her hand over the desk and cleared a place for her to set her bum.

She sat for minutes...hours maybe, she didn’t know. Staring out the big window of the room just seemed to be the right thing to do for the moment.

“Kunoichi.”

Her body stiffened. She knew that voice, the owner of that horrid voice which had snuck up behind her to stand directly on the other side of the desk. She couldn’t turn look at him, she would not budge-this couldn’t be happening, he wasn’t really here.

She shut her eyes, willing herself to wake up from another one of her dreams. But no such luck. She was certain he had finally come back to claim her head.

“What are you doing here?” His was directly in front of her and she could almost feel his breath on her face. He sounded as accusing and cruel as ever.

Sakura snapped her green eyes open, he was there. A hairs breadth away. It wasn’t a dream or a nightmare. He was as solid and real as the oak desk she sat on. “How...” Her voice cracked and she suddenly forgot how to speak, or breath for that matter. Her heart pounded in her ears and she wondered once again how to approach this strange situation she had gotten herself into.

Her breathing hitched in her throat when she saw him look down to stare at her parted lips. She couldn’t stop the shaky hand that reached up and with delicate fingers caressed the side of his face-what was she thinking? When she felt his rough hand on the top of her thigh, grabbing onto it tightly to slowly begin parting it from its mate she realized she wasn’t thinking at all-not if she was allowing him to do this again. It was then that Sakura felt her stomach do flips and butterflies floating around in her abdomen at the thought of him touching her intimately.

“Itachi...” She breathed out in disbelief. Her eyes widened when he reached up and unfastened the tie of his cloak, letting it fall to the floor. She knew what he wanted-and, oddly enough, that was okay with her. He leaned forward and she leaned back onto the desk, as if moving as one. This man was still difficult to read, his face a constant blank. Something she was not accustomed to-so different from Naruto’s over exaggeration, Sasuke’s grumpiness and Kakashi-sensei’s indifference to everything.

“Touch me again, Itachi...” She whispered and placed her hand on his as it slowly snaked its way up her thigh and under her dress. “Please, touch me...like you mean it.” Her legs parted themselves the rest of the way for him as they dangled off the edge of the desk, letting his trim, yet thick, waist replace themselves from where they had been only one month ago-where she couldn’t help but feel he belonged.

He let his eyes glance from her body to her face as he explored the region of her chest once more. Unsure how to actually pleasure a woman, rather than torture her. His hands roamed up and then back down the front of her body as her back arched to soak up more of his touches and attentions.

“Yes...” She moaned, as if trying to coax him in to going further. It was then that Itachi began feeling those primal urges to do harm once again. They were screaming at him, tearing him apart inside to hit her, cut her, kill her...anything that would bring about a painful scream from this girl.

His body came down atop her firmly as he trapped her wrists above her head with a single hand. Her dress hiked up entirely past her waist. “I...want to hurt you.” He whispered rather honestly in her ear as his fingers slipped past the hem her cottony panties.

She should have said something to that, but with his hands on her like that-all she managed was deep sigh. A hint of fear resurfacing in her mind at how he had treated her the first time they met. “Tell me I can hurt you, Sakura.” He watched her expressions as he slowly slipped his middle finger past her folds and into her soft warmth, finding her to be just as tight as before. It seemed she had healed nicely like any normal, young woman should have.

Almost experimentally testing her tightness, he let a second finger slide past and join the first. Her first reaction was of obvious discomfort, but it soon faded as he worked wonders with those fingers to stretch her passage back into shape. Before the minute was through, he had the chit moaning his name.

She had never given him permission, but her writhing beneath him and gasping for air had been deemed a good enough answer in his mind.

Sakura watched in horror as he slipped his hand out from between her legs to slide behind his back. She heard a tiny click and stared as his hand reappeared out of hiding holding a shiny, and incredibly sharp, kunai. She whimpered when she thought about all the horrid things he could do with that weapon.

Gabbing onto the back of her neck, he forced up into a sitting position in front of him, earning a squeak from the startled girl. Placing the blade on her cheek, he ordered her to unfasten his pants. Uncertain on what she should do, Sakura soon complied when he began kissing and nipping at her neck with his teeth with a fever that soaked her to the bones.

Reaching down between her open thighs, she grabbed ahold of the clasp that kept his pants secured around his waist. With one snap and the buzz of a zipper being released, his pants-along with his shorts-fell to the floor with a heavy thud around his ankles. Tracing a familiar path, she brushed her hands over his erection and continued her way up and over his net-covered chest, pausing for a moment to allow herself to feel his bulky arms.

Sakura let his mouth control hers, telling her how to move and when to do it. He allowed her the pleasure of plunging her hands deep into that thick hair of his to get a good hold as he lowered them back down to the cool wood of the desk.

The kunai in his hands became the object of her attention once more as he brought it back into her view. She closed her eyes, waiting for sting of a cut. But no such thing happened. Rather, she heard the smooth rip as he slid the blade through the material in the front of her dress, stopping at her navel to allow him a good view of her chest.

She still waited for the blade, knowing more than the simple violation of her dress could only be the beginning-cautiously opening her eyes, she only found him to be setting the sharp object aside. Her look of shock did not go unnoticed. He wasn’t going to hurt her this time, but he’d be damned if he was going to let her walk away from this without something damaged-even if it was just her dress.

Slowly, his hands made their way up her body. He slid the straps of her bra over her delicate shoulders and down her arms. Slipping his fingers under the lacy cups of the undergarment, he pulled it down until her breasts were exposed and the soft material remained wrapped around her upper waist. The pale mounds of her youth only appeared more perky with the pressure of her bra beneath them, pushing them upwards to his body.

All thoughts of harming the girl were put on hold as his body’s urges became almost unbearable. He needed to feel her tightness wrap around him once more as she screamed in her release.

His head dropped from her lips to fondle one of her pink nipples in his mouth, sucking like she would produce milk for his hungry tongue. As one of his hands snaked behind her back to pull her closer to him, the other caressed her moist, panty covered mound.

Without giving it a second thought, he separate himself from her chest-leaving her to shudder from the lack of contact. Quickly grabbing the back of her thigh, he lifted her left leg to hoist it over his shoulder only to leave the other to dangle carelessly forgotten off of the desk.

Not wanting to take the time to remove her panties, he hooked his finger under the crotch of the cotton material and moved it aside as he began entering her body.

“Itachi, you can’t...it still hurts!” She protested, trying to make him understand that the physics of a female body wouldn’t allow her to feel pleasure the first few times during sex.

“I don’t care.” He quickly planted his hands on either side of her head for leverage and pushed his way into her body, filling every inch of her with his length. Both of them shuddering with the power of it all.

Sakura moaned when she found that she began feeling more pleasure than pain. His steady, hard pace that he had already set allowed her to keep time with his thrusts easily as she moved her hips with his. He was with her, that empty feeling was gone and she felt whole again and she wondered if it would be the same with anyone else. God, of all the people in the world, why did it have to be him who pleased her?

“Itachi!” She gasped as his pace picked up and became a little more frantic. She rolled her head to the side, trying to control all her urges to scream his name over and over again. The constant waves of utter desire he flooded her entire body with his weight.

Sakura could hear every deep breath he took to repeatedly pound into her, she could see every muscle on his abdomen flexing and contracting as he moved his lower body into hers. Reaching up, she let her fingers flutter over those ripples of flesh to cause a heavy groan from the occupied man.

“Oh...harder, Itachi...harder!” She voiced her feelings in a commanding tone, still showing her sense of pleading, begging for him to give her what she desired. He glanced down at the chit beneath him and complied, jerking her violently with each thrust.

“What do you think you’re doing to her!” Somewhere in the back of her jolted mind, she heard a familiar, panicked voice at the doorway. Itachi should have stopped his motions-pulled out of her for the intruder, but he only continued to pound into her with the same driving force.

“Could you wait a second, Sasuke?” She heard Itachi grumble out as she looked up to see him staring in the direction of the entrance. “I’m a little busy.” His relentless movements never ceased, intensifying and rattling the desk he was making love to her on. ‘Sasuke? No, just go away!’ She commanded him in her mind. Why did it have to be him, why did he have to come in now?

“Stop it!” Sasuke yelled, Sakura clearly hearing anger and fear reeking in his voice. He took a step forward to get his brother off of the girl. His breathing stopped and he held his ground when he heard Sakura suddenly cry out in pleasure.

“God...” She gasped out, grabbing onto one of Itachi’s arms and arched her back into him. Her right leg wrapped itself around his waist, trying to pull his waist closer to hers. Sakura knew she should stop this immediately-she had to lest she make an utter fool of herself. But, she couldn’t push him away...Itachi felt so good inside of her, it was right.

Sasuke stared in horror, his onyx eyes glued to the scene. His brother glanced back up at him and held his gaze. His eyes stayed focused on his younger sibling-daring him to make another move or say another word as his body jerked into the girl. He was hers, body and soul, conveying the message with his actions-showing the young Uchiha the extent of power he held over his comrade. He always had and always will rule over him, destroying whatever happiness he could find.

“Itachi, I’m...ah!” Sakura’s heady sounds each time he thrust into her grew in crescendo as her body began to quake. Her back threatened to snap in two as her body arched off the desk. She was almost there...just a few more strokes...No! She stopped herself, she couldn’t-not with him watching.

Ignoring his brother, Itachi dropped to his elbows around the girl to concentrate on his task. Her left leg scrunched up between her body and his, smashing her left breast to her ribcage while the other bounced up to brush against his net covered chest with each of their determined thrusts.

Sakura’s voice echoed in the room, screaming Itachi’s name once more as it threatened to break the glass window. She couldn’t stop it any longer, it happened. Her orgasm hit her hard and strong, stronger than what it had been before as she sunk her nails into his biceps.

Feeling her walls pulsing around him was enough to finally send him over the edge as well, digging his fingers into the outside of the oak desk, cracking and splintering the wood.

Itachi kept still for a moment, catching his breath in only a short matter of time as he stared at the heaving girl.

Sakura moaned in utter ecstacy, wishing everyday could feel like this. He was still inside her and her walls were still contracting. When she had felt his warmth enter deep into her body, she could have died happy. The way his long, thick length filled every part of her and then some, how his body reacted to hers when he came. Just thinking about it was enough to...

“Ah!” Sakura squinted her eyes shut and whimpered as a second orgasm suddenly, unexpectedly racked over her body. Biting her lip in utter surprise that something like that could even happen.

Itachi watched the girl under him blush and felt her constrict tightly around his member. Clenching his teeth together in an attempt not to take her again. Any other time he would have taken advantage of it. But he didn’t have time to sit around and dawdle over some woman. He knew Sasuke had, not surprisingly, left the second Sakura started to peak-but the little asshole still had to be lurking somewhere around here. He was too obsessed with him to leave without a fight.

He hadn’t planned on this happening, on coming here and having sex. His real intention had simply been to come back for a few documents that had been well hidden and left behind before he abandoned this place a month ago. He couldn’t allow Kohona to get their hands on the information held in those papers-attack plans, lay-outs and locations to Akatsuki strongholds, ect... But, Itachi didn’t expect she’d be here, sitting on his old desk like she owned it. ‘Arrogant little bitch.’

But, if she was such an arrogant chit, why didn’t he just be rid of her-why did he want to take her with him and use her over and over again like his own sex slave? He knew it was an impossibility and an utterly ridiculous thought. Still...he liked the idea of torturing the girl.

Pulling out of her, he reached down and pulled his pants back up, fastening them and draping his cloak back over his shoulders.

Leaning over the breathless girl, Itachi whispered into her ear. “I will see you again...” And that was his last words, he left the room just like he did a month ago. Leaving her to her own solitude and contemplation. He didn’t say where he would ever see her again, he didn’t say when. He was just...gone.

Sitting up on the desk, Sakura dusted herself off. She resisted the urge to scream in aggravation. Had she really turned into such an awful person? To let him take her like that on a desk so easily, then to act the way she did when Sasuke entered the room. She had turned into a monster, just like him...

Sasuke had seen her together with Itachi now. She knew she was ruined, and she knew he would hate her forever. One of his best friends had just stabbed him in the back. ‘I guess he got a taste of his own medicine...’ She thought, but still - heavy guilt made her feel utterly pathetic and worthless. When she called out Itachi’s name as he watched, he probably wanted to kill her. But she knew she would do it again, over and over. She smirked-not an evil smirk, but one of self-confidence. Sasuke had always gave her a sense of inadequacy when it came to men, after his numerous rejections of love she had become self-conscious on dates. Afraid of rejection, knowing deep down inside it was just because of his carelessness for her affections-that he only saw her as a close and important friend in his life. But, Itachi made her feel...stronger-no matter how many times he would put her down, torture her or call her weak. He was a sick man...and he had turned her into a sick woman.

Sakura clutched her half ripped dress together around her chest after she had readjusted her bra. Upon exiting the building, her body froze when she saw Sasuke leaning against a wall-waiting for her. He wouldn’t look her in the eye, not surprising.

“Where did that bastard go?” He asked. Sasuke had been afraid something like this would happen, that’s why he had followed her-for her own safety, for her protection...it was a long ways away from Kohona and he wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself it something happened to her again. Rape was the first thing that came to mind when he stumbled upon them...but, what he found, what he heard and what he saw...he still barely believed it was true. Not Sakura...she used to be so faithful, so loyal to their bonds of friendship. The only woman who had been able to touch the edges of his heart...screwing his murderous brother. He could have puked at the thought.

“I...I wouldn’t know.” She told the truth, all he had said was that he would see her again. Her mind still wondering what he meant, or if he really intended to stand by that vow.

After a few moments of silence, Sakura found it pointless to stand here and play this game with him. If he wasn’t going to talk, then there was no reason to waste her time here. Funny, there was a time when she’d given up anything just to be acknowledged by him.

“He just used you for sex, you know that, right?” He snarled, just as she began to walk away.

“Yes.” She squeezed the material of her dress tighter. “But, at least he didn’t lie about it.”

She saw his brow furrow, his ever present frown deepen and knew that she had hit a tender spot. Even she was a little surprised at her bold statement. It wasn’t everyday she smarted back to Sasuke. But, it’s what he deserved, though, after the way he and the village used her.

“When I see him again, I’m going to kill him...even if that means I have to go through you too, Sakura.” She recognized that tone of voice-the one he used when talking about his brother-Sasuke hated her now just as much as he hated Itachi. And he was threatening her, with death. If only he knew how much that hurt. She should have cried, should have tried to make amends of the situation. But, she could no longer find the binds that tied her heart to him to try anymore. So much had changed in such a small amount of time and she realized it was too late-what they had both done to one another had been too much to forgive.

In the few seconds that passed, a gap suddenly grew. They distanced themselves from each other and became two different people-strangers. In Sasuke’s mind, Itachi had won again. In her mind, they had all become the loser.

And in one fluid movement, Sakura turned her back on him and began her long journey back to Kohona-they had both just thrown away a once beautiful and deep friendship.

--

Lead to the river
Midsummer, I waved a V of black swans on with hope to the grave
Through Red September with skies fire-paved
I begged you appear
Like a thorn for the holy ones

And cold was my soul, untold was the pain
I faced when you left me, a rose in the rain
So I swore to the razor that never enchained
Would your dark nails of faith be pushed through my veins again
Bared on your tomb
I’m a prayer for your loneliness
And would you ever soon come above unto me?
For once upon a time from the binds of your lowliness
I could always find the right slot for your sacred key

Six feet deep is the incision
In my heart, that barless prison
Discolours all with tunnel vision
Sunsetter
Nymphetamine

Sick and weak from my condition
This lust, this vampyric addiction to her alone in full submission
None better
Nymphetamine
Wracked with your charm, I am circled like prey
Back in the forest where whispers persuade
More sugar trails, more white lady laid than pillars of salt
Fold to my arms
Hold their mesmeric sway and dance her to the moon as we did in those golden days
Christening stars
I remember the way we were needle and spoon mislaid in the burning hay

-Cradle of Filth