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Depth Perception
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Chapter Six
Orochimaru’s POV:
I stared down at the black snake with red, angry eyes.
“Sasuke-kun is in an Akatsuki base.” I stated; half surprised as a sneer curled its way onto my lips. Leader-sama wants Sasuke-kun to join the Akatsuki? My eyes narrowed on the snake, cursing myself inwardly that I had never thought about the possibility. Sasuke does posses the Sharingan, of course. I’m not the only person who covets such abilities…
“Master wants you to break him out…they have him under lock and watch him constantly, his brother included in that…Orochimaru, you must set Master free and let him spill the blood of his brother, like he wants…” The snake hissed, his red eyes blaring into mine.
I kept back the glower for the snake whose intelligent red eyes glared at my lack of response. Of course I would free Sasuke-kun – I will just have to do it in a way so I don’t anger the Akatsuki. I’ll just have to accomplish this in a way that brings Sasuke back to Sound without the Akatsuki ever knowing my involvement.
“Kabuto-kun,” I snapped to the medic in the corner who tore his eyes off the snake coiled on the floor to me, “Collect some troops and call the ones looking for Sasuke-kun back to the base. We need to have a meeting.”
He nodded immediately and walked out the door, sparing the snake one last stare.
“Orochimaru,” The snake hissed again, “It took Master great lengths to be able to send me to you…he nearly escaped himself but it was merely a diversion so I could bring him reinforcements…I will not fail Master…!”
I tensed at the way the snake seemed to speak about Sasuke with great respect and reverence that was downright uncommon with snakes. The title was another noteworthy aspect as well, they don’t even grant me with that title. My mouth twisted in distaste.
“Calm down,” I said to the viper-like black snake, “Sasuke-kun will be released soon…”
“He better be! I have his location – call me when you are ready!” The red eyed snake snapped before he vanished in a wisp of black smoke.
My frown deepened.
Where am I?
I looked around the small room with an uneasy feeling settled in my gut. I stared down at Sasuke, the person I’d been searching for even since I last sighted him at the sound base. I adjusted his head on my lap restlessly and frowned when I brushed away his raven spikes to find his forehead burning. His whole body felt clammy and sweaty…fevered and…
He had so many injuries.
I strained against the binds on my hands that forced them together, trying in vain to break them apart. But it was useless. With these chakra drainers on me my monstrous strength was next to nothing at the time. On top of that, my head was still throbbing from the heavy blow Kisame dealt me.
The Akatsuki member had seemed to come out of nowhere…I had just arrived home from a B rank mission when I had instantly sensed something wrong as soon as I set foot inside my apartment. Then, he had appeared and after a series of blows, he had managed to get a sharp punch to my head in a blind spot of mine.
Then the next thing I knew…I was here.
But where was here? And why is Sasuke-kun here, too? I looked down at the boy in my lap, biting my lip in concern and apprehension. I know that Kisame and Itachi are partners; could it be that Itachi and Sasuke did finally fight? And that after doing so, could Sasuke have lost – making Itachi bring him here to keep him hostage? But why would he choose to keep him locked up? Why not kill him?
And could Sasuke have really lost? It just didn’t seem possible that the frightening man from the sound base could have been defeated in anything…he had seemed so…powerful.
I glanced down at the boy in my lap…then again, that didn’t explain why they would bring me here. Why? It didn’t make any sense at all! I brushed back more of Sasuke’s black bangs and sighed nervously. That doesn’t matter right now – what matters is getting the hell out of here with Sasuke-kun. We need to escape from the Akatsuki!
I nodded to myself, partially relived to have a goal set in mind. The only questions I should be asking myself now is if I have enough chakra left to heal Sasuke a bit, or how do I find a way to escape.
“…Where’s the dobe…”
I blinked, staring down at Sasuke in surprise. Was he awake?
“…Sasuke-kun? Are you okay?”
“Heh,” Sasuke mumbled into my stomach, “he passed out in the forest again…trees…”
I frowned down at him, worry bubbling in my chest. “I don’t understand. Sasuke-kun…Are you talking about Naruto…?”
“Put away those books, Kakashi…you’re supposed to be training me for the Chuunin exam…” Sasuke continued his voice cracked and hoarse.
“Sasuke-kun,” I started, now a bit scared. “What are you saying?” I touched his forehead again, now starting to find it a bit cool. “You’re getting cold…”
“Hm…you can take my tent, Sakura…” He murmured back, his eyes never opening as his unstable breathing continued once more, low and steady as he fell fully back into unconsciousness.
Sasuke must have been dreaming, I rationalized quickly - probably about the past with Team 7, I noted sadly. He’s really sick and I can’t heal him without my chakra or provide accurate aid in these horrible conditions – Sasuke-kun needs a hospital! I looked around the empty room again for a long moment as the minute drifted past and continued. I figured it must have been an hour by the time the only door in the room clicked open.
“Greetings, Sakura-chan.”
My head snapped up at the sound of that deep voice into sharingan eyes that were definitely not Sasuke’s. I had only seen this man one time before but he was hard to misplace.
“Uchiha Itachi.”
I glared at him before something registered in my brain and I immediately looked down at Sasuke in my lap.
“Ah, so you’ve been warned against the sharingan.” Itachi noted in a cool tone, walking into the small room and closing the door behind him gently.
I tried not to show my fear in my voice, “Sasuke-kun is my teammate and Kakashi is my sensei, of course I know about the Sharingan.” I nearly sighed in relief at my calm words.
When the older Uchiha began to chuckle I had to stop myself from looking up, “So, you still consider Sasuke a teammate even though he’s a missing-nin? How…sweet. Then again, I suppose that’s just like you, Sakura-chan.”
I fisted my hands and glared fiercely at his chest area, “Don’t speak of me so familiarly! Sasuke-kun is part of team 7 and I’ll have you know that we haven’t given up on him!”
I couldn’t believe I was yelling at him, at the Akatsuki member Uchiha Itachi, the same man who had destroyed Sasuke-kun’s life by massacring his entire clan. Then suddenly my anger felt more than justified and in my eyes I was as good as dead anyway so I might as well say what I want to the person who indirectly made my life hell.
“Hn,” The red eyed man sounded, “Sasuke is right about one thing…you do tend to have an annoying side to you…”
I frowned in confusion at his statement, “You don’t know me,” I began steamily, “and you’ll wish you didn’t capture me when leaf-nin come here looking for me and Sasuke-kun!”
Itachi chuckled at that, “You think so? Well, if they do I don’t care. My plans should be completed by that point.” I heard footsteps and knew he was coming closer as I braced myself for whatever would happen next. His tall shadow loomed over me for a moment before I felt his hand grab my chin and force me to look him in the eye.
I gasped and tried to close them, but found I couldn’t as I stared into those weapon-like red orbs.
“On the contrary, Sakura-chan…” Itachi said, “I feel like I know you very well.”
I stared at him in shock as he straightened and nodded, his emotionless mask never slipping. “I’ll be back later when Sasuke can enjoy my company as well. Till then…” He nodded at me as he turned around in a fluid movement and walked out the door, shutting it with a click behind him.
Panicked but useless, all I could do was hold him closer. I had the brief notion that this was just like in the Chuunin exams when Sasuke was given the curse seal by Orochimaru in the forest, only now I would much prefer to be in those surroundings than here…
Suddenly, I felt Sasuke shift on my lap and looked down in surprise to see his eyes shoot open.
“Sasuke-kun!” I exclaimed but at my voice he instantly sat up and groaned, bending over as if he was in great pain.
“…Sasuke-kun…” I said again, nervous once more as I stared at my teammate who had tried to kill me not too long ago.
His eyes snapped to mine and widened, “…Sakura.” He said, his voice breaking off at odd parts like he hadn’t used it in a long time.
I nodded to him and screamed when he suddenly leapt at me, pulling roughly at my red vest and ripping it off with the first few tries. I screamed again, more scared and frightened than when Itachi was in the room as he easily overpowered me because my hands and feet were tied together.
“You’re bleeding….blood so much blood…red on pink and dying…” Sasuke muttered under his breath as his hands groped at my revealed stomach, the bindings that had covered them lying ripped and useless on the floor.
His fingers clawed at my flat stomach, never reaching above to my chest as a frantic expression overtook his intent features. I let out a muffled cry as he sat on my knees, the broken zipper of my red vest leaving the garment fully open.
His unfocused black eyes sought mine again, “Will you die again…?” He leaned in closer so he was only a breath away from my face. “…Are you dead?”
My heavy breathing was coming out in pants, combined with the shudders that crept into me every time I felt Sasuke’s calloused hands press on my belly. “…I’m alive…” I whispered, not knowing what else to say to maddened onyx eyes.
Sasuke blinked and stared down my stomach again, where his hands were. “…Then this is the part where I kill you…” Sasuke murmured darkly.
His eyes closed again as though they weighted him down greatly before he fell forward. Without another sound he landed right on top of me, his head on my barely covered chest as he faded back into an unconscious state.
I stared up at the ceiling, still and silent as I regained my composure, only sitting up again when my panting had eased into small, even breaths.
The heavy pull of sleep weighted on my eyes, making it difficult to open them. With a low groan, I finally did and through the blur of half open lids saw the now familiar white ceiling, the single light bulb swaying slightly as it hung there by a wire.
A few wisps of pink hair breezed into my line of sight, making me start and sit up, reeling behind me when I realized that my head had been laid upon legs and the piercing green eyes that accompanied them.
…the pinkness of the petals turned a bloody red as they fell, one by one…
“Sakura…” I murmured, my voice sounding dry and scratchy. The pink haired girl looked shocked at my sudden arousal, her eyes wide and wary as she gazed at me.
…blood poured from her lips…Her vivid green eyes slid closed…
I blinked, once, twice before my black eyes narrowed. This can’t be…Sakura can’t be here…she’s… I cut off my thinking process, looking down at my shaky hands where I expected blood to stain. The genjutsu…could it be that it’s still in effect? It had to be a genjutsu…it had to be. They aren’t dead – she isn’t dead. Or is she? Did I kill her? Blood…there was blood and pink and her green eyes were closed…Or is it a genjutsu, then that means…That this is a side effect…? I stared at her again and reached out with my hand, grabbing her shoulder and yanking her forward.
…the decomposing scent was lodged in my throat as I smelt the lingering of cherry blossoms from Sakura’s body...
I climbed on her knees and pushed her down onto the ground, she let out a startled cry as I wrapped my hands around her neck, her own arms flat against the ground because of her binds. … I felt my body tense as I felt her heartbeat thrum beneath my shaking fingers clasped around her slender neck. Alive. She’s alive – so I didn’t kill her…
“Sasuke-kun…” She said, nervous sounding as I shook my head and let go of her immediately. Not a genjutsu…
“What the hell are you doing here…?” I asked, glaring at her as I struggled with the stiffness in my limbs.
“Kisame and Uchiha Itachi…they brought me here…when I woke up, I was here in this room…” She looked away for a second, staring at the door before she looked back at me. “…With you. You’re injured and sick,” She said concerned, “How are you feeling?”
I gave her a look as I shifted away from her, “Why would he…” I stilled, my hands clenching as I registered her words.
Itachi brought her here…? That meant he was going to use her – of course, I should have been expecting this all along. Why else would he show me memory after memory of Sakura unless he was planning on using it in some way?
I stared at her intently as my thoughts raced. A key…he mentioned a key…Sakura. Sakura is what he’d been aiming for all along.
“That means that Itachi is planning on using you…” I muttered lowly.
“What…?” Sakura said, frowning as she backed up against the wall. “What do you mean? Sasuke-kun, how long have you been here? And…what’s Itachi planning to do?”
I gazed at her evenly before darting my eyes to the door, “I’ve been here…for a while. Itachi is plotting to use you to get to me, for whatever outcome he thinks it might result in.”
Her emerald eyes glanced down at the floor, “Sasuke-kun…I don’t understand. Why would Itachi think I would have any impact on you? …I obviously haven’t in the past…” Sakura trailed off, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the wall.
I snapped my eyes over to her again but quickly looked away when I saw that she had closed her eyes. “I wouldn’t know,” I said blankly.
She opened her eyes and stared at me, “What were you dreaming?”
I just stared at her emotionlessly.
Sakura frowned, “You looked uneasy and…well, - I just,”
“It doesn’t concern you.”
The pink haired girl glared back at me, “Doesn’t concern me? Sasuke-kun, I’ve just been kidnapped by the Akatsuki, and when I wake up I find myself seeing you again after…” She cut herself off from finishing that sentence but I knew what she was going to say. The sound base – where I nearly killed her by running her through with my katana.
“I didn’t kill you.”
She blinked at my off statement, “No,” Sakura answered suddenly, “you didn’t. But you wanted to, didn’t you? Don’t Naruto, Kakashi-sempai, and I mean anything to you now? I still believe we do somewhere, at least. I don’t think you could. Or…don’t you care about team seven at all anymore...?”
Our eyes locked and remained so in a steady manner, “When I met you again…I would have killed you.”
Sakura’s eyes widened and narrowed, she moved closer until her legs were brushing mine as she kneeled in front of me. “Then what’s stopping you now?” She demanded her green eyes burning with anger.
-her green eyes glowered at Naruto and I, “Why do you have to fight all the time?” she asked, tears gathering at the corner of her vivid orbs as she wrapped up our injuries-
My chest tightened as I stumbled away, using my hands to brace my slight fall from my sitting position. Sakura moved closer in response.
-Sakura beamed at me as she walked past my desk with a happy smile, the six year old pink haired girl giggling as she held her test paper-
I grabbed her forearms as I accidentally inhaled the scent of cherry blossoms from her nearness. I regretted touching her instantly as my mind was bombarded with how warm she felt, in contrast to how her skin had grown colder and colder in my mind…
-“Would you like to go on a date, Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asked, smiling in anticipation as I curtly shook my head and muttered a no as usual. I didn’t bother myself with how she quickly looked down or how her shoulders dropped in disappointment-
“What’s stopping me..?” I asked myself, staring at Sakura with shadowed eyes.
She wouldn’t want to know. Hell wouldn’t even trifle with my reasons… Those bonds that I had broken myself away from - ripped away from, especially with her. I had made sure to separate myself from her. I had made sure to not remember silky pink hair or bright green eyes.
But then…Itachi had…opened the door to all the memories of Sakura I had locked away. I couldn’t have forgotten them, forgotten her. But I had kept them at bay, kept them so far away from reaching my thoughts and distracting me. Sakura was nothing more than restless dreams in the night and haunting thoughts that littered the surface of my mind from time to time.
I had even pushed away the plans I had for her…the ideas of a ‘what if’ occurrence that had started taking form even since the Chunnin exams. My dreams could only be on the past, on revenge. Not on her. Never on her. Not until…
Itachi had screwed everything up, I realized, staring at the girl who was supposed to be far away both in mind and body. They were back. It was…
-“I love you with all my heart!” Sakura declared…but then her eyes closed and she slumped dead in my arms. Breathe, I mentally screamed, just be alive…!-
Back.
The bond with her.
The one I had broken three years ago.
“…It’s back again,” I muttered, my head bowing down to my chest as I felt the full weight of my words settle within me. I held my head in my hands, feeling the pounding of my mind as it gave off its own warning. I could feel it. She mattered again. Sakura was real again. Important again.
I can’t kill her.
More images of Sakura from my mangekyou genjutsu flashed across my mind, making me shiver at how deathly pale she had appeared then. Even now, her skin was pallid and stood out starkly against the red of her dress.
“What is, Sasuke-kun? I don’t understand…” Sakura said softly, her anger fading into concern that I couldn’t stare at. I looked away.
“It’s supposed to be broken. Gone. I thought I had shattered them all…but…its still there…” I murmured, my raven hair falling to the sides of my face.
I raised my eyes back to hers, suddenly angry that the bond had been brought back so forcefully. That the bonds I had worked so hard to shatter had remained steadfast and there after all this time. I nearly hated her for it.
“…Sasuke-kun…”
I shifted closer so I was kneeling in front of her as well and grabbed her again. “Why?” I asked hoarsely, a bit of anger and resentment in my voice as my fingers gripped the sides of her arms. “Why do you still matter?”
Her green eyes, now openly worried, just gazed at me wordlessly.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I snapped, tightening my hold on her.
“Like what?” She whispered lightly.
“Like you’re concerned, like you care!” I said, trying to get a hold on myself as my head swam with the blurred pictures of my genjutsu and the solid ones of the real Sakura combined with my bleak surroundings.
“…I do ca - !” My hands shot up to the sides of her face before she could finish her sentence as I glared heatedly at her, pressing my forehead against hers as I sneered.
“Hate me.”
“What…?” Sakura breathed, low and wide-eyed.
“You should. I betrayed Konoha, I nearly killed Naruto, did you know that? And I would have. I wanted to, even. I would have even killed Kakashi if he got in my way again. I’ve done unspeakable things – murders, assassinations – anything to attain power. I would have killed you.” I finished, staring her in the eye intently.
She attempted to shake her head but was thwarted by my hands on her head, “I don’t believe you.”
I growled in the back of my throat and slammed my hands on either side of her. She jumped as I continued, “You should! I’m different… I’ve made choices and…and now you don’t, none of you…” I broke off and loomed over her threateningly, “Your Sasuke of three years ago is gone. He has to be. I broke them all away. I can’t afford to have them. He was weak, I was weak…!”
“No he wasn’t!” Sakura cried, hooking her arms around my neck to force me to listen. I tensed immediately and she took advantage of it, leaning closer as she spoke, “He was good and loyal…people admired him…I did, too…He had friends who would go to the end of the world for him, who still would! Because…he would have done it for them! You may be different now but…not to me…”
Tears fell from her eyes as she breathed, “To me, he was my whole world. I would have done anything to make him happy…to help him in any way I could. I loved him.”
“You…you…”
“I still do.” Sakura whispered sincerely. “You’re the same to me…” Sakura said with a teary smile. “You’re still Sasuke-kun.”
Sakura gazed at me and brought me closer, moving forward as she embraced my emaciated body. Every muscle in my body stiffened as she drew me into her arms until I finally fell into her, limp and tired and unresisting at this point. It doesn’t matter anymore…
I slumped into the crook of her neck and breathed deeply, banishing all of the silent emotion that was storming behind my lids. After a moment I raised myself a few inches above her and gazed down at Sakura seriously with now empty black eyes. “Gomen,” I muttered near her pale cheek.
“For what?” She asked softly.
I closed my eyes once more, “Killing you.”
The hitch in her breathing disappeared into the small room as I gripped her and wondered when, if ever, my plan with sending word to Oto would commence and when Itachi would come back.
The direst question that kept me on guard was how Itachi planned to use her against me. There were many things my brother was capable of and now that Sakura was here too, I had to make sure she escaped and was back in Konoha as soon as possible. Before anything happens…
The heaviness that had taken hold in my limbs increased with a sudden wave of exhaustion that nearly had me knocked out. I moved away from Sakura with a start and wiped my sweaty forehead, feeling the hotness it gave off as I shivered. Sakura sat next to me, concern evident in her features again. I allowed her to feel my clammy forehead.
The pink haired girl gasped, “Sasuke-kun, your getting worse…some of your wounds must be infected, let me see them!”
Before I could answer, footsteps had resounded in the hall. I stilled as my eyes narrowed on the door a few feet away from us. It’s his footsteps. I snaked my arm around Sakura’s tiny form and pushed her in back of me.
“Listen,” I said in a low tone, “I have ninja coming to help me escape. They should be here soon; the snakes have never failed me before. Until then, you have to do whatever I say if you want to make it out of here. Understand?”
“…Okay…” She whispered, fisting her hands in the back of my tattered shirt as the door opened.
The first sight that greeted us was Akatsuki robes and glaring red eyes.
Itachi.
A/N: I just want to say sorry for the delay! This was actually supposed to be up yesterday but I was forced to concentrate on Hamlet instead – damn essay! I’ll try not to take so long updating next time! Well, please review! XD
Spaz
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