Chapter Text

"So where are we, anyway?"

They have been on their way for quite a long time, which allowed Sakura to think a little and look around. It seemed that they still have been in the Land of Fire. That was good, she surely wasn't much far from her own village and by now they were certainly looking through every inch of the country just to find her.

"We're still in the Land of Fire," Itachi answered after a moment of silence.

Yes! Points for me! Her inner self jumped of joy. There was absolutely no chance that they could outrun Kakashi sensei's ninja hounds, not by this speed, not while traveling by foot.

"But it won't take long and we'll be crossing the border to the Land of Fields."

"What?!" She couldn't hold herself and stopped. They have been this far? How? When?

"I told you, you slept for quite a long time." He didn't even bother to look at her.

"They're going to catch you anyway! I'm sure of it, they're close! Kakashi..."

"Sakura, don't." While interrupting her, Itachi also stopped and turned around. "Don't give yourself false hopes. They're not looking for you and they won't be for a few days. I've made sure of that. And by the time they discover you're gone, we will be far away from your village. So far that not even Kakashi Hatake nor will the whole ABNU black ops be able to find you."

She stayed with her mouth open. His confidence woke up a new wave of hate in her belly. Felling her cheeks turn red and fist clenching, she screamed. "Then why don't you just get it over with and kill me?!"

"Sakura," he sighted and then tried to explain in a patient tone people usually speak to little children, "how many times do I have to tell you, that I am not going to kill you?"

How dare he lie to her face like this? How dare he speak to her like she is an utter fool?

"You can tell me as many times as you like! I'm never going to believe you! I'm never going to trust you! Because I HATE you, Itachi Uchiha! Do you hear me?! I HATE you so much that..."

Sakura had to bend in her waits in order to make her voice powerful enough. She put all her strength to scream so loud that flock of birds flew away just to escape that horrifying high pitch sound.

"You're a killer, murderer! SICK, SICK criminal and there is nothing in this world! NOTHING that could make me believe you! DO YOU HEAR ME?!"

She closed her eyes filling with tears as her throat hurt and pinched from the endless effort she was squeezing into the voice.

"Are you done?" Patiently waiting until she used up all the words of hate she could find, Itachi asked. It wasn't really anything new to him. To be despised like this. After all, he himself choose this path long ago.

"Yes." Sakura answered with the last remaining whisper. Then probably lost her voice for a moment.

"Good, then we can continue." He turned around, showing her back of his brand new Akatsuki robe again. And after a few seconds, she followed. Releasing at least some of that pressure tired her but also helped more than she could imagine.

It was just as he said, not an hour after the one sided argument, forest disappeared and a land of never ending fields lied under their toes. Sakura froze for a second, mesmerized by the flood of green freshness.

Since spring was still at its outbreak there was yet a low verdant blanket over the infinite area which seemed a lot like strangely colored sea.

Itachi stopped, giving her time to absorb the struck of beauty. He didn't turn around, but observed the overflow of emotion with his sensitive hearing. It was clear that she had an inner fight again. As her body started to relax under the effect of peacefully green young crop, mind immediately pushed the adrenaline back to her veins in hopeless try to remind her of being cautious. She growled and clenched her fists under the pressure of two urges thrusting over each other.

He waited, curious if she was able to beat the two sensations all by herself. Or at least decide which of them is more important to feel right now. But when she just stood there, gritting her teeth, he turned around.

"There is a cabin ahead. We should reach it by nightfall," he said calmly, and when her face returned to the well-known frown, he knew she decided.

With Sakura again stubbornly gazing on the ground, Itachi made his first few steps along the road heading straight through two pea green fields. He couldn't help but adore how easily she was able to show her emotions, whether it was anger, happiness or fear. Of course that he could experience all those feelings as well, on some level, but to let others around know by smiling or rising his voice properly, that was a whole other thing. Not being able to do that himself, it made him curious about her even more, and a sudden urge to learn about that ability of hers struck him again. But without much of an effort, he pushed that thought back into the black hole in his mind.

So that was it, she suddenly wasn't home anymore. The comforting shadow of forest disappeared and the landscape changed into something alien and unfamiliar. Sakura's desperation grew by every step she made as the distance between her and Konoha village was slowly starting to show itself.

Come on! Think of something! Anything!

If she had the mind of Shikamaru or the persistence of Naruto or even the ability of that annoying Ino, she could use it to her advantage, but she was only Sakura Haruno, average medical ninja with inhuman strength that she has been ripped off by that irritating bracelet.

Fields eventually changed into meadows and by the time the sun passed noon the sky slowly filled with dark clouds. It was clear that strong rain was going to follow soon. And just like they both anticipated, first few drops soaked into the dirt and after them - a dreadful rainfall.

It didn't take much for Sakura to notice that she was freezing. Although her pride wouldn't allow her to admit anything or to make a single complain, there was no mistake that Itachi surely heard her teeth clatter as her whole body shook under the cold wind and icy raindrops.

How he's still so calm, damn it?

As she was enabled to use chakra, her shoes buried into the slippery mud with every step, unlike Itachi's, who with serene elegance walked on that watery terrain. She cursed him with every thought and stubbornly continued to follow his way. Piercing his back and the red cloud between his wide shoulders with hateful gaze.

This is NOT going to break me! YOU are NOT going to break me! NO! NO! NO!

Screaming at herself she clenched her fists and continued to wade through a layer of mud floating down the path they were walking.

It felt like an eternity before the clouds finally thinned out and the horrible raid stopped. She didn't know how long they've been traveling like this, but she was certain that it was one of the worst experiences in her whole life, along with the fact that she was abducted by a world known criminal. Criminal who was able to remain mute the whole day! It drove her crazy, mad and furious. If she had a chance she would kicked him into a bloody bulb. If she only had a tiny winy amount of chakra to spare, she would use it all only to punch him in the guts, hard.

The sun was slowly coming down to the horizon and now cloudless sky gained a new pink and orange shade. If not in the claws of this annoyingly quiet and also dangerous man, Sakura would melt under the romantic view. Wide skyline with a cabin at the end. A cabin!

"We're here!" She screamed in relief. Fire! Warm! Please let it be cozy in there!

Forgetting all about the miserable situation she picked up her pace to be in that small wooden hut as soon as possible. Passed around Itachi and without looking back she ran towards the end of their today's journey.

For merely a second he slowed and focused at the strange tickling feeling in his chest. Did he really just heard her laugh? And then as quickly as it appeared it was gone, leaving the same hollowness and pain as before. Itachi didn't let himself to be concerned by that and went on until he met with Sakura at a small dirty porch.

"So? What now?" She hug her arms and hesitantly looked up to his still face.

"Are you waiting to be invited in?" he answered her with another question.

"Oh, hell no!" Like she just realized that her good manners took the better of her actions, she walked through the rusty door and slammed them to Itachi's face. Full of surprises, that's what she was. Not something he was used to.

Sakura leaned on the closed door and slowly slid down on her butt. Clothes was still wet and with the night coming the temperature dropped again. She would need to warm herself somehow.

While looking around she noticed that it seemed the cabin was probably expecting their arrival some time ago. How long did he planned all this? She could only guess, but he surely was well prepared.

There was only a single room with small brick fireplace and dusty pile of wood in one corner and one old looking mattress in the other. Not much really, but it would have to be enough. She stood up, and while dropping mud all over the floor, took the corner of the mattress and moved it next to the yet cold hearth. Then sat down and nicely piled some of the chunks into it. Sakura thought for a while. With chin resting at the knees she hug her legs and for a seconds lost herself.

So now what? What the hell I'm supposed to do now? Are they really not looking for me yet? And what day is today, anyway?

Feeling of helplessness slowly crept into her stomach and she suddenly felt the same thick ball in her neck when the tears were filling her eyes.

"No." She murmured and shook her head trying to fight off the irritating pinch in her throat.

I can't give up just yet!

Slowly sliding her eyes at the ankle, she started examining the bracelet Itachi forced on her. It didn't seem to have any kind of opening. The two parts, that joined together when she heard the "click" noise, must have somehow sealed the ends with binding spell or something. If she could use her chakra it would be easy to unlock this damn piece of crap but since the very thing that she needed to open witch chakra, forbid her from using it, she found herself stuck, clenching teeth once again, under the urge to scream.

Damn you, Itachi!

Just before bursting into raging outbreak she calmed herself with few deep breaths. There wasn't really point in letting her hot-headed temper cloud her mind. She had to be calm, serene and even tranquil if she was to defeat Itachi in his own game. He may rob her of her strength but she still had her own stubborn persistence and now was the right time to use it.

Let's see. I can't open it and if I run, he can sense me. Or he can sense his own chakra bound into this bracelet. He said "almost everywhere". Hmm, I wonder how far this thing can reach.

She would waste her energy trying to run away now. They have been in the middle of nowhere and the terrain was still muddy and slippery, not really a good conditions for running. However, if there won't be any more rain, the road back to the forest could be dry before dawn. If she's going to run fast enough, there is still a chance.

I wonder... how long does he sleep?

Sakura twitched as the sound of door handle returned her back to reality. Itachi looked at her, then around the room she messed with the mud on her shoes. His face was emotionless as ever, but she would swore that his eyes had the sparkle of disapproval and annoyance.

"You're not going to scare me with that face, I'm already used to that," Sakura mumbled under her nose and turned back at the pile of wood she had prepared.

"Good, you're adjusting quickly," he said, tone steady as a wide river. Crossing the room with few long steps he leaned down the fire place and using the jutsu, passed for generation in his clan, he light it.

Sakura lost herself in the scene. The last time she had seen Sasuke, he was only thirteen and already the cutest boy in their class. Now, a few years later, he surely must have grown into a stunningly handsome man. How much he would look alike his older brother, who now performing the same jutsu she had seen performing Sasuke many times, met all her expectations of charming and gentle Uchiha.

She quickly moved her attention somewhere else, didn't want to be caught gazing at him like a drooling teen. However alluring he might seem to her sight, she shouldn't allow herself to be deluded by the simple thing like look... and those coal black eyes with red flames mirroring inside them as he was poking the fire in order to bring it to life.

Snap out of it, Sakura!

Oh, give me a break, I'm just tired!

She shoot her inner self down and stubbornly scowled on the floor.

In the meantime Itachi narrowed and now was towering over her. She didn't want to give him any of her precious courtesy and kept ignoring him. But knowing that he was studying her once again, made her belly squirm.

"Your clothes is still wet." He uttered calmly but when getting no response his presence over her crouching body disappeared.

Sakura heard almost silent movement behind her back, although not letting her guard down, she refused to acknowledge him in any way. Only when a blunt noise cut through the dense stillness she instinctively turned around. Her chin dropped slightly when she saw a kunai sticking from the other side of a wooden wall, then Itachi tied a thin rope to it and stretched it across the room with another kunai bluntly piercing to the soft timber. Making an improvised clothesline he tested its stability and then took down his Akatsuki robe.

"What are you... ?" She gasped as he kept undressing. Thick muscles on his back danced when the hands were pulling T-shirt over his head and Sakura felt her mouth go dry. She has never been with a naked man in a room by herself. Hell, she has never been with a man in the middle of fucking nowhere by herself.

"I need my clothes dry by tomorrow, I suggest you do the same." When only in a simple black underpants, he moved next to the fireplaces, comfortably seated himself and leaned his head on the wall.

Sakura felt her cheeks burn and just knew that she was blushing from the tip of her nose to the toes on her feet. Her gaze fixed upon his firm abdominals slowly crept up across his well build chest and collarbones covered in a slim strip of hair from his velvet ponytail. Not being able to stop herself, she ended drooling over his perfectly symmetrical jawline and soft lips.

SAKURA!

A slap came down on her mind and she sharply closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. This was getting out of control. How is she supposed to focus now? Her yet teenage body, full of raging hormones, failed her. This was wrong on so many levels that she would spent the rest of her life counting them.

Decision has been made and Sakura slunk over to the other side of the dusty room, leaving the warm spot she created on the mattress empty. She stayed crouched in the corner like she wanted to blend with the walls behind her. With eyes still closed she tensed every muscle in her stomach in order to calm her beating heart.

"Sakura," he spoke gently and she almost jumped out of her skin.

"What?" repaying his politeness with own poisonous voice, she barked.

"The mattress was meant for you. You're only catch cold like this."

His tone sounded almost concerned and if she wasn't this angry and maybe if he wasn't a vicious criminal, she would have stayed in touched awe.

"Don't tell me what to do, you..." Sakura hissed, gritting her teeth once again, furious about his serene behavior.

He remained mute and stayed like that for the next long moments.

With passing minutes, Sakura felt her body slowly relax while the raging heat vanished, listening to the flames peacefully devouring the wood inside the fire place, the long exhausting journey had started to take its prize. Her lids grew heavier and not an hour passed when her head fell on her shoulder. Even when her body was picked from the floor by someone's strong hands, she didn't protested as he laid her somewhere soft and warm. Hazily opening her eyes, she smiled.

"Sasuke? You've returned..." restful whisper slipped through her lips and she could swear that the dark haired man smiled back at her. But in that time she was already back in the world of dreams.

Sakura was slowly coming to her senses. Even in her wildest dreams she wouldn't have expected to sleep that well out there, with Itachi so close to her. When her brain reacted to his name, sudden waking punch came down and with a sharp gasp, she sat up. Although her eyes weren't in their one hundred percent, she still kept looking around trying to bring them to life. And it seemed to work, because hazy room around her started to brighten up. From what she could tell so far, he left her alone. With the clothes, he hang last night, gone and the kunai still stuck into the walls. But she expected him to be back very soon. Leaving no time for hesitation she jumped out and quickly pulled her newly gained weapon out of the soft timber. Her hearth raised as she ran for the other one and took it as well. Then let herself think for a second, carefully listening to the surroundings. The silence of the morning was thick, no birds, no wind, nothing. And more importantly - no Itachi.

This was her chance, she stormed out of the hut, not really thinking where she headed. The ground was already dry, only a small pools of dirty water has been left now and then as a reminder of a fierce rainfall.

Sakura picked up her pace, both kunai clutching in each of her fists. Black cloak flying on her back, she raised her hand and unbuttoned it. It was only slowing her down anyway.

With air whistling in her ears and pulse around one thousand, she almost smiled, if not even laughed. For a second she left herself hope and think that she had won, that he had underestimated her will, her powers. But when a flock of ravens started to land in the middle of her road, she sharply stopped, breaking her run for life with one foot while the other was already preparing for fight and maintaining stability.

"I'm NOT going back!" She screamed at the figure building in front of her. "NO!" When the clone opened his eyes she threw one of her kunai in desperate need to get him out of her sight.

"That was foolish."

When hearing his voice behind, she quickly turned, with the last weapon prepared for attack.

"I won't fight you," he stated calmly.

"That's too bad, I will!"

It was hard to aim without looking higher than his knees, but she wasn't going to give up just like that.

"I thought that we've already settled this." He avoided each her blow without any real effort, yet she still kept going at him.

"Well... then... you... though... wrong." She gasped for air, yet it didn't seem that she was going to stop until reaching absolute limit. Her strikes were hopelessly slow and she knew that. Without her chakra she was only an ordinary girl, with the skills of a ninja, of course, but still a girl.

"You know, I could easily end this." It wasn't a question, only a simple comment but they had another long journey ahead and he wasn't in a mood to carry her tired body all over again.

"But you won't." She replied. "You need me to trust you." Almost victorious grin appeared on her face when realizing that she surprised him as the kunai missed just an inch. She stopped, trying to catch her breath.

"You figured that out, hn?" Itachi copied her movements and relaxed as well.

"I don't know what sick intentions you have with me but I guess that you need me for something, whatever it is." Even without looking into his face she could tell that he didn't anticipated this.

"You're right." It didn't feel like defeat, he was actually impressed.

"But if you think that I'll trust someone like you, you're an idiot." She barked. "You've killed so many innocent people and hurt those I care about! And yet, you're still so confident about yourself! Thinking that you can gain my trust like this? Oh no, it's beyond stupid."

"Sakura." He stood in front of her in an instant. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

She froze. Her heart missed a beat, unable to react properly. How was that even possible? Why did he was doing this to her all over again? She gulped and still refused to look up to his eyes, but her fighting pose disappeared the moment she felt his warmth radiating only a few inches from her chest.

"What do you mean?" Keeping her voice strong and steady needed more self-control than she would have ever guessed.

"Your body is failing you," he whispered into her ear and noticed as her shoulders shook under the unexpected urge to gulp for more air.

"NO!" Sakura shrieked and with eyes closed, threw a helpless punch deep into Itachi's stomach. Not knowing if he let her or didn't really expected it, she felt her fist meet his lax muscles and right then he quietly gasped into her ear. But by that time she already jumped a step back, prepared for another fight.

Her eyes widened when he disappeared right in front of her.

Oh no, that's bad! Sakura managed to make a single thought before she noticed his strong grip behind her.

"Let go of me!" Screaming and resisting, her arms were twisted backwards and the kunai slipped from her fingers.

"You're making it uneasy for both of us." He was talking more to himself than her, while she felt her wrists being tied by a familiar chakra thread. Then he turned her around and for a while observed her face with her lids tightly closed.

She was almost sure that he chuckled before he threw her over his shoulder. Sakura yelped in surprise and opened her eyes.

"What's so funny? Let me down!" She protested kicking her feet. No answer.

"Oh, you're so dead! Just wait until I'm free of that damn bracelet! I'll show you!"

She kept screaming pointless threats at him the whole time he slowly walked back to their cabin. The stubbornness and energy with which she opposed him, warmed an empty place near his heart. It was almost amusing watching her fight him with so much persistence. He could only guess how Sasuke was able to resist her charms and the fiery sparks in the jade eyes full of life for that long, and if Itachi wasn't used to be so distant towards his feelings, he would probably fall for her sooner or later. Surprised by that thoughts he found himself regretting the inability to properly care or desire anything else than redemption of his miserable life.

However long it took them to reach the cabin, Sakura didn't seem to calm down. He carried her inside and maybe harder that planned threw her back on the mattress. She finally shut up, and with lips pressed into thin line, started ignoring him. Without a word Itachi turned around and walked away, closing the door behind him.

"Where do you think you're going?! Come back and face me! You! Arrrghh! Do you hear me?!" Her voice echoed in the steady morning air.

Itachi leaned on the porch wall and waited. The sun was already up, starting to make its way to the cloudless sky. With his arms crossed on the chest he listened as Sakura burst out a few more insults before shutting up again. Normally, he was very patient man and would probably wait hours just to torture her nerves, but now he was running out of time. He needed to reach the town ahead by the end of the day.

He returned back and now was towering over her. "Shall we continue?"

"Do as you please, I'm not going anywhere," she spit.

Now this was getting on his nerves. Before she could even react, he reached for her throat and pulled her high up while pining her helplessly on the wall with her toes only lightly tickling the floor.

"I think you do not fully comprehend your situation, Sakura." His tone was dark and hot breath shivered her face when she suddenly found herself facing his blood red sharingan. Gasping for air her own eyes widened as she felt his lips lean close to her ear once more.

"I can do things to you, unimaginable things." His deep voice vibrated through all her chest down to her lower belly where it exploded into a thousand sparkles. She wanted to repay him with some sassy comment, but with her neck being squeezed like that she didn't have a chance.

"I know very well how woman body works and I can feel your body working against you right now." He whispered and to make his statement true he reached around her waist and slowly untied the chakra threads. The sensation of her shaking breath and beating heart slowly started to take over him as well.

Realizing that her hands were free she immediately caught his arm in a desperate try to free herself. Even when he slowly put her back on the feet and loosen his grip, she still wasn't able to let him go. She just stood there, eyes twitching and wide open - helpless against the attack of his most deadly weapon.

Although his pupils regained their normal dark grey color, he didn't lose the confident, arrogant stand. She would have slapped the hell out of him if only he wasn't standing so close. Suddenly she felt an urgent need to soak into the wall behind her.

Seconds magically turned into an eternity and despite the rage within her mind, she couldn't pull her eyes from his ever calm face. Realizing her knees grew weak under his staring gaze, she panicked, squeezing his wrist even more with a silent prayer that he let her go.

"We can go on like this, but I feel you wouldn't last much longer."

That tone of his! It made her furious and for a while she regained the stubborn childish frown.

"Are you challenging me?"

It was not an inch that he moved towards her face and she already opened her mouth in an expectation of a kiss. What the hell, Sakura?! As if she realized her silly behavior, she immediately bit on her lip and held her breath to prevent herself from that kind of stupid reaction again.

"You can pretend as you like, but I already know your weakness," he purred, expecting her to give in soon.

She finally managed to close her eyes and hide herself from that burning gaze. Embarrassment flew freely though her veins as she clearly comprehended the devouring heat that melt her bones.

"What is your decision, Sakura?"

Almost non-existent touch of his lips on her cheek was the last drop. When her insides exploded and her body roared for more, she eased the tense.

"Please, don't." A silent plea slipped through her lips and within a second his overwhelming presence was gone. Sakura let her shaking body slide down on the floor and gasped for air.

Itachi made a few steps back and for a while observed her defeated position - surprised by his own anger that she actually asked him to stop. Did he really wanted to feel her so badly? If she was to look up now, there would be no question about his inner fight. This was turning out completely different than he had planned and it was him who clenched his fists under an overflow of emotions.

"We'll set off as soon as you're ready," he snapped and quickly retreated from the suddenly tight room.

The cold breeze of spring morning washed his face and Itachi took a deep breath. Inhaling all the refreshing scent of the green fields into his lungs. It brought him just the right amount of self-control that he lacked in the dense atmosphere inside the hut. How could he lost himself in her like this? Was it his body which he failed to control? No, that was utterly impossible. He refused to believe this stupid nonsense and pushed all doubts out of his mind, regaining the same serene posture he was used to.

For a while he let his thoughts go back to the time he stalked Sakura, before finally deciding it was the right time to take her away. He already knew about her abilities, her will and her desire for his younger brother. And it were those features that made him choose her over all the other people he considered before. He needed her, just as she told him. But making her trust him will probably be a whole other challenge, because she just surpassed all his expectations.

Even after a while she couldn't stop her limbs from shaking. It wasn't out of fear though, it was rather the unspoken and forbidden desire to feel Itachi's dominant body press harder into her own. No matter how wrong it felt, she wasn't able to resist the urge. Not in the moment of closeness anyway. Her mind clouded by his hot breath was now slowly clearing and only the shivering sensation in her lower belly reminded her of all the bad things she was wishing for just a few minutes ago.

I'm going crazy! If he keeps doing this... No! That just cannot happen! I have to find a way out, as soon as humanly possible.

With all the remaining strength she stand up and calmed herself with one... two... three... deep breaths. Waited until her hands stopped shaking completely and finally came out.

"So, where are we going anyway?" She asked and this time it was Itachi who was torn out of the depths of his thoughts.

"You'll see." He answered with steady tone safely returned into his voice.

"Can't you just once tell me a normal answer? If you really need me to trust you, why not start with being honest?"

She had her point, he couldn't argue with that.

"We're heading to a small town called Pitto and then towards the border with Land of Sounds," he stated politely and moved out of the porch to pick up the road up to the hills on their right side. Without turning around he knew that she followed him.

This time Sakura was actually glad that Itachi avoided all the unnecessary conversation topics. She needed to think her way out anyway. No matter how much he was going to torture her if she would fail again, she was trying to escape. There wasn't time to wait for the rescue team of her own village, even though she was sure that they would find her eventually, she couldn't afford to lose any more dignity left. Who knows what else could he be capable of? Sakura was scared only to think what would happen this morning insie the hut if she didn't managed to stop him. And the fact that if he wanted to continue, there would be nothing that she could do, except begging, which was completely out of the question. She is a shinobi and she must find her own way out of this damn mess, the sooner the better.