Blindfolded

Blindfolded

Author's note: My dear reviewers, thank you so much for your support!:)
This chapter is intended to be heavily dramatic, so if possible please listen suitable music that fits its dark atmosphere. My humble suggestions are:
Stratovarious - When the Night Meets the Day ; Bleach OST - Compassion , Torn Apart
I listened those while writing:)

One more thing.. as you already know this is an AU, I've already changed many things (basically I ignore Shippuuden) and with this chapter the nature of Mangekyo Sharingan will be altered a little as well.

Chapter 10
The Secret of the Scroll

Every drop that was rolling down slowly from her fingers fell into the freezing water in agony, quietly breaking the heavy, barren silence of solitude. Sakura dipped her hands into the spring-water again to wash away the traces of tears. How miserable, how pathetic..

How much it hurt..

She stayed like that for a long time, just crouching by the lake with hands hanging limply over the calm, icy water - they felt almost numb. She wished her heart would go numb like that - she would dive in head on! But Sakura knew the pain would stay even after her body was swallowed by nothingness. Instead of hope she had only solitude, solitude. Only pain.

Sakura watched the crystal-clear water ripple around her fingers, how the cold sunshine played on the grey stones - she didn't want to go back yet. Over to the camp, back to them. Seeing his face, feeling this longing, being drawn closer with every heartbeat, while at the same time spinning father apart. Everything was in vain..

“I told you not to come after me!”

Itachi's deep, commanding voice came as a start, but she was so tired already.. Slowly she straightened up but didn't turn around, her eyes fixed on the ripples.

“Things don't always happen as we expect them, Itachi.”

“That was not a request, but an order!” Thundered Itachi's voice. Sakura's eyes narrowed.

“Then you are out of luck because I don't take orders from you!” She whirled around furiously, but her words fell harmlessly off the man who towered over her darkly, his face stern, his features menacing as he looked down at her. Sakura swallowed. The sheer force, the destructive power that surrounded him was alarming.

“Then, kunoichi, loyal ninja of Konoha, whose orders brought you here?” Itachi's voice was quiet now, which was even more frightening; his words were sharp, like the sharpest blade.

“Nobody's! ..Nobody's..”

Sakura lowered her eyes, tears stifled her throat. How miserable, how pathetic!

“Then return to Konoha!”

Itachi watched as Sakura crossed her arms and turned her head sideways in defiance, staring at the grey stones at her feet. He knew that she knew the treaty of blood didn't bind her as strongly as before; since Itachi was there to protect Yamaji, Sakura could force herself to leave without feeling as if she had abandoned the person she had sworn to protect.

“This is not your path. This is not your fate. Or did you come here to die? Go home.. and live!”

“No, not until I get answers!” Sakura snapped, and turned her back to him.

In the silence, quiet sadness surfaced in Itachi's eyes and his gaze grew distant as he turned his head towards the sky. Above them grim winter clouds dragged themselves along the grey horizon.

“There is no answer Sakura. No answer..” he said quietly.

Sakura turned around to say something, but Itachi was nowhere. With a deep sigh she sat down by a tree and buried her face in her hands.

After that she must have somehow fallen asleep, because when she opened her eyes again the land was floodlit by the radiating pink shines of the setting sun. Sakura gazed at the sky thoughtfully, trying to get herself together. Now that she had a bit of rest she didn't feel as though she would snap any minute. She would be strong and wouldn't let bitterness to consume her from inside! She would stand up now and with head high she would go back to the camp and face the others. She would show them..!

Finally Sakura got up and left for camp. As she followed her own trail back, her hands carelessly broke off little twigs here and there from the bushes. The Land of Sound was really different, just as Numagori told her when they reached the end of the Gattodato. The forest itself wasn't as dense and dark as in other countries; the trees stood farther from each other, letting the sunshine and the mist in, which softly blanketed the forest floor. Sometimes quiet, tinkling sounds could be heard coming from the depths of the forest, as if fairies were playing somewhere; at least Sakura couldn't imagine what else could give out such magical sounds.

Soon she caught sight of their camp and Numagori, who was sitting alone tinkering with some kind of instrument until he noticed her. Then he sprung up happily to greet her, and Sakura smiled back in relief.

“Where are the others?”

Numagori shook his head and sat back by his instrument again. Sakura settled next to him.

“They'll come back soon, that's what they said” he answered sadly and turned towards the kunoichi. “I'm really sorry for what has happened, Sakura-san. If there was anything I could help you with..”

“Thank you, Numagori. I'm just glad that there is a decent person with me.. and please drop the 'san'. By the way.. why are you still here?”

“Well.. to tell the truth..” Numagori fidgeted nervously. Oh how much he wanted to say that he did try to get away, but Yamaji was practically everywhere (“'Oh Numagori, are you packing? Let's pack together!'”).He couldn't even relieve himself without being followed (“'Oh I wish there was a proper loo somewhere around here. You wish, too, Numagori?'”). It was really unnerving. But Numagori decided not to reveal these things to Sakura, so he simply answered.

“Yamaji-sama gave his word to help me to deliver the scroll, although it is beyond me why he wants to aid me, I really couldn't refuse him. But you, Sakura.. isn’t it too dangerous to travel with us?”

Sakura shrugged and a sad smile crept to her lips.

“Itachi could have killed me more than once - but he seemingly follows Yamaji's orders. Yamaji.. I can only guess how much he knows, but I know what he doesn't know.” Sakura said and a little satisfied smirk appeared on her face. Because it was obvious to her now; Sakura knew Yamaji was the leader of Akatsuki, but what Yamaji didn't know is that Sakura was sure Yamaji was also the Daimyo of Honey. Information, that could cost her life. But right now.. “I don't think Yamaji considers me a real threat. After all I'm still alive.” Sakura said finally. And I still have much to find out..

Silence enveloped them. Sakura stared at the tip of her boots thoughtfully, then glanced up with a big sigh.

“I'm curious why a person like Yamaji would travel so long for a scroll.. which is seemingly of no benefit to him.”

They fell silent again. A really bad feeling started to overtake them as they sat side by side thinking about Yamaji. The shadows grew, and they could almost hear Yamaji's footsteps..

“Aren't you hungry?” They almost jumped out of their skin when Yamaji's hand appeared stretching out between their heads, holding a dead rabbit. Then Yamaji stepped forward and sat down facing them. “And what have I interrupted?” He inquired curiously while pulling out his knife.

Sakura turned red in the face and opened her mouth to say something when Numagori hastily stalled her.

“I was tuning my guitar hoping you'd welcome a few chords before dinner.”

“What‘s a chord?” Sakura asked.

“And what is a guitar?” Yamaji added. Numagori was relieved, instead of bickering they had focused on him; he straightened his back and stroked his instrument like a gentle lover.

“I spent several years working in a faraway land across the ocean as a bodyguard for merchants; and for my services I was granted this beautiful guitar.” He was speaking in the soft voice that people use when they recalled pleasant memories, and strummed the strings with his thumb. “And that was a chord.”

The others listened as the chords linked to shape into a melody, and the music took wing and flew higher and higher as if it wanted to reach the sky. Suddenly a familiar tinkling caught Sakura's ear, and she looked around excitedly - the sound came from nearby. Numagori must have heard it too because he stopped playing and listened with bated breath.

“What was that?” Sakura asked in wonder.

“The trees” answered Yamaji, “You didn't notice the crystals on their branches?”

Sakura frowned; Yamaji's voice didn't sound like he wanted to lecture her, it was almost friendly - all the same she let her mistrust show on her face. Arms crossed she turned up her nose, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation, and looked up at the trees. And really, even if she had noticed them before she must have thought they were icicles, but looking at them closely their shape was unmistakeably like little crystal leaves hanging in uncountable numbers from the branches.

“The trees grow them by themselves with the help of water.” Yamaji continued.

“But why?” Numagori asked mesmerized, and without thinking Sakura turned to look questioningly at Yamaji. The Daimyo smiled.

“So they could talk.”

Sakura and Numagori sat enthralled and listened the quiet, tinkling sounds, as if winter himself travelled among the trees with his sleigh-bells. The last rays of the setting sun glistened on the tiny crystals colouring the fresh snow below with countless rainbows.

“It's unbelievable that the trees are so alive” mused Sakura, completely forgetting whom she was talking to. “I wonder what they are talking about.”

“Who knows? Itachi could tell probably, with that ability of his. He likes this forest; often comes here when he can.”

Mentioning Itachi's name broke the magic and Sakura turned her head away with a frown. Finally, deciding she didn't want to talk anymore, she got up to prepare dinner.

When Sakura turned away Numagori asked carefully. “When will Itachi-san join us?”

That I would like to know as well, Yamaji thought wryly, but answered lightly.

“When he wants - or when it's necessary of course.”

They didn't talk much while sitting by the cheery campfire waiting for the dinner to be ready. Numagori began playing his guitar again, and as the pleasant melodies filled the little clearing where the camp was set, everybody relaxed. Suddenly they realized that the trees had begun to tinkle again.

“It seems they like your music.” Yamaji noted and Numagori's eyes sparkled up.

“Yamaji-sama, I have a great idea!” He cried out and put down his guitar carefully then began to rummage through his backpack. Finally he pulled out a scroll. Or rather, that scroll.

“I'll play them this! It must be really beautiful since it's so valuable” he said cheerfully. Sakura and Yamaji gaped at him.

“Numagori, do you know what‘s in the scroll?!”

“It happened by accident I swear! Just a few days ago.. I took it out - just to check that it was still the real one, I mean.. Then somehow the ribbon loosened and the seal was already broken... That was when I saw what it was” he explained with a hangdog expression and rolled the scroll out a bit. The others leaned closer, but what they saw made their eyebrows furrow. There were unintelligible symbols painted all over the scroll, as if everything was written in code.

“What on earth is this?” Sakura asked frustrated.

“'The Word of Spiritual Harmony' that's all I can read at the top, the rest is doodle.” Yamaji pondered.

“I can read it.” Numagori answered. “It's a song.”

“The Word of Spiritual Harmony? A song?! Wait a sec.. are we still talking about the same scroll that the Land of Sound required for their support?” Sakura asked incredulously. Yamaji nodded, this was strange indeed .

“Are you sure this is the real one?” He added his own doubts. Instead of answering Numagori placed the scroll down and began playing. He hoped that at least the trees would like his music.

As the first melody struck up Sakura broke into a smile. She couldn't help it; the guitar imitated a little bird telling them that the sun had risen, life had renewed and in its wake nature had awakened. The long-drawn tunes were like light breeze, dancing around the little clearing with their melodies, bringing joy to the travellers who were listening almost in trance. Sakura found herself stomping the rhythm with her feet, and when she looked down she noticed in astonishment, that the snow had melted and green grass was growing under her feet!

Sakura slowly rose up not believing that it could be happening, and watched as the snow vanished and there! meadow flowers were sprouting from the earth, followed by red-spotted mushrooms and colourful buds. Then the little bugs and ants came, and vivid butterflies after them as if the music had brought them into life. Sakura was turning round and round in awe watching as the crystals fell from the trees with soft tinkling sounds, and it seemed ground was sprinkled with pounded sugar as the snow fell from the branches of the trees and buds grew on them. Then the buds got bigger until they blossomed, doing the work of weeks in a few minutes. The music kept resounding, bringing more and more life into the small clearing. Sakura looked with wide eyes at the life starting up in the grass, on the bushes, running up on the trunks of the trees until suddenly her gaze locked with a warm, brown pair of eyes.

Time stopped.

The air felt so thick and heavy that she could barely catch her breath. Everything slowed down.. or lost its importance, who knows. The melody sounded far away now, while the beating of her heart was becoming louder with each moment. They were beautiful; those deep, dark eyes that looked at her and drew her to him gently enveloping her with his darkness, just like that night.. Like a quietly drizzling nightly rain.. didn't demand, didn't rage; just looked at her fondly, as if he was watching something loveable, dear to his heart. Sakura felt herself blush and bit her lower lip to remain still. The man's eyes sparkled up and filled with life like the nature around them.

But the moment was suddenly over when Sakura blinked, and the next, the cold, crimson Sharingan stared back at her emotionlessly. Sakura lowered her gaze unconsciously; she couldn't decide whether it was just the trick of the setting sun that she had seen.

Itachi pushed himself away from the tree where he had viewed the events from, and approached the little group. By the time he reached Sakura's side she was already talking to the others, while gazing around in awe.

“So you are saying that the reason this land is called Sound is because somehow it's.. more sensitive to sounds?”

“Among others.” Itachi answered and then picked up the scroll with precise movements. “But even this scroll is..”

All of them looked at the scroll and the many, many little scribblings that swarmed across the paper in the diffused light.

“..remarkable.” he finished, then added. “If this scroll has to power to turn winter to spring, then the other three scrolls must be for the other seasons.”

“Not a bad idea, Itachi.”

“But I can't see how such a scroll could be useful,” objected Itachi, “Seemingly the change can be maintained for only as long as the music is played.”

“Oh you can benefit from it in many different ways especially if you have all four. Think about it: A sudden spring frost can destroy the fruit harvest that year; however if the trees could be driven to blossom again, then you can redress your losses. That can work on the other way around of course, you would be able to ruin anybody if you wanted to.”

Yamaji eyed the scroll speculatively and stroke his chin. “Of course the real question is whether it can work outside of Sound.”

“Most likely not.” Itachi answered emotionlessly and rolled up the scroll to gave it back to Numagori. Yamaji cast a sideways glance at Itachi.

“Yes, most likely not. How unfortunate” he said still gazing at the scroll. Sakura wanted to snap the scroll out of Numagori's clumsy hands and put it away hastily - instead she just turned away reluctantly to take the rabbits off the spit.

But the thought didn't leave her even while they were eating quietly around the small campfire. Her suspicions about the scroll and Yamaji kept bugging her. How much was all of this foreplanned, she wondered. Could the scroll be the reason for the Daimyo's appearance in Rice? True, he acted like he didn't know the nature of the scroll either, but Sakura would have been a fool to give him any more credit than a criminal. Everything could have easily been an act from his part. After all looking back now, Yamaji's presence was too perfectly timed in the inn; as a wise, old monk who was just waiting to be at someone's service. But then again, that was not quite true - Yamaji didn't want to accept the job until - suddenly Sakura's face twisted into a strange grimace when she realized the role she had played on Yamaji's chessboard. But no, it was impossible; it was only accidental that Sakura had chosen that particular inn that night. How could Yamaji have manipulated the events that far?!

On the other hand Yamaji said he had been waiting in that town for a week- most likely for Itachi, who was in Konoha at that time. That thought brought a lump to her throat again; could it be possible, that everything between them was just a mission for Itachi? Sakura looked up at him unthinkingly as if searching for a sign that would disprove that awful, awful unsaid death sentence.

Now that only the soft light of the small campfire lit his face Sakura could almost see Kisame the postman, and she just couldn't believe that everything they went through had been a mere lie. That was impossible! She still remembered the time when she first recognized the loneliness in his eyes. The real, exhausted loneliness coming from the depth of his soul. And then when she saw his desire which softly reached out for her, and she dove into it.

The man whom she remembered was like a deep, black ocean in the land of eternal night. His presence surrounded her with an unwavering tranquillity as if he had always existed as part of Sakura's soul, waiting for her to reach him. When they were laying next to each other and his deep even breathing lulled her to sleep, it was like standing on the coastline of a world that was only theirs, and listening as the waves washed the shore again and again.

Sakura shook her head. No.. it couldn't have been a lie, not a lie - it wasn't true either, she would be foolish to believe so - but it existed. Besides, if Yamaji had known what was going on between them he wouldn't have felt the need to test Itachi. When she remembered what had happened, Sakura couldn't help but glance up again.

Itachi's face was calm now, so different than it had been at that time. At that time he was terrifying, as the heavy, ominous air swirled around him with such a killing anger that it made Sakura shiver just thinking about it. He had looked so cruel and alien. But now, as he was sitting on the other side of the campfire staring at it thoughtfully, the dance of the flames lit his face and his features relaxed, somehow he looked so young and peaceful..

Sakura hitched a breath when realisation hit her like a slap to the face; that in just a scant few days how much she had already gotten used to the idea of Itachi. I'm going mad.. ! Just a few days ago she abhorred Itachi, the cruel clan killer, even the thought of him kissing her had made her nauseous. And now here she was recalling nostalgic memories of them being together?! Her eyes grew wide as she realized something else: Instead of picturing the half-hidden face of Kisame the postman, she was seeing Itachi in her memories now, as if she always knew whom she was having an affair with.. I'm fantasizing about him! Sakura shook her head. No, she must stop this! She glanced up at Itachi again, and when his searching eyes met hers, her heart gave a great thud. Her hands shook from another recognition and she sprung up. For the first time in her life, she was afraid of herself.

Itachi just watched as the darkness swallowed Sakura's frame as she vanished among the trees. He wanted to do something, but he knew he must not.

“Why don't you go after her?” Yamaji tempted him. “Then I could eat your share.”

Itachi looked at him darkly, and upon seeing Yamaji's wishful face, he protectively grabbed the last piece of his meat and bit it.

.oOo.

The next morning Sakura woke up with low blood sugar. A damned owl had been hooting all night just above her head- she bet it was on purpose- and only flew away when she got up to hurl something it him. She got out of her sleeping-bag grumbling, went to the lake grumpy and grunted when upon arriving back at the camp she smelled the spicy smell of tea. She threw herself down carelessly and looked at the pan, where the eggs were sizzling happily, with killing intent. Next to her sat Yamaji, holding a cup out to the shinobi on his right. Itachi poured the tea, watching as the hot liquid filled the glazed mug, and remarked.

“We still have some tea if somebody wants.”

Yamaji blinked at Itachi and turned to his other neighbour.

“Sakura, Itachi is asking whether you'd like some tea.”

“Well I don't want,” replied the kunoichi grumpily, “and I'm not hungry either, so if somebody wants a few extra eggs, go ahead.”

Yamaji gazed at the kunoichi sheepishly, then turned to his right again.

“Sakura wants to give you her breakfast, Itachi.” Yamaji watched in amusement as Itachi's eye twitched in irritation, and waited curiously for his reply.

“It is foolish to endanger one's survival out of childish stubbornness!”

Sakura stared at Itachi furiously, but before she could have retorted Yamaji reached for her hand and pressed his mug into her palm.

“Itachi is saying that he's worried about you. And Yamaji is saying that he is tired of this mediator role!” The Daimyo rolled his eyes and stood up to leave. Sakura grabbed her chopsticks and viciously speared an egg while sulking, then after stuffing it into her mouth she jumped up and hastily went away. Itachi watched her back as she left, and a soft smile appeared on his face. Numagori stared at him in awe.

“Itachi-san” he spoke up. “There is a saying in my home, the Land of Rice, that we never know whether the sun will rise tomorrow as well.”

Itachi slowly turned his gaze towards him, and Numagori's wide smile was suddenly nailed on his face.

“Which me-means that everything we know about tomorrow is a mere assumption! Maybe things will happen as we expect them, but maybe completely differently! We should never give up hoping.”

“Maybe” the shinobi replied. “Tea?”

“Yes, thank you” the tall man stuttered. Then he spoke up again after a while. “What will happen when we finish this mission?”

“You will join the Akatsuki.” Itachi answered emotionlessly, and Numagori's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Itachi glanced at him lightly. “Maybe. Maybe not. We should never give up hoping.”

That morning upset Numagori's stomach so badly, that he was still in shock after half day of travelling towards the Land of Sound. The sky was clear, it wasn't freezing either as they walked along the slightly trodden path, as if even winter held back his frosty winds so they could reach their destination faster. Sakura stayed close to Numagori, and kept an eye on Yamaji's every move, who was walking cheerfully. Itachi on the other hand couldn't be detected; sometimes he went forwards to scout the land, sometimes he stayed behind to hide the traces of their passing. They would reach the capital of Sound the next evening, he calculated.

When another day was over and the sun was about to retire, they stopped to set up the camp again, and Sakura quietly slipped away. She roamed about for a while not knowing what she wanted, questioning the meaning of the whole situation. She was tired of her companions, who just made her feel even more lonely than before; she was tired of this forest, of the naked, black trees, it felt like she had been walking in a cemetery for days. That was probably the reason why her absent-minded steps led her out of the forest, and soon she found herself by a small stream, which ran out of a nearby cave.

Sakura watched with interest as the water of the stream surged along, leaving puffy clouds of steam after itself. Ah a hot-spring! I must have used up a weeks worth of luck to find this one, she mused happily; she really desperately could use a hot bath right now. Sakura stepped on the waters surface and headed to the cave, hoping she would find a hollow where she could spread herself comfortably.

As she travelled deeper following the course of the stream backwards, the cave became darker and more steamy, and was filled with the soft echoes of the water droplets. The light wriggled playfully on the roof of the cave as it was thrown back from the black surface of the water, in places sliding on the slippery drip stones or dissolving in the shady corners. A cold breeze coming from the depth of the cave caressed Sakura's face gently, tempting to be followed; and when she did so, her breath caught in her throat.

The chamber that she entered was circular, like an old shrine; its stone-walls stood so humbly yet so firmly on the ground, as if they were created to embrace those who stepped between them. Part of the roof had collapsed, and when Sakura stepped closer to the hole to look up at the sky, a few swirling snowflakes signalled that it had begun snowing outside. The chamber was filled by the deep sound of falling water-drops, sounds that were coming from somewhere inside - they were strange, somehow familiar, like a reflection in a mirror, like echoes of the heart.

Sorrow. It was the sound of sorrow, sighing quietly but crying inside.

Loneliness. It was the sound of loneliness, whispering instead of screaming out how miserable, how pathetic!

Sakura sadly stroked the wet walls with her fingers, while the sounds changed, becoming sometimes bitter, sometimes more sorrowful, slowly pulsating as ancient magic brought them to life. Her head sank; she didn't look up, not even when the sound of steps stirred up this mystical place. She knew who came anyway.

“If you came here to send me home, then you came in vain.”

Itachi entered the chamber, and in his wake the rhythm of the melody quickened, as if driven by heartbeat.

“Then,” he stepped closer, “are you ready to join the forces of darkness?”

Sakura's lips turned into a sad smile and she slowly turned to face Itachi. As he approached her the play of the shadows hid his sharp features; he looked like he had just stepped out from her memories.

..I wish you were someone else..

“Still that vampire movie..” she sighed softly and looked at the ground. You still remember..?

She heard the hollow echo of his steps come closer, then stop. Sakura swallowed nervously. Itachi reached out for her slowly, probably to touch her - but she turned her head away.

Because things are not that simple anymore.

As if he had realized that too, Itachi's eyes grew cold and hard, and he let his hand fall. The rhythm of the music changed as well - it became slower, descending, as if benumbing finality seeped through its rhythm.

“What is this sound?” Sakura asked as she glanced up. Itachi studied her with a strange light in his eyes - as if trying to solve a riddle he couldn't comprehend.

“The voice of the heart” he replied in a hollow voice, and the music changed immediately in response, as if the heart suddenly realized just how audible it was.

“Sounds of fear” Itachi continued quietly. “Sounds of doubt. It was a mistake for you to come here.”

..Because now I know how you feel..

..Because now you know how I feel..

Sakura turned towards Itachi openly, and in that moment she looked so naive and fragile... Suddenly Itachi felt compelled to shatter this sinful innocence.

“Is there any good in you?” Sakura asked, her voice hesitating. “Or was everything.. a lie?”

Before Sakura could turn away again, Itachi reached out and touched her chin, stroking her jaw up to the soft skin of her nape. Itachi watched as the misty sunshine played among her unruly, silky locks.

“Could you turn your back on Konoha for the answer?” Itachi asked softly.

Sakura's eyes widened, her whole body froze. The question caught her off guard, and she didn't even realize that Itachi's other hand had reached out and pulled her close to him. Itachi leaned closer, his breath hot on her cold skin.

“..Whom would you choose then? If I told you what you want to hear.. what would you do then?”

As if she had been slapped on the face, life came back to her limbs immediately. Sakura wrenched herself from Itachi's arms and staggered backwards. There was a lump in her throat and she felt the familiar stinging in her eyes..

“I didn't come for this! I came for the past!” She said, breathing hard.

“Return to Konoha. It will be better for everyone.”

Sakura shook her head. With the back of her hand she reached up hastily to smear away a sorrow-drop that had escaped her self-control, and when she looked up again a resolved fire flared up in her eyes.

“Tell me what happened! Why did you kill them?!”

“Why don't you understand what I'm offering you?! Why don't you comprehend the danger you brought on yourself by coming here?! Go home!”

“No, not until I learn the answ-”

“Face the facts, Sakura!” Itachi's howling voice filled the chamber of the cave. “You are only here because you want me to say what you want to hear!”

“That's not true, just an empty excuse!” Sakura cried out desperately. “I only want to hear the truth!”
Because she was sure there must have been some kind of reason...!

“You still hope, even now..?” Itachi asked in a hollow voice. “That I'd say everything was only a nightmare, that you didn't make a mistake when you trusted me?” His words fueled the bitter melody in the background. “You only came for yourself.”

Sakura stamped in outrage “Lies, lies! I only seek justice! After every death you're to be blamed for!”

“Justice?!” Itachi laughed out. “That word still holds a meaning for you?! How many have you murdered Sakura? How did it feel to hold the gold you got for their deaths!?”

Sakura stared at him incredulously as if not understanding what he was saying. “That's different!” she exclaimed so heatedly that her face turned red. Itachi stepped closer to her.

“What's the difference? That you did it for money, or that you did it on an order?” Itachi took another step forward, his voice was deep and cutting. Sakura didn't want to back down, but Itachi looked more and more threatening with every passing moment as he towered over her, that she instinctively stepped backwards.

“The difference is that I'm not a traitor!” She yelled, but as soon as the words left her mouth she knew she had made a grave mistake. It's common sense after all not to call someone a murderer especially if it was true, or not to call a traitor.. traitor. She was about to reach back to feel the wall of the cave for a possible way of escape, when Itachi appeared right before her and raised her face with his hand.

“Yes. I've become a traitor. Is that what you wanted to hear?” He asked coldly; his eyes were so penetrating that Sakura felt them piercing to her bones. Itachi's grip on her chin tightened. “Possibly, you even want to know how they died?”

And then shadows began to swirl in his black irises, and grew bigger and faster until it became a vortex of rushing power drawing her in so roughly, so relentlessly that Sakura felt as if her soul was about to be torn out by the darkness that lay in the depth of the crimson eyes. At the same time a strange, enticing voice vibrated in the background like a high, repeating noise at the threshold of her hearing.

“Mangekyo Sharingan.” Sakura whispered in a faint voice, but then she steeled herself to tear her gaze away. Even the realization was frightening, just how powerful it could have been had Itachi seriously wanted to use it on her.

“Yes. Mangekyo Sharingan. It measures you and if you are weak in mind then it kills you. This is how they died, choked by their own corruption, yes.. I killed them all, and I did not regret my choice. And I will kill anybody who stands in my way!”

Sakura stared at Itachi, his emotionless face, his cruel eyes, and she knew that they had never seen nor shown mercy... And at that moment she didn't feel anything but pure hatred for him. She tore herself away from Itachi's touch.

“You‘re heartless!” She cried out. Unable to bear his presence any longer, she ran out of the cave, away from him.

When Itachi was left alone, for a long time he just stood and listened to the agitated music of the cave.

“I wish..” he began as he looked up at the opening where the sunlight came in. The words softly fell from his lips, as if they were nothing more than a dying whisper. “I wish I were.”

.oOo.

A young man entered the inn with confident steps, then took off his coat and shook his hair.

“What rain!” He complained to no one particular, then looked up openly with almost cheerful eyes. People regarded him suspiciously, but since he didn't see a familiar face, he just shrugged it off and went to the counter.

“Hey, old man! Have you seen a pink-haired kunoichi recently?” He asked with a big voice and waved a worn picture in front of the innkeeper's eyes, who just snorted.

“And if I have?”

A demonic smile crossed the young man's face, he then reached for his pocket and threw a stuffed frog purse onto the counter.

“Do go on!”