Dark Truths Undiscovered

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. Nor do I own the songs used within.


Sorry sorry, got a nasty cold and been sick. Here is the latest chappie. I hope you all enjoy.

Weeks went by as they made their way back towards Sound and the Akatsuki headquarters. Sasuke had been silent and sullen for much of the trip. Despite the fact that Naruto and Sakura visited him each day, he showed no signs of thawing.

Sakura had left her medical journals with him, letting his pour over the information over and over again in his lonely hours. He wanted to believe that they had not lied to him, that Kabuto and Orochimaru knew nothing of this, but the little voice in the back of his mind reminded him otherwise.

They had built their dreams and ideal on using people, lying was nothing new to them. He thought back to the many women that he had been with while in Sound, for surely no one could expect the Uchiha to remain celibate. He was a man after all.

Thinking back now, he realized that none had ever conceived. Not once. Not for him, not for any of those bearing the cursed seal. Sound often stole children because they had none of their own. He was starting to see why. If he had been lied to, duped, rendered unable to procreate, the future of his clan looked rather bleak.

It also meant that try as he might to deny it, that the allegiance of his former teammates was far greater than that of his current faction. It left a bad taste in his mouth. No. No this had to be some sort of trick, some plan to let Itachi get the upper hand.

For crying out loud his best friends were cozy with that viper! He couldn’t trust them, not any of them, despite what they said. He felt the seal tingle and then the sensation of his skin crawling consumed him before the bright flare of chakra forced it to recede.

He turned a baleful glare to the door to find Itachi leaning against the frame. “My god” he said quietly, “You are barely human these days.”

Saskue snarled, lunging for him, but that single cuff at his wrist kept him from getting very far, “And what are you bastard? Killed them all!”

Itachi had little compassion for his foolish younger sibling, “I might have become a monster” he agreed, “But at least I was one of my own making and not the mere toy of a mad sannin bent on living forever. How does it feel Sasuke to have the power of Sound stripped from you? To be a prisoner here? Fighting against the very ones that wish to see you freed?”

Saskue seemed to compose himself then, his dark eyes become hard, unreadable, dangerous, “and you will not face me outside of this tiny room, without these constraints” he mocked softly, “Because you fear the monster that I am.”

Itachi grunted, “You are stronger Sasuke” he admitted, “Much more than before, however…how much of that power is really yours to command? When that seal comes off, what will you be?”

His question was quite valid and Sasuke had no ready answers. Kabuto seemed to think that his chakra levels would remain high as they were now, only the compulsions would fade entirely and Sasuke had been able to defy them in any case.

Itachi watched his bother carefully, “You don’t even know do you? Sad thing.”

Sasuke glared at him, “Why are you here Itachi?” he spat, “Why today, why now?”

“I have come for two reasons.”

“And they are? Surely not to fight?”

“To inform you that you shall remain in Akatsuki custody until the seal is removed and Sound in vanquished…”

“What else?”

“A certain pink haired woman asked it of me.”

“Sakura….”

“Indeed.”

~

Naruto sat on the deck, his back pressed against a tall mast, the cold wind ruffling his golden hair. In his arms Sakura sat, equally silent. A moment of peace for them. She had been so worried when she left Itachi’s room that Naruto would not be the same.

He merely smiled and welcomed her back with open arms. Kyuubi told him that the Uchiha had indeed planted the seed of the future within her. Naruto had stopped thinking of the child as Itachi’s from that moment. It was his child. His and Sakura’s.

Having been so alone throughout his own life, he knew he could do nothing but love the little one. Golden haired children would come with time.

Sakura was astounded by his reactions. She had always known that his heart was a deep endless well of care, but his words, filled with conviction and love warmed her heart in ways that made the sun seem garish and pale.

“So he went to see Sasuke?” Naruto asked finally, his lips touching the shell of her ear.

She nodded, “It’s better if they hash it all out now. I’m tired of being the middleman, aren’t you?”

Naruto chuckled, a rich warm sound that was infectious. “And the baby?” he asked then, his large hand moving into the thick layers of her coat to cover her womb protectively, “Will he tell him about the little one?”

She shook her head, “He doesn’t think that Sasuke could handle that right now. I have to agree.”

Naruto snuggled closer, breathing in the warm scent of Sakura. “He’s really something” he finally said, speaking of the one that had been a tender subject for some time.

Sakura nearly held her breath, wondering what Naruto was about to say.

He kissed her temple, “I see it now you know?” he asked softly, “What makes you admire him. I guess on the inside he isn’t such a bastard after all. Would be easier if he were.” S

he sighed, “I know it isn’t just admiration on your part either” he went on, blue eyes tipping up to the passing sky, “I mean you admire Kakashi but you sure as hell won’t have his child.”

He chuckled at that, feeling Kyuubi blanch at the mental image. “I suspect that you love him on some level Sakura.”

She stiffened in his hold and he hugged her tighter, “But as long as I know that you love me more .. I can be ok with that. You and he are never going to be more than you already have been. I know that. I guess… I just want to hear it from you.”

Sakura sucked in a low breath, “Everyone deserves to be loved Naruto” she whispered, “Even him. If we don’t who will? You are always going to be first in my heart, I’m sorry that you have always had to share my affections with someone else. It really isn’t fair to you is it?”

She felt a warm tear slip over her cool cheek and pressed her face into his sleeve. He threaded his fingers through her pink hair, “Shh. There’s no need to cry Sakura. A heart is a bigger place than most people know. I don’t feel crowded, besides., I get to keep you and they don’t.”

She nodded, feeling slightly foolish, uncertain as to why. “He will want to go to Sound.” she predicted.

Naruto grunted behind her, “He’ll have to Sakura, even if he doesn’t wish it. Sound must fall. If Sasuke has a hand in that, the council is likely to be more lenient with him.”

She shivered, “You won’t let them…” she couldn’t bear to speak the words aloud.

He rested his chin on her shoulder, “I’ll protect him Sakura” he promised, “With all that I have.”

She reached up to trail her fingers over his cheek, “You have always done that.”

He shook his head, “No” he rasped, “I’ve tried and failed and all these years are the result of that.”

“Tcht. You’d think someone died the way you carry on.” came the smooth voice of the blonde Akatsuki.

Two pairs of eyes swiveled to where he stood, “Moping about like this does nothing.” he cautioned, “Sakura, the brat wishes to see you.”

She rose with Naruto’s help, “Sasuke spoke to you?” she asked. Perhaps he was coming around then.

Deidara snorted, “If shouting your name through the walls counts then I suppose so.”

His friend hung her head and sighed, “Pathetic. I’ve had enough.”

Naruto winced seeing the familiar eye twitch come to her lovely features. She turned from them and stomped down the stairs to the cabin where Sasuke sat waiting. She flung the door open, nearly ripping from it’s hinges.

Saskue merely raised his eyebrow over her show of temper. She made her way to stand directly in front of him.

“I’ve had it Sasuke” she snapped, her voice was downright mean. She often used the tone with unruly patients. His eyes widened a fraction that she would dare to speak to him so.

“You can stop your tantrums now. Today. Stat.”

His eye twitched slightly, “Uchihas do not throw tantrums”

“The hell they don’t. Or maybe you aren’t quite the man you pretend to be.”

The barb hit hard and deep, his jaw clenched. “Watch that pretty tongue of yours Sakura and I must just let you keep it.”

She leaned closer, until her lips nearly touched his and then she smiled.

A feline smile that Sasuke had to admit to himself he really didn’t like. "Try it pretty boy” she whispered, her lower lip barely brushing his, her form crowding his space. He’d always hated it when he was younger, he still seemed to. “And I will enjoy beating the ever loving shit out of you, thats what Anbu do.”

Then she snapped back upright a brilliant smile in place, “So we are all going to place nicely now aren’t we…Sassssuke-kuun?”

Her tone suggested that he not argue just nod his head. He grunted, “Tcht. Women are so boring.”

She laughed then, “You seem to be the only one that thinks so.” she told him and left the room.

Pausing at the door, “If you wish to speak with anyone, you can simply call out to Shino’s insects and they will pass the message on. No more shouting. And Sasuke? You better not be mean to Deidara… I mean it!”