Dark Truths Undiscovered

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

Hope you all like, you know I love reviews!
~

Naruto stood perfectly still, high in the boughs of a tall tree. Shino was not far behind, his arms outstretched as he called his insects back to him. They had tracked the sweet scent, lured by it, only to report nothing more than a pot of the mixture hidden in a nearby tree.

Someone anticipated his use of them. Shino frowned behind his high collar. Naruto would not like this. It was becoming harder to find the trail of the abductor. He knew from what Naruto had told him that Sakura had been taken by Itachi Uchiha. At this rate she might not even be among the living.

Still, Naruto believed, refused to fall back. He could do no less.

The pink haired woman in question had done a great deal for all of them. She had even saved the life of Shino’s young son. No, he could do no less. He thought about his sweet wife at home, what would he do if she was spirited away like this? He would slowly lose his mind with every passing minute they were apart.

Naruto had always loved Sakura. He would feel something just as acute now. In recent years the two had been seen together more and more. He knew that Sakura had long since loved the blonde. Though it had only taken a romantic turn in the past two years. He suspected it was due to her need, her desire to prove herself strong that held her back for so long.

After all, her last love had been an Uchiha and it had left her emotionally scarred and scared of sharing her feelings. Now, no matter how strong she had become, she was in the hands of deadly enemy, one far more insightful than most people were aware.

He would read those weakness, use them. It was in his nature, and his sharingan would uncover every secret of Sakura’s heart. He kept in his mind the fact that Akatsuki had been seeking Naruto for a very long time, wanting the demon within. The two could no longer be separated, but they wouldn’t know that. He had no doubts that the capture of the future Hokage was part of the equation.

He’d not let that happen. Glancing up, he caught the striking blue eyes and shook his head with remorse. He heard the soft curse that followed. His eyes moved to Shikamaru, who bent in a crouch, his hands in a most familiar position.

The genius was thinking.

He had wondered why Naruto had chosen him rather than Neji or Kiba, but now he understood. While Naruto was by no means a dumb man, his strategies were not as complex as the shadow users. He knew that Shikamaru was currently sorting through every likely reason for the abduction and therefore likely routes.

With his insects, Naruto’s heightened senses and Shikamaru’s knack for unraveling mysteries, Sakura would no doubt he saved. Shino wondered just how bad it would be when they did find her. With a soft sigh, he waited for the thinking man to speak.

~

Nearly three weeks, she had counted. The current length of her captivity. Sakura stood at the edge of the woods. She was no longer confined to the mansion itself but it’s grounds. Allowing her a measure of freedom. She trained hard each day with Itachi. Her body aching from the beatings it took. But her skill was vastly improved.

She was still irritated however. She'd had quite a rude awakening this morning. Itachi had knocked on her door at some ungodly hour demanding she get up for training. She had rolled over, griping for a mere five minutes more.

"Get up... you won't like the consequences" he had called, but his voice lacked it's usual venom.

Should have been her first clue.

Moments later the door opened and Itachi had called out for Deidara.

The blonde had slipped into the room, leaping on the bed, straddling her.

Sakura had come awake with a start when his hands touched her face. The small mouths on them licking her cheeks and chin.

"Gah! Get off, that is disgusting!!" She had shrieked, rolling from the bed to glare with baleful eyes at the two men lounging near the door.

"You like it yeah. Imagine what else they can do hmm" the one called Deidara had said with a lopsided grin.

She blinked at him, furiously wiping drool from her now clammy cheeks, "You're kind of a psycho" she said bluntly.

He shrugged, good naturedly, "I get that alot hmm. But.... I can still snap your neck in three places before you know I'm there. Nice trade off yeah"

Sakura could swear she still felt those waggling tongues on her face.

Gross.

She stared out over the greenery, scenting rain in the air…again.

“Naruto” she whispered sadly, “I know you are out there. As much as I want to see you again, how can I leave when we finally have a chance to save him?”

She could have run into the woods, tried for an escape, but she knew… she’d not get far.

Besides, Itachi was right. She would do anything to save Sasuke from Orochimaru, even himself. If that meant she had to kill him, then she would do it. She would rather him fall to the hands of those who loved him than a nameless enemy.

She had refused to think of such things until now. It was her captor who had mentioned it. They had sat together under a tree, resting after a long sparring session.

“What will you do?” he had asked.

She looked over at him in question.

“What will you do if Sasuke is too far gone?” his tone had been flat though not unkind, “The reports say that he has managed to keep Orochimaru at bay. He likely wishes to see how strong Sasuke can become before attempting the transfer. Even without losing his body, his heart and mind may be gone when we arrive. He will not be the boy who left you behind.”

She had been silent for a long minute considering his words. He had probably assumed that she was not going to answer him and rose. She found her voice leaving her lips, whisper soft.

“I will slay him…. If I must.” She had slowly lifted moist eyes to his fathomless black ones.

“And you would grieve him.” Itachi said more than asked.

She nodded, “Of course. I love him.”

For a moment something flickered behind his eyes, gone too fast to be read. “But you are not in love with him”.

She shook her head, laughed sardonically, “No. A girl’s heart dreams of many things, breaks so easily. A woman’s heart learns to understand and accept. Sasuke would never be my lover, but he will always be my friend. One of my best.”

Though to be honest his way of showing in the last several years made her wonder at times. Had he ever cared about anyone and anything other than himself and his great revenge?

Itachi stared down at her in silence. What was it about this woman that made him think of other paths he might have taken? Looking away from her he spoke again, “The storm comes”.

She took that as her cue that her outside time was over. She got to her feet, brushing the dust from her backside.

“Tonight” he told her, breaking the silence, “I will have some recent reports sent to your room. You need to be familiar with certain aspects of this operation.”

She nodded, eager to read anything about Sasuke. The wind stirred around them, ruffling their hair and they turned to enter the mansion once more.

~

Naruto’s eyes snapped wide, his nostrils flaring. There! On the wind, the slightest softness of Sakura’s scent and that damn Uchiha. It was gone swiftly but he had gained a direction at least.

“Come on.” he said to the others. He wanted to cover as much ground as he could before the rain started.

“You found something?” Shikamaru asked.

Naruto grinned, “A scent, a whisper of it, coming from the east.”

Shikamaru nodded, “But the storm..” he pointed out.

Naruto grunted, “The scent came from this way, it’s a start. It’s all we have at the moment and it’s better than nothing.

Having no argument to offer the shadow user followed silently. Shino bringing up the rear.

They ran for what seemed like hours, branches passing beneath fast moving feet. The flashes of lightening casting eerie illumination on the trees around them. Naruto pushed them harder and harder, knowing when the rain began they would be slowed to a near crawl.

‘Careful kit’ came the wise voice of the nine-tail.

Naruto grimaced against the bite of the wind in his eyes, ‘I have to hurry’ he mentally replied, ‘I have no idea when another chance might come. I have to get to her. He’s a complete bastard.’

Of course his inner voice reminded him that for an Uchiha that was a normal state of being.

~

Sakura had just finished her bath and pulled on her sleeping shirt. She swam in it. It was a long thing, she had no doubt that it was probably one of Itachi’s since she’d not seen any other females in the compound.

She pulled on a pair of thin leggings against the chill and set about getting the tangles out of her pink hair.

There was a short knock at her door and she assuming it was Itachi remained silent. He would come in whether she wanted him to or not. Sure enough, the door opened but it was not the elder Uchiha that entered but the grinning grotesqueness that was Kisamie.

She smelled him before she saw him and fought the urge to gag.

He smiled a jagged smile at her and held up several scrolls. “The Uchiha ordered these be brought to you” he told her by way of greeting.

She fought down her revulsion and moved closer to him, extending her hand to take the reports. “Thank you” she managed.

He eyed her, making her skin crawl. “Did the Uchiha require a response?” she asked, taking his cue regarding Itachi.

He shook his head, still leering, “One day little flower” he told her, “He will tire of you and when that happens you will pushed to the lower members.”

She paled at his words. Just what did they think her relationship to Itachi was?

He smiled cruelly, “There are those who would be…. Less than gentle.”

She flushed a deep shade of red, “Get out.” she barked at him.

He moved a step closer, a rasping chuckle lifting between them, “You would be wise to look on me more kindly.” he informed her.

She stepped back from the scent of stale fish that wafted off him. Again fought the urge to cover her nose and gag.

“You would be wise to do as she says Kisamie.”

Two sets of eyes turned to the door, where the infamous Uchiha stood.

One set of irritated black and another … relieved pair of jade green. The shark stiffened and stepped away. He hurried to leave the room under Sakura’s gaze.

As he passed Itachi there was an unspoken exchange that she could not see fully and did not understand. She waited until the other had departed, his heavy footfall no longer audible. Itachi had not moved in that time, remaining as he was. Eyes to the side as though listening intently to the other’s passage.

When he was satisfied that Kisamie was indeed gone, probably sulking somewhere.

He stepped into the room and shut the door. Sakura let out the breath she hadn’t known she was holding. His dark gaze moved over her from head to toes and she found she couldn’t look at him as he completed his inspection.

Seeing that she was fine, he ventured further into the room. His scent of tea leaves and spice wafted to her like a welcome breeze.

“I assume you are unharmed.” he said blandly. She nodded, “He creeps me out” she admitted.

If he could have shown any amusement, she supposed the slight curve at the corner of his mouth was it.

“I wanted to go over some of those with you.” he told her, gesturing to the reports she clutched so tightly.

She blinked and watched as he moved to the small round table that she had her meals on. He pulled one chair out and sat promptly.

“Are you going to stand there all night?” he asked her, “I have far too much to do to entertain such childish notions.” His words prompted her to take the seat across from him. He reached over, taking up a scroll and unrolling it, pushing it over to her.

She read it quickly, wondering what it had to do with Sasuke.

“This is about an attack on a village.”

She spoke up, “There is no mention of your brother here, just some wild haired thing.”

Itachi pushed another towards her, and a map as well.

“That attack happened here, on the borders of Sound. That wild haired thing, as you put it has been seen by more than one person. While they cannot agree on who it is, they do agree on one thing. One thing that makes it and Sasuke one and the same.”

She sat back meeting his eyes, “The sharingan” she whispered.

He gave a single nod, “Sasuke has been operating quite freely within Sound. It seems that he is Orochimaru’s new right hand. Second only to the snake user. Even his medi-nin, Kabuto, takes his orders from him.”

Sakura blinked down at the documents, “Then he is essentially ruling over Sound.”

Again that nod.

“There have been other reports” he told her, pushing yet more scrolls at her. “Orochimaru is not well. His need for new containers has been increasing. This is likely why he has not merged with Sasuke. He views the bloodline limit of the Uchiha as a very desireable weapon. If he attempts to merge with your friend, he might very well kill them both. He will not risk losing those eyes. Not yet.

Because of his condition however, I believe he is forced to rely on Sasuke to carry out missions and keep a firm control of Sound.”

Sakura sat silent and numb. From all the information he had thrown at her or the fact that she never knew was capable of saying so many words at once she wasn’t sure. One thing however was clear, he had been watching Sasuke for quite some time.

“He left Konoha because he felt it made him weak” she murmured, tracing her fingertip over the letters of his name on one scroll, “He seems so powerful in Sound. Bringing him back won’t be easy. I had hoped it might be, that he might see us and decide to come home.”

Itachi rose from his seat, his time with her concluded, “You delude yourself then. Sasuke left for power and now that he has it, he will not let it go.”

She nodded sadly, pushing through more scrolls as he moved to the door. When she heard the hinge creak quietly she looked up, “Itachi?” she called.

He paused but did not turn.

“Thank you.”

He grunted, “I do not need your thanks” he told her coolly, “I merely wish to attain my desired goal. Nothing more.”

The door closed and she was alone again, to read, to ponder. “And that is what?” she asked aloud, “To be killed by your brother?”

But there was no answer for Itachi had gone.