As the World Falls Down

Author's Notes - I'd like the thank the wonderful and talented DeGlace for becoming my beta on this story, future chapters will be beta'd by her. She has been a HUGE help with this chapter. I would like to also thank Chicky for helping me bounce on both this story and Hiasobi. As well as my co-mod Krickitat on my Ita/Saku writer's group. All 3 are very talented authors and if you have a chance, go read some of their stories!

Also to all the reviewers - you guys really help keeping me going when RL crap gets in the way and I'm tempted to give up because it takes me so very long to write a single chapter. Thanks for being so understanding guys!

5-12-2008 - More revisions. I went back and fixed the POV's. Work has begun on the following chapter. With the latest chapters of the manga, I find myself inspired again - that and I found Cynchick's Ita/Saku - ZOMG! Do not expect me to be like some of the other authors who update once a week. I write as I have time and inspiration and make no promises about release dates. I tried to move this to the Ita/Saku section, but couldn't. :(


Chapter 4

The green eyed woman had been visiting Itachi twice a day to feed him for over a week now, and during that time, he had not seen Sasuke once.

Under her ministrations, his injuries had all healed, save for the areas where actual bones had been broken which were still slightly sore. If Itachi were honest with himself, this woman was exceptional. He had never in his life healed faster.

Itachi could hear raised voices coming from another part of his prison. His senses came alert as he noticed that they were nearing from the increasing volume. As the sounds moved closer, he was able to distinguish the loud mouthed Jinchuuriki along with Sasuke’s voice.

As they approached, Itachi was able to make out what Naruto was saying. “Bastard, I should have known better than to trust you! I just can’t believe that Sakura actually agreed! You must have conned her somehow,” His tone was one of almost palpable anger and disbelief

“Shut up! She understands that it is to further the…”

“Cut the crap, Sasuke,” Naruto’s voice took on a hard edge. “You’re using her for your own purposes because you know she loves you. Why she still loves you, I’ll never understand, but it pisses me off that Sakura has to dirty her hands touching that asshole for you!”

“No, it’s you who doesn’t understand. It’s beyond your brain capacity…” Sasuke stopped mid-sentence.

“Hey Sakura-chan!” the exuberant blonde’s tone had done a complete one-eighty.

“Hey Naruto,” came the happy reply, increasing in volume as Sakura neared. “We don’t see you around here often, what brings you?”

“He and I had some things we needed to discuss,” Sasuke’s cold voice interjected.

“Well, don’t let me keep you. I’ll see you boys later.”

Itachi watched the smiling woman enter his room; he finally had a name to go with her face.

~*~*~*~

Kisame sat in a shadowy corner of a dingy bar sipping sake, awaiting the arrival of his latest informant. Without Itachi there, keeping his temper in check proved to be an arduous task. At least the fish were being well fed.

Two months, and still nothing, it was getting frustrating. Kisame took another swig of sake. He had a feeling the younger Uchiha had something to do with Itachi’s disappearance, but could find no proof. The little bastard had come after Itachi more than a dozen times over the years. Kisame could not fathom Itachi’s reasoning for keeping him alive, but then again, Itachi was not an easy person to read. He always followed his own agenda.

Kisame finished his sake and gestured for another bottle. He glanced around casually. His chosen spot gave him a clear view of the entire bar. There were small clusters of people scattered sporadically around the room. It was easy to ascertain that the table over by the counter was filled with regulars, as well as a few of the men perched on stools at the bar. The bartender knew all their names. There was nobody even remotely threatening in here and Kisame didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

Waiting was so boring. Especially for someone who loved to keep moving. Life with the Akatsuki suited Kisame so well, the constant tension, the thrill of being hunted and turning predator on those foolish enough to get too close.

A nervous looking young man arrived at Kisame’s table and plunked a fresh bottle of sake on its scarred surface. Kisame started the age old ritual again. Pour, sip, pour, sip. There were times when he found his high tolerance to alcohol to be a blessing, and he supposed this should be one of them. He really shouldn’t be sloshed when his informant arrived, but at least it took the edge off his irritation.

Somewhere around a quarter of the way through his second bottle, a cloaked figure entered silently and settled at the table next to Kisame’s. Seeing that nobody was paying attention to the two of them, Kisame turned to the woman.

“Found anything?” Kisame queried in a harsh whisper.

The cloaked form shifted slightly. “I’ve been unable to get access to the house. Aside from Uchiha Sasuke, there is only one other regular to enter the house. A woman named Haruno Sakura. She was in the same gennin cell as Sasuke. Her comings and goings are pretty regular, twice a day, every day.”

Haruno Sakura? That is the bitch who killed Sasori.

Kisame’s thoughts were interrupted by the waiter who shuffled over to take Kisame’s informant’s order. He left rather speedily after a dark look from Kisame.

“Anything else?” Kisame asked when they were once again alone.

“That is all I have today.”

Kisame stood to leave, setting some coins on the table. “Keep looking,” he said, dropping a coin purse in the informant’s lap as he passed her, brushing by the scared looking waiter on his way out.

~*~*~*~

Sakura watched as Itachi fed himself in silence.

“Ne?” The sound seemed to slip from her mouth without thought on her part; her eyes were focused on his fingers rather than his face.

Itachi paused mid-bite, eyes locking on her face. The girl had only spoken to him once and that was to threaten his time left in this world. He had not spoken a word through his entire captivity.

He continued to watch her waiting to see what burning question could have caused her to break the unspoken rule. She probably wanted to ask the same thing everyone asked – why did you do it? Why did you slaughter your family?

Sakura eyed him for a second, taking his silent perusal as an ok to continue. “Why do you wear that?”

Totally unprepared for the question, Itachi looked at himself trying to figure out what he was wearing that she could possibly question, the clothes she gave me? That can’t be it, what the hell is she talking about?

“What?”

She looked at him for a moment before clarifying, “the nail polish – why do you wear it?”

What the fuck? After months of silence, she breaks it to ask me that?

“I mean I’ve noticed that a lot of missing nin tend to wear it, is it to signify strength? Or wanting to show that you are evil? – although Haku wasn’t evil, per say, just misled…” Sakura tapped the side of her mouth with a finger in thought, “so why?” she queried, turning her gaze back to Itachi.

“Am I?” he asked

“Are you what?”

“Evil.”

Sakura blinked in apparent shock for a few seconds, “Aren’t you? I mean I think that is pretty obvious.”

“Is it?”

“Is it obvious? Yes, and you are trying to change the subject!”

“No I’m not. You just called me evil.”

“Because you are! ” Sakura said forcefully.

“That is a matter of interpretation,” he replied.

Sakura stared at the impassive man before her for several long moments. “Are you seriously trying to tell me that you are not evil? I mean, I think killing off your entire family qualifies you for a one way trip to eternal damnation when you die.”

“And what of the lives you’ve taken, Sakura?”

The fact that he had just used her name never registered in her hurry to justify herself. “That is different. That was -”

“For a mission? Protecting team mates? …Self defense?” Something about Itachi’s tone made the hair on the back of Sakura’s neck stand up, she didn’t like where he was going with this.

“Yes. Is there something wrong with that?” she hedged defensively.

“I’m not the one saying there is something wrong with killing,” Itachi replied coolly.

“You are not insinuating that by my standards I am in the same category as you!” Sakura was starting to fume with this oily, sly tongued man who was making her mad trying to twist her words around.

“I am not insinuating anything,” Itachi interjected, but his look said otherwise.

“I know what you’re trying to do here, and let me tell you – it won’t work on me. A-and, you changed the subject,” Sakura’s voice carried a fair amount of annoyance.

“No, you did,” Itachi smirked.

“And I thought Sasuke was frustrating to talk to,” Sakura muttered under her breath. “Are you going to answer me or not?”

“Mmm.”

“Suit yourself!” the medic said in a huff, crossing her arms over her chest and staring pointedly at the wall while Itachi finished his dinner, obviously stewing on her thoughts. Several minutes passed in silence.

“I like it.”

“Wha?” Sakura seemed lost for a few seconds. “That’s it? You wear that nail polish because you like it? There’s no great meaning behind it?”

Itachi turned his attention back to his food. “Aaah.”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, did she just snort? But Sakura’s expression was blank.

~*~*~*~

Sakura was unnerved doing her collection this time. It could be that they’d had their first conversation and he had taken on a more human aspect to her. Or it could be the way his eyes followed her every movement, and carried an expression that reminded her of the time his hot mouth had closed over her-

Sakura cut her train of thoughts off and tried to refocus. She rubbed the lubricating gel over her gloves and turned back towards Itachi, who was fully ready for this collection. Exposing him, his member bobbed momentarily before she caught it in her capable grasp.

She was acutely aware of his eyes on her as well as both of their breathing, his becoming more irregular. A slight tremor wracked his frame and his head fell back, eyes closed. Sakura wondered briefly who he saw behind those closed lids. Her gaze turned to his member and she watched as her hand worked over it, slightly slowing the pace, gauging his reaction. Another tremor shook his body.

Sakura felt the beginnings of desire coiling through her watching the pleasure she was creating. She sped her pace and he jerked in her grasp. Her eyes flew to his face and his face was slightly contorted with the sensations he was receiving. Itachi’s eyes opened and fixed Sakura’s with such a heated, lust filled gaze that Sakura’s breath caught. His glittering eyes held hers captive doing funny things to her insides.

She found the act so much more intimate and arousing when their eyes were locked, and Itachi obviously did as well, because a nearly inaudible moan tore from his throat causing Sakura’s face to warm.

She slowed the pace again, running her hand down his entire length and back up again slowly and his hips arched in reaction as another barely audible moan further turned Sakura on. She could feel him thickening in her grasp and knew he was getting close, but rather than speed up as she usually did, she kept her slow pace, prolonging this, not entirely for his benefit.

She decided to do something that she had overheard in the public bath, she kept her eyes locked to his and leaned forward to blow on his sensitive flesh. The reaction was immediate, his eyes rolled back in his head as he groaned spilling himself into the cup Sakura had to scrabble to grab with her spare hand.

Sakura felt slightly embarrassed as she quickly capped the specimen. His glazed eyes traveled her form as she cleaned him; she noticed that they lingered on her breasts, trailing up to her blushing face. She quickly turned away, taking her things and making a quick exit.


~*~*~*~

Sasuke sat in his study, sipping hard alcohol and reflecting on life. Everything was playing out just like he had planned. His return to Konoha had been predictably easy after he had killed Orochimaru. Sasuke chuckled to himself. He had out maneuvered the biggest snake in the grass at his own game, pun intended. His former teammates had pleaded his case, just as he knew they would. They were both so gullible, really, and easy enough to con into helping capture his brother.

Yes, everything was going exactly as he wanted it. Once Sakura finished taking all the viable samples she needed from Itachi, Sasuke could finish Itachi off nice and slow as he had dreamed of for years. Sasuke wanted Itachi to feel each and every death that he had caused – slowly and torturously. A maniacal gleam lit Sasuke’s eyes.

Well everything except Sakura lately. She had always been too soft and lately she seemed to be softening towards his bastard of a brother. Maybe it was time to take her attention back away from Itachi; after all, she never could resist giving Sasuke something he wanted.

He felt himself getting hot and bothered at the thought of having her. It had been a busy week and he hadn’t had time to seek out any female companionship. Two birds with one stone. By the time he finished his glass of alcohol, the only thing on his mind was Sakura and how she would look as he had his way with her.

~*~*~*~

Sakura leaned against the closed door of the lab, heart beating rapidly. What the hell was that? She took a minute to calm herself. A cold shower would be great right about now. Standing here thinking about what just happened, how I… and he knew… oh god, he knew.

Determined to put it out of her mind for the moment, Sakura began separating the sample into pre-labeled vials for the cryogenic freezer. She was just finishing up with her notes, still attempting to put her inner desires to rest, when the door burst open, slamming against the wall.

Sakura turned, heart in her throat from the loud noise. Sasuke stood in the doorway, looking slightly disheveled. He looked her over from head to toe as she rose from her chair. Oh god, can he tell how turned on I am from Itachi?

“Sasuke?”

He crossed the room swaying slightly, his expression determined. She didn’t know what the look meant and felt her heartbeat double in her chest. Is he pissed because he knows what happened? She could smell the liquor on him as he neared. But he didn’t stop where she expected him to. Instead, he crossed into her personal bubble, causing her to back up as her alarm increased. What is he planning?

“What are you doing, Sasuke?” her voice trembled slightly.

He followed, stalking her against the wall and when she had no further to go, she met his gaze, opening her mouth to ask him what he was doing again, but his mouth covered hers preventing speech.

She stiffened in shock. Sasuke is kissing me! After all this time, Uchiha Sasuke has his lips pressed to mine, and - is that his tongue? Oh my god! It is! But, uhg, he tastes like a brewery.

“Your ass is so hot in that skirt,” he slurred drunkenly, “I just want to rip it offa you.” His hands reached around and squeezed her buttocks pulling her against his arousal.

Sakura pressed her hands to Sasuke’s chest and pushed him away, it took some force to pry him off. His eyes glittered down at hers the same way Itachi’s had done just a short while ago, as his hands began roaming her front side. But it didn’t feel right. How many other women has he done this with?

He leaned back in for another kiss, but Sakura dodged. Not to be deterred, Sasuke began kissing down her neck and it felt so good, Sakura almost caved. A soft sound of desire left her lips, startling her to reality.

She pushed him away again, “No. Don’t do this Sasuke.”

“Why not Sakura?” Sasuke’s tone was almost angry, “I thought you always wanted me?”

“Not like this Sasuke. I won’t be another one of your women. Not another notch in your belt loop. Don’t cheapen our relationship this way.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed momentarily, but he pulled away, exiting the room after surveying Sakura with a condescending sneer.

Sakura’s knees gave out on her and she collapsed to the floor. She could still feel his lips on hers, taste him in her mouth. I just turned Sasuke down. What the hell is wrong with me? It’s Sasuke.

Sakura was pulled from her reverie when a shout from down the hall caught her attention. Oh no! He’s drunk, he’ll kill Itachi. She found her footing and sprinted down the hall.

Sasuke had Itachi by the throat, yelling at him. If they felt Sakura enter the room, neither showed any sign. Sasuke released Itachi’s throat and punched him across the face. Sakura grabbed Sasuke’s arm to stop him from inflicting any further damage, but he shrugged her off, landing a hit to Itachi’s midsection.

“Sasuke, knock it off! You agreed!”

“No! This bastard deserves what I give him and more!”

“You’re drunk Sasuke. Stop this. You promised me you wouldn’t do this anymore,” Sakura got in between Sasuke and Itachi, preventing further damage as she spoke.

“You’re protecting him,” his tone sounded incredulous. “Why are you protecting him Sakura?”

She glared at Sasuke letting him know she wasn’t backing down.

“You like it, don’t you? You won’t let me touch you, but you like touching him, don’t y--?”

Sasuke’s head snapped to the side with the force of the slap Sakura dished him.

“How dare you, Uchiha Sasuke! You are drunk, get your ass to bed before you say and do something else you will regret tomorrow.”

Sasuke glared at her, his hand on his reddened cheek, opening and closing his mouth in pain. In a fit of childish rage, he shoved Sakura, who stumbled back. Shock sufficed Sakura and she glared for a second before shoving him back.

Sasuke reeled drunkenly for half a second before regaining he balance. A look cold enough to freeze pinned Sakura and he shoved her again, sending her crashing into Itachi.

Sakura could see some of the darkness he hid so well in his glare, and it scared her for multiple reasons. She waited to see what he would do, but Sasuke exited the room, smashing his fist into the wall in rage.

Silence weighed heavily on Itachi and Sakura after Sasuke’s departure. Sakura felt tears welling up in her eyes from the emotional strain she had suffered in the last few hours. She shifted off of Itachi, keeping her gaze averted from his. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” was his brief reply.

Sakura checked him over for injury anyway, healing minor bruises and swelling; the concentration required for such a task helped keep the tears at bay. Itachi sat in silence as she worked and said nothing.

~*~*~*~