Binding Loose Ends

Additional chapter warnings: het

AN: Thanks again for the positive and encouraging responses so far! Konoha's response and actual team seven dynamics with all three members present and conscious will be dealt with in later chapters, but in the mean time there's one more seal that needs to be completed.
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She couldn’t hear yelling or snoring, so that probably meant Naruto wasn’t anywhere close by, Sakura reasoned. No birds or other outdoor noises, and no breeze, indicating she was probably inside. She could hear very soft breathing, steady but too fast for someone sleeping, most likely coming from one other person standing or sitting near her. She could feel rope (oh god she hoped it was just rope) wound around her from above the elbows to below the knees, and what felt like a pillow under her head, which suggested that-

“I know you’re awake, Sakura,” a familiar bored voice said.

Sakura opened her eyes and glared at her captor. “Where’s Naruto?”

“Sleeping,” he replied. He was seated in a chair beside the bed, posture relaxed, knees slightly apart.

Sakura looked away. Looking at him, it was too hard to remember that this was not Sasuke. Obviously that was intentional, a part of whatever sick little game Orochimaru was playing. Well, I'm not going to play, she decided. If he has something to say he can say it. Instead she studied what she could see of the room she was in. It was on the large side for a cell; the stone walls undecorated and meticulously clean. There was a table near the bed with an empty glass and what appeared to be a pillbox. Against one wall a sink stood with 4 towels neatly laid out beside it. It reminded of her of a hospital room.

After fifteen minutes of complete silence, Sakura admitted to herself that the Sannin had more patience than she'd thought. From the admittedly little she'd seen, she'd have expected more grand standing by now. The indifferent silence was more like…NO, she told herself firmly. Don't even think it. It's not him, you KNOW it's not him. She looked back at him. He met her eyes, nothing about his expression acknowledging that the last quarter of an hour had been a contest of wills, much less that just by looking back at him she might have already lost.

"And Sai?" she said finally.

Irritation flickered across his face for a second. "Not my problem."

"But you've decided to make us your problem?" Sakura replied, eyes narrowed. She managed to keep her voice steady; she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of enjoying her grief.

"You made you my problem by chasing after me."

Sakura smiled, but her eyes stayed cold. "I know you don't have a very high opinion of the shinobi from your former village, but do you really think I'm that easy to fool? I know who you are."

"Doubtful.”

Sakura closed her eyes for a moment to regain her composure. “I’ll admit your …impersonation of that person has gotten better, but have you forgotten you almost called me Tsunade?”

Sasuke blinked, startled. Dammit, she’d caught that. He stood up. Mentally cursing his obsessive former mentor, he contemplated how much he’d have to divulge as he stalked across the room. He stopped, staring blankly at the wall opposite the bed. “You reminded Orochimaru strongly of Tsunade. I’m in charge but sometimes things…leak through” He turned back to face her and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Don’t tell Naruto,” he ordered, fixing her with a hard look.

Sakura shook her head, trying to hold back her tears. “You can make up all the implausable explanations you want, and you can reference things he said all day but I already know you aren’t him because you’ve acted in a way that Sasuke-kun never would.”

“People change, Sakura.”

“Changed or no, Sasuke-kun wouldn’t…” she stopped, her voice thick in her throat.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

“He wouldn’t have bothered to take me too!” she blurted out.

“…I think that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

Sakura stared at him, startled.

“Why would Orochimaru be interested in you?” Sasuke demanded. He was a little surprised to find that Sakura’s assertion stung. Who had he been protecting in the forest of death, then?

“To get at the Godaime, to get information on Konoha: there could be a lot of reasons.” Sakura replied, but she sounded a little less sure of herself.

“…believe what you like,” Sasuke replied cooly.

Sakura thought for a moment. He sounded so much like Sasuke, and she wanted so badly believe that it was him, that Sasuke wasn’t gone forever, but… she steeled herself. Maybe the only way to find out if this was really a trap was to try and spring it. “If you are Sasuke-kun and have been so the entire time,” she said carefully, “then…why do…whatever it is you did to Naruto and I? Why do everything you could to push us away and now essentially kidnap us? Why am I here?”

Sasuke shrugged. “On a whim”

“What do you mean? And you never actually told me where Naruto-“

“I mean stop asking so many annoying questions.”

“I’m …I still love you but I’m not a smitten little girl anymore, dammit! You can’t just get me to shut up by glaring at me!”

“I should gag you then?” Sasuke smirked; apparently she had been hanging around with Naruto too much. He detached himself from the wall and headed back to the bed “It’s not like you ever used to shut up for long anyway.” He removed a kunai from his sash and cut the seal on the ropes binding her.

Sakura sat up, trying not to let her confusion show. “I don’t suppose you’re untying me because now we’re all going to go home together, Sasuke-kun?”

“This is home from now on.” He was relieved that untying her hadn’t been immediately followed by a flying hug attack. Well, mostly relived.

Sakura’s hand went to her neck. “The seal prevents us from leaving somehow?” she guessed.

“More than that.”

“How does it work?”

Sasuke sat down on the bed, leaving half a meter’s space between them. “It binds you to the sealers commands, drawing strength from your own will. The more you fight it, the stronger it grows.”

Sakura paled, then frowned. “But…I don’t see how that would work. I mean, I’m not an expert on seals but theoretically it’s not so easy turning someone’s will against them. I’d think any seal like that would be unstable. Well, unless you somehow introduced some sort of cognitive dissonance tied to the sealer both physically and psychologically.”

“Go on,” Sasuke said impassively.

Sakura frowned in concentration, the retreat into theory relieving some of her uncertainty. “You’d have to introduce the sealer’s DNA into the person’s system in order to attune their chakra specifically to the other person. I wouldn’t think the saliva in a bite would be sufficient; you’d need something like blood. Then…hmmm…I guess you could create some sort of pleasant association with being in the sealer’s power, perhaps drugs or I suppose you could combine the two by…” Sakura trailed off, eye’s widening in sudden understanding.

“You figured it out,” Sasuke smirked as he leaned in. “The analytical mind at work.”

Sakura melted into the kiss. She knew she should try to pull back; logically she understood that this was more an attempt to neutralize a potential threat than a declaration of love, and that fighting him would only get harder after this. However the voice of reason seemed very quiet and far away with the lips of the boy she had dreamed about since childhood pressed insistently against hers. She whimpered when a tongue darted between her lips, then retreated and languidly explored her bottom lip. His kiss was definitely different from Naruto’s… Sakura attempted to pull back, only to have Sasuke grab her insistently. “Sasuke-kun, wait!” she panted.

“No.” He nipped gently on her ear, hands roaming across her back.

Sakura gasped, then rallied. “I love him!” she blurted out.

Sasuke stiffened. “You love who?” he ground out. He kept his features cold, but internally he could feel a wave of jealous rage rising as he pictured a certain dark haired replacement. His mood was not improved by the venemous voice mutttering in his subconscious, insisting that this was always the way, that the bitch was always putting some brat or goody-two-shoes first, that she couldn’t be trusted, that they loved her but she had to be punished for her betrayal had to be punished…. Shut up, old man, Sasuke thought to himself.

“….” Sakura stared at him. Was Sasuke actually jealous? Had she inadvertently put someone in more danger?

“Answer me,” Sasuke ordered.

Sakura strove not to speak but her neck was tingling strangely and her tongue seemed to be moving of its own accord. “Na…ru…to.”

Sasuke relaxed, his rage cooling to annoyance. It wasn’t some outsider, which was good. Still, that implied she and Naruto had been doing…things…without him, which didn’t sit well at all. “Naruto didn’t mention it.” He said irritably.

Sakura looked down. “That’s because I haven’t told him,” she said.

Sasuke gave her an incredulous look. “Since when are you shy about declarations of undying love?”

“Last time I told someone I loved them it didn’t go so well,” she snapped, looking up again. Her expression softened, as she remembered that one tender, awkward, wonderful kiss. She had almost told Naruto then, had seen in his hopeful expression that he wanted her to say it. But the knowledge that she couldn’t give him her heart completely had held her back, and instead she’d tried to act like nothing had happened. “Besides, it wouldn’t have been fair to tell him considering..,” she said, smiling sadly.

Sasuke considered this new information. This could actually be useful. If he could get Sakura to go along with things, Naruto would probably become considerably more pliable. “So you can’t chose,” he said mildly.

Sakura shook her head, looking down again.

“Well, you don’t have to. Lucky you.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re both here, aren’t we?” he asked calmly.

Sakura blushed. “What, you can’t mean… you mean the two of you…sharing me?”

Sasuke studied her carefully. She was definitely very embarrassed, but he could tell she was also a little titillated by the idea. This was going to be EASY. “Sharing? I own you both now.”

“But I mean..” Sakura paused, thinking about that last statement. “Wait a minute. Are you using a different kind of seal with Naruto?”

“No” Sasuke replied, smirking.

“Then a different method of-“

“No.”

“Oh,” she said, pondering the implications. She swallowed, and turned, if possible, even redder.

Sasuke pushed a strand of her short pink hair behind her ear. “That would be bad teamwork,” he purred as he leaned in again, pushing her down into the bed. Sakura clung to him as he kissed her deeply, one hand tracing the curve of her waist.

She turned her head to the side, trying to gather her scattered thoughts. “Sasuke-kun, I don’t know… I can’t just…“

“I wasn’t giving you options, Sakura. I was telling you benefits.” He breathed gently on the seal she’d so conveniently exposed and she whimpered, squirming beneath him restlessly. He withdrew for a moment, hand brushing the collar of her vest and she shot upwards, hands clutching at her collar. She was shaking. Too much; this was too much too soon and she felt so confused…

Sasuke chuckled, gliding in behind her and drawing her into his lap. He nuzzled her neck and she whined incoherently. “Didn’t you once say you’d do anything for me?” he whispered chidingly as he gently drew her hands away from her collar. His hands crept upward to trace the outline of her breasts through her vest. She gasped. “Just relax,” he murmured.

Sakura’s pulse raced. Meaningful resistance to the hands boldly exploring her body had ceased to be an option. She could think of nothing but the mouth placing teasing kisses up and down her neck, the hands caressing her breasts and beginning to venture lower. Her mind drowned in pleasure and now even the thought of Naruto didn’t provide an escape from the boy holding her in place because now when she thought of him her mind leaped to the thought of both of them touching her like this, touching each other like this….

Sasuke noted smugly that Sakura’s hands didn’t rise to stop him this time as he worked at the fastenings on her vest and then the binding holding in her pert breasts. He cupped them, grinning when she arched and ground against him in response. His hands slipped down, undoing the side ties to her skirt. He tugged on the waist band of her skin-tight shorts. “Take them off,” he ordered. Sakura pulled them down, hands visibly shaking, seal beginning to crawl across the back of her neck.

He turned her around and pushed her down again. She buried her face in his chest, still aroused, but embarrassed and more than a little scared. He kissed the top of her head, hand reaching down to cup her chin gently but firmly. Sasuke’s eyes boring into her frightened green ones. He kissed her. Her cry was muffled by his mouth as his hand slid down to her panties. He rubbed little circles, feeling the increasing dampness through her panties. She moaned, hands reaching up to caress his chest through his half-open top. He hissed when Sakura tentatively brushed against his sensitive nipples. Sasuke grabbed her wrists, shuddering, unwilling to surrender that much control of the situation. He kissed her breasts, sucking on one nipple as he continued to hold her arms at her side.

As he felt her arms relax he released them, bringing his hands down to gently inch her panties off. He worked his way down her stomach and up her inner thigh with feathery kisses, stopping when he reached the little pearl between her legs. He nuzzled her outer folds, tasting her juices. She clutched at his hair and he reached one hand up to place a finger on her lips, demanding entrance. She sucked on the finger, mewling when he withdrew it. Sasuke slid the finger past her outer folds into her core and she looked up with a small cry of pain. “Just relax. The discomfort will pass,” he soothed. He returned his attention to her clit, beginning to move the finger as he felt her relax and become accustomed to the invasion. He added a second finger, pumping in and out more forcefully. He paused as he felt her come to completion, smiling sardonically as he felt her spasm around his fingers.

He pulled the tube of lubricant out his pocket. With quick efficient motions he divested himself of his shirt and pants. Sasuke squirted a dollop of lubricant into his hand and thoroughly covered his cock. Experimentally he licked her clitoris, pleased when she arched in pleasure. She wasn’t one of the ones that became painfully sensitive after orgasm, then. Sasuke pushed the head of his member into her entrance, leaning down to kiss her cheeks when she attempted to pull away from the new larger intrusion. “Come on, Sakura, relax. Just like before.” Gradually he slid all the way in and waited, kissing her neck as he felt her muscle tension gradually lesson. Moving slowly, he withdrew a little and thrust back in. He sped up as she began to respond again. Sasuke bent his head to take one nipple in his mouth as he continued to thrust. Sakura’s legs came up to wrap around his waist as her excitement built again. As he felt her climax a second time he let himself go, thrusting one final time and shuddering as her walls spasmed around him. He left one hand on her stomach as he withdrew and lay beside her.

He felt her stiffen, and looked over. She stared into his eyes, the anxiety plain on her face. “What?” he snapped. These sudden realizations in the midst of his afterglow were starting to piss him off. They’d better not become a habit with these two.

She flung her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. He tolerated this for a moment. She still squeezed too hard. “Sakura, I need to breathe,” he said as he pried her arms off. He propped himself on his elbows to look down at her. “What?” he repeated a little less irritably.

“It’s just initially I thought if you weren’t really you you’d spring that on me as soon as I started to believe but then I forgot about that when you started to-well-and then I just realized that if you weren’t really you this would be a cruel time to reveal it but I can see in your eyes it is you and I’m so relieved and-“

He glared at her. “You. Are still. Annoying.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, trying to hide her face in the crook of his elbow.

He snorted. “You’re just lucky you didn’t actually outsmart yourself.” Actually, had things gone differently Orochimaru would have probably taken great pleasure in making sure she knew EXACTLY who he was from beginning to end even if he kept Sasuke’s basic form, but she didn’t really need to know that. He waited a moment then got up, ignoring the slightly hurt look from Sakura. “From now on, you will not attempt to leave Sound. You will not attempt to leave any room without my permission. You will not attempt to attack me unless I have specifically stated a sparring session is underway.”

He padded over to the sink. Wetting one of the towels, he cleaned himself off, than dried himself. He wet one of the two remaining towels then headed back to the bed. “Here.” As she cleaned up he grabbed the glass and returned to the sink to fill it. He handed her the glass and the pill box. “Take one.”

She examined the pills closely. “Birth control?”

“Now’s not a good time for a pregnancy. You’ll take one every day until I say otherwise.” She nodded, swallowing.

He pulled on his pants. “Get dressed,” he said mildly.

“Why?”

“Because we’re going to my bedroom.” Sasuke smirked when she gave him a confused look and walked away. “Naruto’s already there. I was being considerate for this time.” He leaned against the door, waiting.

Sakura dressed and slowly stood up. To her dismay, she was sweating by the time she reached the door. Sasuke, who had been watching her with narrowed eyes, evaluating her progress across the room, scooped her up. “The seal maturation and attunement is draining,” he said by way of explanation.

Sakura looked up at Sasuke, but he ignored her. Alright, the whole situation was dangerous, and while she’d said when she was younger her life ambition was to belong to Sasuke, this was taking things a bit too literally. On the other hand…he was clearly trying to defang them. Because he perceived them as a threat, of course, but why not just kill them? Then there’d been the jealousy…everything suggested he still cared about them at least a little, despite the emotional distance he was maintaining. Did that mean that between the two of them Naruto and she could reach him? Could they convince him to go home willingly? Sorry, Kakashi-sensei, she thought, but my first instinct is still to try and help Sasuke-kun no matter how far he keeps himself from me. At least I’ve learned who my best ally is.

Sasuke regarded the strange little smile forming on Sakura’s face with unease. “Sakura,” he said warningly, “you’re a prisoner and a tool. Don’t get any stupid romantic ideas because I’ve decided your prison cell is my bed.” As much as said ideas might make her, and thus Naruto, more biddable, he despised dishonesty. Besides, he could already force them to obey whatever commands he chose to give. He was confident he could keep them on a short enough leash without having to resort to petty bullshit.

“Actually, I was just thinking I used to dream of you carrying me in your arms, Sasuke-kun, but this, well…it’s funny how getting your childhood dream isn’t necessarily what you expected. “ Sasuke didn’t reply.