Trinity

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I’ve had a LOT on my plate. Currently, I’ve banned myself from starting new writing projects until the 15 open stories I’ve got right now are complete. Smile, and rejoice. I am not quite sure how much is left of this, one, but I don’t think more than two more chapters. Love to you!

poornmiserable: I am planning a little flashback scene for Sakura. It won’t be in this chapter, though, so you might have to be patient for a little longer. ^_^

Allys: Your review was interesting, especially where Itachi’s company was concerned. Yes, I thought of putting Akatsuki members in, but then I figured that he’s infinitely devious, so he’d be pretending to be a decent person most of the time. Don’t worry. Itachi gets his comeuppance. In this chapter, as a matter of fact.

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Chapter 3: Born of Desire

In the dim light of the bathhouse, Sakura sighed. It always took forever to remove all of the pieces of her formal kimono. Once she had carefully folded each piece and placed them in the baskets provided, she scrubbed hard at her body, trying to rid herself of the smell of sake and Itachi. Slipping into the naturally hot water felt very good, and she leaned back against the rocks taking in the steam. Her eyes closed and she cleared her mind of everything that had happened. Another sigh came from her lips as she let the water warm her and melt away the tense feeling that had developed in her stomach.

“You are playing a dangerous game, little one.”

Sakura’s eyes flew open and she gave a start, looking up to see a man soaking in the bath directly across from her. It took a long moment for her mind to catch up to what her eyes saw. “T-Tokotachi-dono,” she breathed, shock suffusing her tone with breathlessness.

He beckoned to her, saying, “Come to me, little one.”

Hesitantly, she moved closer until she sat very near to him. The god seemed to glow with his own light, the moon paling in comparison. “Tokotachi-dono, I—“

One slim finger was pressed to her lips, silencing her. “Please, do not think of it now.” His voice was just as deep as she remembered, and he was still as kind. “That man is more dangerous than you know, little one. I had not foreseen him. The next days are vital. You must not become separated from your guardians. One or both should be with you at all times. Heed my words, little one. The one with red eyes bears the seeds of destruction within him. No good can come of toying with him,” one of the man’s dark brows rose, arching in amusement, “though I understand how much you enjoyed it.”

Sakura blushed. “I did not truly—“

Tokotachi laughed, a deep, rumbling sound like the beginning of an earthquake. “Do not attempt to lie to me, little one. You are flesh. All those of flesh have desires. Only take care. Your desires must not be directed at that man.”

Sakura frowned. Was she never to know the touch of man? Could she never feel all of the things she longed to? “Tokotachi-dono, what should I do?”

“Your naming day…” He began, “…in one month, on that night, the moon will be full. You must be secluded with your guardians. During daylight, act as you would. Fetch and carry for them, and do the dark one’s bidding. The moment the sun dips below the horizon, you three must be alone, not to be disturbed. You shall know more hereafter.”

Nodding, though her curiosity was not quite satisfied, Sakura said, “Yes, Tokotachi-dono.” Just as she was going to ask him again what exactly she should do about Itachi, he spoke again.

“I will be sending someone…to deal with him.” Tokotachi’s face fell into an expression of almost sadistic pleasure. “He is in need of a lesson, I fear, and one of my underlings will be more than happy to teach him. So, little one, I leave you now. Watch for my underling.” Before rising, the god kissed her forehead. “Be safe, little one.”

As the god stood, water shedding from his naked form, Sakura blushed, turning away. She felt a wet hand trace the side of her neck, down to her shoulder, and her breath caught. Words whispered down to her ears, like a nearly imperceptible breeze, “I understand his desire…such beauty is a rare thing, little one. But you must be careful.”

The god’s hand moved away, “Keep for now the memory of me. And pray that your desire does not burn you whole…” His voice began to die, but she could just barely make out a murmured, “…and the world with you…” Mist erupted around her, and Sakura turned dazedly to see his glowing form crossing the floating bridge to the Plane of Heaven.

--

Pain. He was in anguish. His head felt like it was going to split open. One hand reaching out, Itachi grabbed for the nearest steady object to help him sit up. When his hand found the edge of the table, he grasped it tightly, levering himself into a seated position. The world gave a violent spin, and he groaned. “No more sake…” His eyes opened slowly, taking in his surroundings. Then, they widened. He was…naked.

“What in all the seven hells?” His memory went completely blank after the guests left, no matter how hard he tried to remember. Damn it.

--

Humming softly to herself, Sakura stood by the well, turning the crank handle to get the water for mid-day’s tea. She did not wish to bother Naruto to watch her do such menial tasks, so this one thing she could do alone. Something had been preying on her mind. What was going to happen if she followed Tokotachi’s directions? If she were closeted with Sasuke and Naruto on her birthday night, what exactly would transpire? That would be a question for the ages, wouldn’t it? Smiling faintly, she watched the little bucket coming up into the light.

“Here, let me help you,” she heard a deep, very masculine voice right next to her ear. Sakura jumped, having not realized that another person was present, and let go of the crank handle. The crank spun in the opposite direction as the bucket plummeted back into the depths of the well. There was an almost airy laugh that accompanied the splash of the bucket hitting the water at the bottom, and she turned slowly, thinking to find Itachi. Only, when she looked up, the eyes she saw were not red. “Please,” the pale man’s even paler eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled gently, “forgive me. I did not mean to startle you, Sakura-san.”

Regaining her composure, she looked at the ground. “No…it is all right, Neji-san…”

Why did she constantly find herself in this kind of situation? She couldn’t help but steal a glance at his face, which was regarding her with keen interest. What was it about her that seemed to make men lose all notions of propriety? “Sakura-san,” his voice was quiet, yet somehow held a note of command…a demanding sort of seduction. “I hope that you were not very bored last night.” She was not sure how to think of such a comment. On one hand, he could be just wishing her a good day, free from boredom, but somehow, Sakura did not believe it. A hand grazed hers. That touch felt cool against her skin, though there were calluses on areas of his hands that told of extensive weapons training. “Would that I had such a songbird for myself…”

Two fingers touched the underside of her chin, tilting her face upward. His voice was doing something strange to her mind. For a moment, she felt mesmerized. “I would treat you like the lady you are,” Warm breaths curled over the skin of her lips, “infinitely better than Itachi does.” she felt the barest tickle of lips brushing over hers, and it set something inside her to burning so suddenly that she released a soft gasp. “A woman with the voice of a nightingale…the mind of a scholar…and the beauty of no being that walks upon the earth…” New sensations gripped at her, like an almost overwhelming desire to kiss this man.

She could feel her eyes trying to slide shut. Unlike the night before, when she had been with her master’s brother, this was like a crushing, brutal sort of need. With Itachi, she had merely enjoyed being able to put him in his place. Now, it was as if everything she had ever wanted in a man was standing right in front of her, taunting her with promises of unimaginable pleasure, and all she need do was let it happen. Then, the voice came again. “It is no wonder that even Tokotachi-sama is tempted.” Sakura jumped at the mention of the god. The smile that graced the man’s pale lips did not look at all like one Neji would wear. “Please, come with me, Sakura-san.”

He turned away, and walked quickly to the gap between the main house and the kitchen building, Sakura hesitantly following. What on earth was going on? When she joined Neji in the shadows of the alley, she found herself pushed against a wall. The smile on his face grew wider, and the white bled out of his eyes to reveal dark brown as his features changed to those that were more feminine. The result was a strikingly beautiful man that had no weaker an effect on her than before. “Who are you?” she breathed as this man pinned her against the wall with his body.

“Did my master not tell you to watch for me?” the man asked, leaning down to her ear, his breath tickling the little hairs on her neck.

Swallowing thickly, she stuttered, “Y-You are his…underling? The one s-sent for Itachi-sama?”

She felt his tongue graze her earlobe, causing her to gasp. “Yes, I am.” When he laughed lowly, Sakura shivered. “My name is Haku. I take it Tokotachi-sama did not tell you about me…about what I am…” Her breathing was becoming labored, and she could only shake her head in the negative. “How wrong of him, to leave you unprepared. I am the embodiment of desire. I am flesh, but not flesh. I am what you want, even if you do not want to admit it. Whatever your deepest, most secret and desperate need might be…I can give it to you.”

Sakura blinked rapidly as his lips brushed over her cheek. His voice was soft, as if that of a woman, but low, betraying his masculinity. He did not stop his attentions. On the contrary, Haku allowed his lips to hover over hers as he spoke again. “What is it you desire, Sakura?” A soft sound escaped her throat, and he held his position. “Ask, and you shall receive. I can be—“ his voice changed suddenly to a familiarly deep, almost monotonic tone, “—anything you want me to be. Or anyone…” his eyes had become darker, the almost-black of her master’s. Indeed, as he pulled away slightly, she was staring into Sasuke-dono’s face. Pale features melted into those browned by the sun, black hair fading to blonde, and he became Naruto. Again, his voice changed. “Tell me, Sakura, what do you want?”

“I…” her voice simply could not get past that one word.

Haku’s appearance became his own again, and he leaned toward her once again. “You are very beautiful, Sakura. My master, Tokotachi-sama…he is bound by his vows not to touch you. I have made no such vow. Do you want me?” Her mind whirled, spinning with the desire that raged through her body. He gently touched her cheek. “It is a rare thing for me to want something for myself. I am what others desire. But my wants, my desires…those are almost never realized. It has been more than a hundred years since I…” hesitancy entered his voice, making him sound almost innocent, “…can I kiss you?”

Sakura’s eyes widened. A kiss? She had been sure he would ask for much more than that. And yet, such a thing would be much more intimate than anything she had experienced before. If she allowed him to kiss her, what would come of it? “I…” Itachi had not asked. He had not even tried. What did that say about what he wanted from her? Sakura thought for a moment that his intentions had nothing to do with his heart, and everything to do with power, with control. Even his libido did not enter into it. Itachi had not even thought of kissing her. And no one else had ever gotten close enough. The burning need was still there, itching at her mind, at her body and telling her to kiss him.

A momentary weakness…perhaps that was it. Perhaps she only wanted to know what it felt like. Or maybe, the earnest and almost childlike expression on his face in that moment was what made her say… “Yes.” A small smile came over his face before he bent his neck, gently pressing his lips to hers. It was warming, like having this contact sent waves of heat through her. The taller man gave a little groan, leaning into her, and Sakura felt his tongue pressing at her lips, trying to enter her mouth. She shivered, but parted her lips. As his tongue moved against hers, she closed her eyes and her hands found their way into his dark brown hair. The moments passed, desire building inside her nearly to dangerous levels.

When Haku pulled away from her mouth, he gave a small nip at her lips. “Arigato, Sakura,” he breathed, and she felt something inside her gathering heat. “I will come to you again. For now, farewell.” Suddenly, he was gone, leaving behind a cold, empty feeling inside her. It was a very long moment before she could move. Her hand rose, touching her lips, where she could still taste him. Sakura felt like she could easily become addicted to that taste. But after thinking on it for a moment, she realized that was the entire point. Haku was, after all, desire incarnate. And if there was one thing that a person could become addicted to, it was having their deepest desires fulfilled.

--

As Sakura entered the room with the tea, Naruto noticed a difference in her bearing. She seemed…more fluid. His eyes couldn’t seem to look anywhere else. When she handed Sasuke his cup, he saw that his master found her to be equally fascinating. Something had happened. Her smile was gentler, and she almost seemed to glow. Naruto’s hands took his cup from her, and brushed over the skin of her fingers. Sakura’s movements stopped suddenly. He looked up into her eyes, which were locked on his.

Somehow, the world narrowed to the small space around the two of them. It was strange, but he thought he might go mad if he didn’t hold her. “Sakura…” There was a strong force pulling at him, urging him forward. Naruto quickly set down his tea, and pulled her to him, holding her close. Overcome, he laid his cheek against the top of her head. He did not understand. There was just this completely overpowering urge to protect her, coupled with something else. He felt something similar to the time when he was with Sasuke, but it was different in a way. That was wrong. Naruto and Sasuke were meant to protect her. Instead, he found himself longing…yearning to do things that were not allowed. Images flashed through his mind…of skin, writhing bodies, pleasure and pain…heat and sensuality. Surely Tokotachi-dono would be angered by his feelings…which was why he forced himself to release her.

Naruto’s arms drew away from her as if burned, and he scrabbled backward. His heart was hammering in his chest, and his breathing had sped up. Sakura was looking at him, unfazed by his alarm. Off toward the other side of the room, he heard Sasuke gasp as Sakura scooted closer to Naruto. Blue eyes widened impossibly when she touched his face. “Naruto…” Sakura’s voice was filled with dark promises as her lips neared his. He felt paralyzed. Her eyes had taken on an almost golden sheen, and they radiated heat.

And as suddenly as it had happened, it was gone. He blinked, and stared. Sasuke had taken hold of her shoulders, pulling her away. “Sakura, calm yourself,” the dark-eyed man said, his grip wrinkling the silk of her kimono.

“I can’t…” she breathed, her voice taking on a pleading tone as she turned, breaking his grip and settled that heated stare onto Sasuke. He looked positively panicked. Sakura took hold of the collar of Sasuke’s black haori, pulling hard. “I need—“ their lips met, and Naruto instantly reddened at what happened next. Sasuke seemed to lose all control of himself, clutching at her clothing while devouring her mouth in a way that was less than gentle.

Naruto watched in horrified fascination as Sakura’s shoulder was exposed, creamy skin an instant target for Sasuke’s lips. A moan left Sakura’s lips as her head fell backward, eyes closing when Sasuke bit lightly at her skin. Sakura’s hands scrabbled at the folds of her kimono, pulling the silk up to bare her legs, and she straddled Sasuke’s lap. Frozen to the spot, Naruto could not look away. Instead, his mind began playing evil tricks on him. He remembered well how his master’s lips felt on his skin, how those hands burned as they touched him. But what did it feel like to touch Sakura? He wanted to, so badly, as he watched her back arching into Sasuke’s touch.

His hands twitched, instinct warring with morality. Naruto wanted to help Sasuke to pull away the fabric that his hands were tangling in, to expose more skin. He wanted to taste, touch, and take, but these things were not allowed. But the urge…it was so strong. He inched forward, fingers flexing as Sakura moaned again, her kimono falling from her other shoulder. Her head was bent back, allowing Sasuke’s pale lips to trace the lines of her neck, while the hand not holding her slid up her leg, disappearing under the folds of her kimono. Sakura’s body tensed, and she gave a startled cry. Naruto’s face had turned a shade of dull scarlet, and he couldn’t rip his eyes away. This was torture. He couldn’t stop them, and he couldn’t look away.

Small hands gripped the black silk of Sasuke’s haori, and Sakura began to move against their master as he pressed his mouth to the skin of her throat. Naruto found himself closer to them than he realized; close enough to feel the shifting of weight on the tatami mats. His hands rose, only inches from the skin of Sakura’s back, when finally, reason overcame desire.

“No,” he groaned, “This is not right…” Somehow, he broke free of the trance that had held him, pushing forward and taking Sasuke by the scruff of his neck. “Stop this, Sasuke-dono. You must not do this.” He yanked hard, and Sasuke fell backward, sprawling onto the floor and gaping like a fish. Sakura spilled backward, a dazed expression in her eyes, but the situation was still dangerous. He could see that same fire there, and he had to be very careful. How did he break this spell? After about three seconds of thought, he came up with a simple, effective, and possibly disastrous plan. “Forgive me, Sakura-chan.”

Drawing his hand backward, he slapped her hard across her left cheek. Instantly, her hand shot up to her face, and she glared at him. “What?” she hissed, “Why did you hit me, Naruto?”

His mouth hung open for a long moment before he asked, “You mean that you don’t remember?” Sakura shook her head. “You kissed Sasuke-dono and then…and then he nearly took you…right in front of me.”

Her eyes widened to what must be a painful extent. “Gods above…it must have been him…”

--

Itachi waved a hand dismissively. “Leave me, Ebisu. I have no need of your lectures today. My head is not well.” The beady-eyed man nodded, expressing his regrets, and his wishes for Itachi’s restored health. When the obsequious idiot had backed himself out of the room and closed the door behind him, he rolled his eyes. In no mood for receiving any more visitors, he slipped out of the house, gathering his sandals and a weapon on the way, bent on taking a long walk in the shaded woods. The day was bright, but beneath the canopy of trees, it was cool, and blissfully dim.

Upon reaching the trees, he peered into the darkness before him, attempting to acclimate to the murky light. Once he had adjusted, he walked slowly. Leaves rustled underfoot, stirring up the smells of earth and sweet natural decay that he had come to love on these long walks. The trees grew thick here, gnarled roots jutting up from the forest floor to form strange shapes like the legs of octopi that may reach out to grasp at his feet. At night, this place would certainly be sinister. But in the daylight, it was beautiful. Light formed puddles in some places, shimmering as the trees moved in the breeze, and it was almost as if he could scoop it into his hands and drink it in like water.

A smile played over his lips. This was surely an enchanted place. Farther he walked, and after some time, removed his shoes and tabi, opting to feel the ground under his feet. It was cooler here, and he was sure that the little stream was nearby, for he could hear it gurgling merrily. Following this sound, he soon found himself at the little waterway.

But as he soon discovered, he was not alone. A dark green kimono lay neatly folded on the ground, next to a pair of sandals and a small medicine chest. When he looked around for the owner of these items, he saw a dark-haired head peeking up around a boulder in the stream. As he watched, the person stood. Dark brown hair spilled down the fair skin of the man’s slender back, stopping just above smooth, firm buttocks. Itachi’s breath caught when the willowy man lifted a small bucket over his head, dousing his body with water.

He felt utterly drawn to the figure that was not more than fifteen feet away. Again the man drenched himself, and then proceeded to use a sponge to wash his arms, before bending to clean his legs. It was then that he noticed he was being watched. Turning fully to see the person intruding upon his solitude, the man cast an appraising glance over Itachi. It was all the Uchiha could do, as he saw the man fully, not to close the distance between them and take him on the spot. Something about the man before him called out to him to touch, to take, and in the least gentle way possible.

“Are you quite finished staring at me, sir?” The man’s voice sounded irritated, and there was a little crease developing between his eyebrows.

“I—“ Itachi began, but was interrupted quickly.

“You, sir, were peeping at me.” The man settled his bucket and sponge onto the rock, stepping out of the stream. He began walking toward Itachi. “Are you generally disposed to staring at naked men, or should I feel…” the slender, beautiful man looked even more stunning when he came to stand only a breath away from Itachi, “…privileged?”

He couldn’t help it. His hand moved on its own, reaching out to touch the skin of this man’s chest, the flesh soft and yet feeling the hard muscle lay beneath. “I…” he found himself saying, “I must…have you.”

Dark brown eyes sparkled in amusement. “Is that so?” He could only nod. “Why must you ‘have’ me?” half a step pressed a naked, wet body against his clothing, the moisture soaking through. “You need not have me…but I shall have my way with you, I think.”

Itachi’s eyes went impossibly wide, but he could make no move to stop what the man did. He was completely paralyzed, unable to move. Hands drew down his chest. “My name…” that breathy voice said as it neared his ear, “…is Haku. I am your desire. I am what you want, though you might not admit it. My body, you crave, to take by force…to feel, and you wish to be inside me. I am your every deepest, darkest need…and this—“ with one tug, his obi ripped in half, falling to the ground, “—is your punishment, Uchiha Itachi.”

His breath caught in his chest, and though he fought to regain it, he could only gasp and pant as his kimono was roughly pulled from his skin, his undergarments ripped away. “My name…what is my name, Itachi?” the voice came from over his shoulder now, and nails raked down his back, drawing painful pleasure out of him in a long, low growl. His hair was gripped in one slender, strong hand, and his head yanked back at a painful angle. “What is my name?”

“H-Ha…” the first syllable was all he could get out…for he could feel the other man against him. Haku’s hardness pressed against his thigh, and he groaned.

The other man licked playfully at his earlobe. “You like it…do you not?” Cool, wet hands ran over his shoulders, down his arms and onto his back before circling around and digging sharp nails into the flesh of his chest. The sounds of his own breathing were loud in Itachi’s ears as he was tormented. He did not like being controlled. He would not like it. Those thoughts repeated like a mantra in his mind, again and again until he found that he had his eyes squeezed shut and his posture had tensed. “Stop denying it,” that dark voice said in his ear before it laughed. “You cannot hide your desires from me. Those born of need, lust and the flames of carnal passions can sense these things.”

Itachi groaned when teeth sunk into the skin of his shoulder just as he felt his manhood swell. No…not this way…I do not like this. I cannot. This is not me… But the problem was, in the end, that he did enjoy it. Itachi’s body was more than willing to let Haku do whatever he wanted, take him as brutally as possible, for as long as he desired. Only he did not want the other man to stop touching him.

His mouth opened, a moan escaping and floating on the air as he heard, “Tell me,” a hand grasped his erection, “tell me you want it.” That hand squeezed hard, stroking roughly downward.

“Agh!” He choked out, nearly biting his own tongue at how pleasure and pain mixed, clouding his brain with conflicting signals. Whimpering, he said, “No…”

Gathering the sticky fluid that had begun to leak from him, Haku brought his fingers to Itachi’s mouth. “Do not try to tell me that you do not want me, Itachi-san.” The proof of his arousal was spread over his lips, and he was then turned to face his captor. Though he tried, he could not restrain the anguished moan that tore from his throat when Haku licked at his lips to remove the salty fluid. “If you only say that you do…then I can get on with this.”

He must be going mad. Itachi was certain that this was driving him positively insane. The need was brutal, searing, ripping at him like nothing he had ever experienced. He did not want this. He needed it, craved it. If he did not allow this, if Haku were to stop right now, and leave him, he would…he would…Gods…if he stops, I will kill him…

Driven past the point of caring for his dignity, he said, “I…I want you.”

Faster than he could blink, he was thrown to the ground, his hands pinned above his head. The feral grin that stretched at Haku’s lips was not a little frightening, and his red eyes widened. Haku laughed. “I will not injure you too badly. Though I will not lie. This is going to hurt, Itachi-san. Remember my name?” He nodded when he felt something hard and warm touching the most intimate area of his body. “Good. When you feel the need to scream, you can scream my name.”

Something about that statement brought back memories. Flashes of his younger brother’s small face appeared in his mind as he felt as though he were being ripped in two. His scream echoed through the forest, but only lasted for a moment. After that moment, Itachi’s entire being was so filled with burning pleasure that he arched off of the ground, panting and moaning gibberish that he did not even understand himself. The face of the man above him was twisted in pleasure as well, and after a moment, he loosed Itachi’s hands.

He immediately took hold of Haku’s hair, pulling at his head and partially sitting up, so that he could take the other man’s mouth in a bruising kiss. The other pushed harder, forcing himself deeper, and Itachi broke away from those tormenting lips, screaming Haku’s name for the first time. It was the first of many, and his torture continued, and he was not allowed to touch himself to gain release. He screamed again an hour later when he felt a sudden, overwhelming burning in his stomach, his orgasm coming harsh and fast. When he descended from that brief euphoria, the pain had returned, and did not end until he suddenly found himself climaxing a second time, from the painful intensity. Finally, when the sun was beginning to drop onto the horizon, Haku sighed, and Itachi felt himself filled with warm, stinging liquid.

A sharp pain came when Haku pulled away, and Itachi felt his kimono being draped over his lower body. His mind drifted in pain, and he knew he was bleeding. The view he had was of dead leaves, his destroyed obi, and a tiny vial of blue liquid delicately placed on a fresh green leaf. He could not move one muscle but to breathe. “That medicine will help you to heal. Your punishment will be well remembered. But take care not to anger the gods further, or next time, I will not leave you the medicine, and I will not be so merciful in my attentions.” In an instant, Haku was gone, leaving him panting shallowly against the pain that spiked up his back and the fatigue that washed over him. When he felt he was strong enough, Itachi reached out for the small bottle. Even that small movement caused him enough pain to make him wonder what he had done to deserve it.

--

A/N: Hurray for new characters and plot progression! It took FOREVER to write the scene with Itachi and Haku. But what was even harder was the one with Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto. It’s not a threesome…not that Naruto didn’t want it to be…But I’m not planning a threesome at all. I know you guys want one. I just can’t do it. Later on, I might change my mind, but for this chapter, it’s just showing that something is going on that no one can really control.