They were two days from the Land of Iron when they came across an unexpected obstacle.

When Madara appeared out of thin air in front of her, she nearly squeaked out of surprise as she literally ran through him. Catching herself on the branch of a tree, she spun herself around and righted herself just in time for the rest of their team to direct their attention toward the masked man.

"Careful," he'd goaded, humorless smirk evident in his voice after she'd stumbled past him, "I don't want you to hurt yourself now."

"What do you want?" Sasuke demanded as he joined her on the same branch. "We're busy."

"I've noticed," he hummed, taking in their group's appearance. "Where are you kids off to?"

"Why does it matter?" Sasuke bit back, frustrated at this intervention. Sakura knew how badly he wanted to get to their destination and she understood fully; she was anxious to get going, too. They had no clue what time frame they had and acting quickly was their only option.

"I thought you were looking for the Copy Ninja?" He cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Found him. Now we're moving on." Turning, Sasuke gestured for everyone to follow him, and as he began to run again Sakura stayed close behind him. She didn't feel comfortable turning her back on the man, despite Sasuke seeming to have no problem with the action. And to her unease, it didn't take long before Madara appeared before them again.

"What?" Sasuke snapped finally, his impatience showing.

Sakura felt her anxiety increase when Madara glared at Sasuke behind his mask. She still knew little to nothing about this man and she had no clue what to expect from him. A fact that only made him more dangerous to her.

When his eye flickered to her, she was hardly expecting to be caught in another genjutsu.

Glancing around, noting their slightly-familiar location—dark, cold, water beneath her feet and a red moon above her head, the same location as the last genjutsu he'd placed her under—she let out a frustrated noise.

"What?" She spat out, trying to cover her unease. "Why? Why another genjutsu?"

"You're here." He spoke, as if shocked. Walking toward her, he looked her up and down as if examining her physical state.

Sakura blinked. "What?"

"They didn't leave you with Hatake Kakashi."

"Of course I'm not—" And when she heard the words, it suddenly clicked. "That's why you told them where Kakashi was." He was hoping she'd stay. He had counted on it even. And the fact that she was there, still travelling with Sasuke and his team, must have put a dent in his plans.

Whatever plans he seemed to have.

He let out a light sound that almost sounded like a laugh. "You kids had your clue from your friend, you would've found him either way."

"You don't want me here." She was bewildered by the thought. It was as if he were taking her presence seriously.

It was as if she was a genuine threat.

"I don't want any of Sasuke's teammates here."

"Then why focus on me?" She challenged, stepping forward as she brought a glare to her face. "Why not put anyone else in a genjutsu? You're focusing on me for a reason."

He chuckled, "You're smart, Sakura. But not as smart as you think."

"Okay," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and biting her lip. "If you don't want me here, then why not kill me?"

"If only it were that easy. If I killed you, Sasuke would try to kill me, and then I'd be forced to kill him." He sighed overdramatically. "And we can't have that. So now I have to figure out what to do with you."

His words made her blood run cold. Never before had she expected the leader of the Akatsuki to take an interest in her, and knowing that it was because of Sasuke was almost impossible to believe. But with his admission, now she found herself perfectly confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not going to say much more, but I want to let you know this one thing." Suddenly, his voice was booming, echoing through the entire genjutsu. It took Sakura all her self-restraint not to cover her ears with her hands. But when she suddenly couldn't breathe, instead her hands gripped at her throat. "If you knew what was good for you, for your friends, for your village, you'll remove yourself from the picture." Gasping for air, she felt herself fall to her knees, splashing in the shallow water below. She was starting to get dizzy and knew that if she didn't get a breath in soon, she'd pass out.

It's a genjutsu, the logical part of her brain tried screaming at her, it's only a genjutsu. But the thought did nothing to alleviate her panic.

"If you get in my way any further, you will have to pay a price."

The world came rushing back to her before she knew it and as she gasped for air she was shocked to see none other than Sasuke staring her in the eyes, sharingan activated. The moment she began to cough and sputter, desperately taking air into her lungs, she watched as Sasuke directed his glare ahead of them.

That's when she realized he was holding her up, one arm around her waist, the other behind her neck and holding up her head.

Madara had really taken a lot out of her during the genjutsu; she felt so incredibly weak that despite the compromising situation they were in, she didn't have the energy to stand on her own two feet. All she could focus on was breathing.

Genjutsu, she had to remind herself, it was only a genjutsu.

But genjutsu or not, the effect that it had on her was very much real.

Sakura didn't notice that Sasuke was moving until he deposited her into Juugo's waiting arms.

"I'm okay," she found herself breathlessly mumbling to no one in particular, "I'm okay." But even with her words, she could hardly lift her head, instead allowing herself to rest against Juugo. "I'm okay."

After a couple minutes of silence, Sakura glanced up at Juugo, only to find him staring ahead with concern in his eyes.

"Where did they go?" She asked, finally having enough energy to lift her head and notice that both Sasuke and Madara were gone.

"To talk," he spoke quietly, apprehension in his voice. "They'll be back."

He was surprisingly gentle as he jumped to the ground, landing softly. "Let me see her," she heard Karin say. Juugo lowered her to the ground, leaning her back against a nearby tree so that she was propped up.

"Madara's fucking crazy," she heard Suigetsu mutter from somewhere behind them all and she couldn't help but laugh weakly.

"You're telling me," she mumbled as Karin kneeled by her side.

"Your chakra is low," Karin informed her as she rolled up her sleeve. "Here."

Sakura blinked at the woman, looking at her arm with confusion. "I don't understand."

"Just bite."

When Sakura focused once more on the pale arm before her, she could very faintly see overlapping scars marring Karin's skin. Bite marks, she realized with shock. Hesitating, she finally opened her mouth and bit down when Karin pressed her skin against Sakura's lips.

The effect was immediate and seconds later Sakura opened her mouth as her eyes widened. "Woah," she looked at the redhead in awe. "What… how—"

"Don't ask," she mumbled, covering her sleeve abruptly and standing back up.

Sakura's mouth hung open, a silent 'o' on her lips. "Thank you."

She wasn't sure how, and she wasn't about to press the subject any further—Karin's discomfort was palpable—but her chakra was almost completely replenished and she felt completely energized.

Standing up shakily she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Oh yeah, she was definitely going to ask about that little trick, not yet, but at some point.

"Where did they go?"

"To his," Suigetsu made a vague hand motion, "little dimension thing."

"You'll have to explain that one to me," she deadpanned, stretching her limbs out and cracking her neck.

"He has this… thing he can do with his sharingan. He sorta teleports to this weird dimension and then can teleport back. So they're uh, there right now." Leaning against a tree, swinging his sword lazily and effortlessly in front of him, he pouted, a tooth peeking out. "Hopefully they won't kill one another. But if they do," he shrugged, "whatever."

Shooting him a wry look she decided that one thing she disliked about Suigetsu was his complete nonchalance about certain things. One of the last things she wanted to hear was that Sasuke could be in some strange dimension fighting an Akatsuki member to the death.

Several anxious minutes later, the two Uchiha appeared quite literally out of nowhere, standing right before the group.

Upon sight of Madara looking directly at her, Sakura immediately took a step back, averting her eyes and staring instead at Sasuke. He was looking at her as well, and looked absolutely furious. Madara didn't seem much happier.

That couldn't have been good.

"Let's go," Sasuke commanded, sharingan still glowing and expression absolutely deadly. He turned abruptly and began to walk away, beckoning for them to follow.

Sakura didn't hesitate as she followed his lead, approaching quickly and remaining close as they stalked away.

"Don't forget what I said, Sakura," Madara called after them once they were out of sight.

The way he spoke her name sent shivers down her spine and made her hair stand on end, but when Sasuke placed a hand on her back, still staring ahead angrily, Sakura felt more grounded than she had since they'd been in Ame with Kakashi.

Sakura knew that until their mission was complete and Danzo was dead, this—being at Sasuke's side—was as safe as she was going to get.

Or at least she hoped.

It wasn't until later when Sakura realized that Sasuke wasn't just angry.

He was absolutely, absurdly livid.

So when he made a detour to a nearby village and informed them they'd be staying there for the night, no one even questioned him as to why; even though they were only a day and a half from the Land of Iron, they weren't dumb enough to advise him to keep travelling.

Sakura figured his team valued their lives too much for that.

When they reached an inn and Sasuke got his own separate room, leaving the rest of them alone in their own, she knew that something was wrong. More wrong than she'd originally thought if his team's expressions were any indicator.

"What do you think happened?" She asked quietly as she placed her bag on the ground and readied herself for a restless night. When she lifted her head she found Karin and Suigetsu exchanging a look and Juugo looking at her with an indecipherable expression of his own. "What?" She suddenly felt very self-conscious.

Juugo was the only person to give her any sort of reply. "You'll have to ask Sasuke about that."

Something in his tone told her that he had some idea of what had happened, but when she realized she wasn't going to find out any information from them it just about made up her mind.

Standing up and not even bothering to change her clothes she swiftly exited the room, also not caring to knock when she opened the door to Sasuke's room and strode in. She was tired of tip-toeing around him. Especially now that she seemed to be in danger twice over.

It was one thing having a corrupt Hokage trying to wipe you out in order to ensure the continuation of his fascism, but the leader of the Akatsuki wanting you to disappear as well? Granted, Madara had admitted to her that killing her would only create a slew of new problems from him, but she was sure the thought had crossed his mind pretty regularly.

Finding Sasuke with his back to her, staring out of the window on the far side of the room, she immediately approached him.

"Sasuke, what happened back there?"

"Nothing," he spoke lowly, turning toward her and regarding her with a blank stare. It was as if he wasn't even surprised she'd stormed in. "Go back to your room."

She would've laughed if she wasn't so confused with the entire situation. "Madara said something didn't he?" Sasuke merely stared at her. "What did he say?"

They held eye contact for a long moment, Sakura searching for some hint of emotion in his dark eyes, but when he looked away, staring back out of the window, she grew frustrated.

"You should've stayed with Kakashi."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. Just a few nights ago he'd been holding her, kissing her, almost begging her to stay with him, and now here he was telling her that she shouldn't have come. It hurt, badly. And now she didn't know what was going on in his head.

"I'm sorry, but I'm confused here." She shook her head. Nothing was making sense anymore. "Are you telling me that's what he said, or are you telling me that yourself?"

When he spoke again his words were firmer, "You should have stayed in Ame."

Sakura stiffened, defensiveness suddenly overcoming her. "You wanted me to come."

"Yeah," he scoffed, as if realizing how stupid of an idea it had been. And Sakura couldn't lie, that made it hurt worse. But instead of showing it, she decided to do the next best thing: bite back.

"So what?" She threw her arms up with tired exasperation before letting them flop back down to her sides. "Do you want me to leave? Should I go back to Ame?" She sighed, running her hands down her face. "I'm confused. Sasuke-kun, just tell me what you want, because I don't understand."

"You can't go back," his gaze sharpened, his words firm as emotion finally broke through his blank expression. "Not now."

"Why not?"

"If you go back he'll get you." Sakura's jaw almost dropped. "Kakashi doesn't know enough about him to keep you safe. If you went back now, there's no telling what he'll do."

"I—" fear suddenly encased her and her arms quickly wrapped themselves around her midsection, "Why? I don't understand. Why me?" She cried, taking several steps backward, panic flowing through her. "Sasuke-kun, please, just tell me."

"It's my fault."

She paused, surprised. "Then you can fix it, right?"

"No."

Sakura didn't know how long she'd been shaking, but when Sasuke glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, frowning as he studied her, she suddenly became aware of the tremors. There was no lying to herself: she was scared. And as he watched her now, she knew that he was well aware. "Sasuke-kun…"

"He's trying to use you as leverage," he spoke through gritted teeth before turning toward her fully, "and now you're in danger because of me."

"Why me?" She asked again, desperate for an answer. Even though she was slowly starting to understand, she knew she had to hear it from his own mouth or she'd never thoroughly believe it.

He grabbed her faster than she could blink, pushing her against the wall with her wrists in his hands. Lifting her arms above her head, he leaned into her, pressing his nose against her neck as he inhaled deeply. His exhale was slow, trembling, and she could feel him shake his head slightly.

"You stupid, annoying girl," he rasped as he began to kiss her neck sensually. "Why," sucking the skin lightly, Sakura gasped, "do you think?" And when he suddenly captured her lips, she seemed to finally understand.

"Oh," she half-moaned between kisses, "oh."

And as she pulled away for a few seconds she took that moment to look at him fully. The look in his eyes was so foreign to her. Something dark and gritty glazed over with a want that she could somehow recognize, despite never seeing it before.

He wanted her. The realization sprung to life as he resumed his attack on her neck, teeth grazing against her pulse before he'd suck the flesh there, no doubt bruising it.

He wanted her.

Pulling her wrists free from his grip she lowered them, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Fingers running through his hair she turned her head, forcing his lips to meet her own and kissing him with fervor.

He wanted her.

She didn't realize that his hands had moved until they were resting on her hips, and when he gripped them firmly she couldn't help but let out a moan, gasping against his lips. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he kept her close, and with the opposite hand he toyed with the waistband of her pants.

The moment that his fingers drifted below her clothes, swiftly and firmly cupping a bare hand around her sex, Sakura felt her knees grow weak. Never in her life did she think that the object of her fantasies—both innocent as well as intimate—would be touching her this way. Sure she'd imagined it, dreamt of it even, but there was no way that she would have been able to imitate the way it truly felt.

She squeaked, not breaking their kiss, and froze, hands still holding tightly around his neck. It wasn't until seconds later when she realized that he had stopped, too. And in that moment Sakura couldn't think of anything she wanted to happen less, than for him to still his movements.

Moving her lips against his, reborn with a new, more urgent want, Sakura slowly moved her hips, grinding into his palm.

"S—Sasuke," she shakily forced his name past her lips, reluctantly breaking their kiss, "please." Pressing against him, she found herself desperate for some type of friction. She was so wound up, so completely blinded with lust that all she wanted was for him to touch her. To help her find release. Anything to uncoil the knot that was building inside her belly.

When he finally began to move—first pressing against her more firmly, allowing her to grind into his palm, then by moving a couple fingers slowly against her lips—she swore she saw stars.

Head falling back limply against the wall behind her, Sakura was suddenly seized with pleasure unlike anything she'd ever encountered. And as Sasuke's fingers moved around her entrance, playing with her lips and the wetness that grew there, she gasped.

For a couple of minutes they remained in that position, Sakura pinned against the wall as she ground into Sasuke's hand. Slowly his hand moved faster, rubbing against her clit as his fingers massaged her entrance, causing her to buck her hips against him, the friction of their movements too sweet to let slip by. When she felt the coil inside her tightening more and more, she let out a cry, riding his hand as he kissed and sucked her neck, completely overwhelming her with sensations unlike any other.

"Sasuke," she cried, fingers digging into his shoulders as she struggled to stay upright, "Sasuke—oh!" As she quickly approached her peak she felt him tighten his hold around her waist, capturing her lips within his own as if to swallow the sounds she was making as she found her climax. Rubbing his fingers against her, pace quickening, Sakura found herself engulfed in indescribable pleasure, her orgasm rippling through her as her toes curled and her legs gave way.

Sasuke held her in place, pulling her against him tighter as she came down from her high. Head lolling forward to weakly land on his chest, she was gasping, taking in shaky breaths as she felt the coherence return to her body.

Sakura didn't know how long they remained there—it could've been seconds, it could've been several minutes—but when she felt Sasuke remove his hand from her pants, her mind seemed to snap back into the present.

Opening her eyes she lifted her head to look him in the eye, questions already curled around the tip of her tongue, but when she noticed red tomoe staring back at her she swallowed her words.

And in the blink of an eye his sharingan were gone, instead she stared into his dark eyes, an indecipherable look displayed across his features. He stepped away from her then, releasing his hold on her and turning sharply away, his steps quickly carrying him across the room.

Stunned into inaction Sakura could only manage to readjust herself, fixing her pants and straightening out her shirt, brushing shaking fingers through her hair. Embarrassment was slowly creeping up and taking hold and Sakura couldn't help but feel disgustingly self-conscious in that moment.

"Sasuke?" The only thing she could think to do was call out to him weakly, eyes glued to his back where he stared out his room's window and into the night. Silently, she begged for him to turn around, to say something, or to shoot a glance in her direction. Please, she wordlessly called across the room, hoping for him to acknowledge her, Sasuke, please.

She waited a few seconds, but when he did not reply the sharp sting of rejection overwhelmed her, drawing tears into her eyes. Only minutes ago he had been holding her, kissing her, touching her, and making her feel sensations that she's only eve dreamt of. Now, as he turned his back on her and ignored her presence totally, Sakura wondered if she was a fool for so easily allowing him to touch her like he did.

If this is how it was going to be, Sasuke indulging in her during moments of weakness and shutting her out immediately afterward, Sakura didn't think she wanted anything to do with it. Sure, she had only ever dreamed of kissing him the way she'd found herself doing over the past several days, and the way he'd touched her tonight put all of her darkest fantasies to shame, but she had not left to go on this mission to seek out Sasuke for these late night affairs.

She was not here for Sasuke, she bitterly reminded herself as she walked away, blinking back stubborn tears, she was here to help her village. To save her people. To bring a murderer to his knees.

She was not here to sit by idly and allow Sasuke to hurt her more.

Sakura only made it as far as the door, hand lifted to open it and slip away, when Sasuke's arms curled around her waist, stopping her in her tracks.

"Stay," he rasped, speaking lowly, his lips brushing against her ear. She shivered involuntarily, caught off guard by both his touch and his request. She couldn't even lower her arm, still reaching out for the door as he tightened his hold on her, pulling her firmly back against his chest.

She swallowed thickly then, conflicted as to what she should do. Seconds before she was completely set on leaving this room and pushing her reenergized feelings for him back down in her chest. None of this—what they were doing—was productive to either of their goals. And Sakura somehow knew that Sasuke was keenly aware of this.

For the hundredth time that week, she cursed her fragility when it came to him.

"Why?" She still forced herself to ask, even as he began kissing her neck once more. Biting her lips she held in a groan, working hard to keep her voice steady. "You never did answer my question."

Sakura knew that was a lie. She knew that the moment Sasuke had grabbed her, pinning her against that wall and assaulting her lips with his own, he had answered her question explicitly.

He wanted her. Whether he wanted to want her was an entirely different subject. But the truth of the matter was that he wanted her, she knew it, and he seemingly had no idea how to handle that.

"You're trying to tell me," he murmured into her ear as he slowly turned her around in his embrace, stopping once she was facing him again, "that this," he leaned forward and sucked on her neck, letting his teeth graze against the flesh as he nipped at her, "doesn't answer your question?"

"What do you want, Sasuke-kun?" She couldn't help as her question ended on a squeak, hands reaching up and grabbing his shoulders in order to keep herself upright.

"I want a lot of things," he spoke lowly, kissing up her jaw and eventually taking her lips in his own again. "Revenge, mostly." With careful movements he unwrapped his arms from around her until his hands were once more resting on her hips. Deepening their kiss he squeezed her hips, pressing his own against her. It wasn't long before she was pinned between him and the wall, her own arms crawling up his body, pulling him closer, fingers tangling in his hair as she pulled him down further toward her.

"What else?" she gasped between kisses, trying to ignore the friction growing between them. She knew she needed to cling to this last shred of coherence until she heard what she wanted from him; she had to give herself at least that or completely forsake what was left of her pride. "What else do you want?"

"You know," he growled, taking her lower lip between his teeth and biting; not enough to draw blood, but enough to make her gasp.

He was fighting for dominance, for her complete and wordless submission. Her body screamed at her to give in, and oh god, did she want to. But she held strong, actively preventing herself from turning into putty in his hands.

If Sasuke wanted her he was not going to get the love struck girl who had fallen for him as children, helpless to his words and scorn. No, he was going to get the stubborn woman who would fight tooth and nail for the people she loved and for the things she wanted.

"Say it," she whispered, her words harsh and commanding. "What do you want?" With a fistful of his hair in her grip, she pulled back from him again, panting, and took in his appearance before her.

His eyes were half-lidded, something like passion—want, need maybe?—swimming in his black eyes. His breaths were coming in short, quick pants and he had a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. As she watched him study her, she knew in that moment that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

"You," he growled the one word, confirming what she knew all along, and giving her just what she was looking for.

So when she kissed him again, reclosing the space between their faces again, she decided that this was it. She'd loved him for long enough, and if he was willing to give into this temptation, she'd gladly let him.

Now, she was playing for keeps.

Pulling her hands free she wasted no time in pushing his cloak off of his shoulders and finding the hem of his shirt, lifting it over his head and tossing it carelessly to the ground. Running her hands over his chest and abdomen, she almost couldn't believe what was happening, and as she took in his shirtless appearance, she felt the lust once more begin to grow steadily deep within her.

She wanted him. Badly.

Sasuke quickly reciprocated her motions, pulling her own shirt off of her. When his hands fluttered over her bindings, he made quick work of unfastening them, allowing them to unravel and fall to the ground in a heap. There was no time to feel self-conscious because as soon as her breasts were exposed, he was kissing and nipping at the flesh, and massaging them with his rough, calloused hands.

Gasping and moaning, Sakura almost couldn't keep herself on her feet as he licked and sucked at her skin. Eventually he kissed his way back up her chest, to her neck, and then eventually met her lips with his own once again. Pulling his head to her, Sakura kissed him fiercely, and when she felt him grab her hips and begin to run his thumbs under the waistband of her shorts, she gasped, a small squeak escaping her.

He was staring at her then, in that moment, as if gauging her reaction. And when it occurred to her that he was waiting, she placed her hands on his own and guided them downward, not breaking eye contact as slowly she helped him push her shorts down. It was bold, she knew, but she needed for him to know how badly she wanted this.

And when she was entirely bare, she shivered involuntarily. He must've mistaken it as a reaction to the temperature of the room though, because before she knew it he was leading them both toward the bed at the end of the room.

Nervously leaning back she scooted herself backwards as Sasuke crawled overtop of her, pinning her between him and the bed. And even though she wasn't cold, his body heat immediately warmed every part of her that he touched.

He let his hands flutter over her body for a few minutes, exploring every dip and curve, running his fingertips over every scar and mark. It wasn't until she opened her eyes when she noticed he had his sharingan activated. Whether or not he knew that was the question, but as he memorized her body, hands wandering over every inch of her, she couldn't contain the moans and gasps that escaped her.

Sakura didn't see him rid himself of his pants, but when he lifted her legs and she felt his bare thigh press against her own, she gasped, gripping his shoulders tightly, suddenly tense. She didn't give him time to pull away though and fought through her nerves, using her leg to wrap around his backside, pulling him toward her.

Sasuke met her eyes as he scooted closer to her, spreading her legs with one hand and pushing her hair out of her face with the other. "Sakura," he gasped, the word seeming to come from somewhere deep in his throat. Running his hand up and down a pale thigh, he met her eyes, "do—do you still—" he hesitated with his words, whether seeking out the right ones or deciding whether to speak them at all, Sakura couldn't tell. "Are you still in—"

But he couldn't say it. As he kneeled before her, both of them entirely bare, high off of lust, ready to join as one, he couldn't verbalize the simple question. He didn't need to though; Sakura knew exactly what he was asking.

She took a moment to herself in order to simply watch him. He was almost unrecognizable like this, panting before her, sweat beginning to bead at his temples, red eyes glossed over with want. Ever since she'd run into him weeks before, Sasuke had been in a near-constant frenzy of erratic behavior and short-tempered madness. He'd been fluctuating between flashing glimpses of the boy she faintly recognized from their childhood and holding stubborn as the man that was ready to set the world on fire to get what he wanted. A wild combination she still couldn't quite figure out.

At some point between when she'd seen him last with Naruto—so cold and unemotional—and stumbling upon him in the woods, something had changed within him.

A fire had sparked inside of him and had begun to burn him from the inside out. In the back of her head she knew that it was only a matter of time before he burnt himself out fully. Sakura had no idea what to expect when that day came, but with no hesitation she made a choice. She would be there when it happened.

"Yes," she breathed, smiling at him with tears in her eyes, her sweat beginning to intermingle with his, "I am."

Leaning forward he began to kiss and suck her shoulder, "Say it," he demanded, his voice almost desperate, "say it."

"I love you," she gasped, the words falling from her lips easily, as if she'd been practicing them for him, for this moment. "I love you, Sasuke-kun."

And with that confirmation, he positioned himself at her entrance and, with as much self-control he could, pushed himself slowly inside of her.

There was no sharp pain as he entered her, much like she expected; just the strange, unfamiliar discomfort of being stretched wide. But she could hardly focus on that when her senses were completely overloaded with Sasuke.

As he laid his head weakly against her shoulder, she could smell his unique scent that vaguely reminded her of the forest. The sound of his panting was all she could hear, mixed with her own cries of pleasure, and as he lifted his head and they kissed once more, she could only taste him.

When he began to move, he could no longer focus enough to kiss her and instead kept his face pressed into her hair, his cheek resting over her shoulder and against the bed as he moved. Sakura wrapped her arms tightly around him, gripping his back tightly and feeling his muscles move under the skin as he began to move at a steady rhythm.

The feelings were enough to leave her whimpering beneath him.

All she could bring herself to say was his name, over and over and over again, as he pulled backward and pushed forward into her, harder and faster with each and every thrust. The sensations were incredible—almost blinding her senses with pleasure—and as she dug her fingers into his back she forced her hips upward to meet him with each stroke.

After a few minutes, Sasuke's pace began to pick up more and more, knocking his hips against hers harder and harder, until her weak, muffled cries were impossible to conceal.

"Say it again," he groaned into her ear as he fucked her into the mattress, "say it, Sakura."

"I—ah—I love you, Sasuke-kun," she moaned desperately, trying so hard to keep up with his pace. "I love you. I love you."

"Sakura," he gasped, his speed increasing past the point where she could keep up, "I—I'm—"

And without giving him time to finish she pressed her lips into his, kissing him deeply as he reached his peak, moaning into her mouth as his thrusts grew erratic and he fell out of his rhythm. His thrusts continuing as he came, expending himself inside of her. He broke the kiss and groaned deeply, once more resting his head by hers as he gasped.

She held tightly to him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders and her head pressed against his chest. They were both panting, attempting to control their breathing as their energy began to ebb and the fires inside of them began to dim to a low burn.

Closing her eyes she willed herself to remain calm and hold onto her head. Still, his words were rushing through her mind, her anxiety beginning to increase as her lust died down. And without her passion blinding her, her panic at the situation resumed.

"He's trying to use you as leverage, and now you're in danger because of me."

Sasuke felt… something for her; that was certain. Otherwise they wouldn't currently be in the predicament they were currently in, and her life wouldn't be in danger twice as much as it already was. The thought that Sasuke had feelings for her should've caused her to become elated and she should've been bursting with happiness at the revelation, but instead it only made her anxious.

Danzo wanted her dead, and now so did Uchiha Madara.

Some luck she had.

When Sasuke rolled off of her, being careful as to not collapse on her, he breathed out slowly. Sakura turned her head toward him slightly only to find him looking up toward the ceiling with a very peculiar expression. An expression far from the unbridled fury he'd been displaying under an hour ago. He looked calm, as if he'd come up with a plan, or perhaps accepted what was happening.

Watching him turn to look at her caused her heartrate to increase, and for the first time that night, she felt self-conscious. Before she could lift her arms to cover her chest, or seek out the edge of the blanket to drape over her bare body, Sasuke extended an arm toward her, and when she realized that he was inviting her into his arms, she almost froze.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she moved slowly toward him, and when he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, she let out a shaky breath. Placing a palm against his chest, directly over his heart, she focused on the sound of his steady heartbeat, hoping that the noise would somehow lull her back into a semi-peaceful state.

"I'm sorry."

His apology caught her off guard, a strange thing to say when the two should've been leisurely lounging around in post-coital bliss. And when she lifted her head to try to look at him, he instead held her closer to him, tucking her head underneath his to perhaps keep her from seeing his face. But she understood what he was apologizing for without it needing to be explained.

"Is he going to kill me?" She asked, her voice coming out surprisingly steady, despite the fact that the topic was of her inevitable death at either one crazed man or another.

Sakura felt him shake his head and stiffen slightly. "No. He wouldn't do that. He's not that kind."

If death were the kinder option, Sakura hardly even wanted to know about the alternatives. Just the idea of being tortured made her stomach churn and her head feel dizzy.

"If he kills you, he has nothing. I just have to keep him from getting his hands on you. That's why you can't go back to Kakashi." He let out a shaky breath and Sakura was speechless at the emotion in his voice; she could only imagine what his face looked like.

This was her Sasuke-kun. This was the boy she remembered and fell in love with years ago. This boy, who had her wrapped in his arms, was the same, vulnerable, broken boy she knew. And she wasn't just scared for herself, but she was scared for the both of them.

"You have to stay with me." He spoke with finality. "You're not allowed out of my sight."

"I'm sorry." She genuinely didn't know why she apologized; she knew she'd done nothing wrong, but the thought of him shouldering all of this guilt onto himself made her feel awful.

He let out a short, sarcastic sound. "Shut up." He held her close, pressing his nose into her hair and inhaling. "If I were smart I would've left you with Kakashi. Or not kissed you. Or not have you here, like this." He trailed a hand down her back, lightly tracing her spine with his fingertips. She couldn't hold back her shiver. "This is a bad idea—a terrible one. Stupid, really. But if he's going to try and take you from me anyways," his nails gently raked up her back before he gripped the back of her neck, "then let him try."

Pulling her back slightly until she could see his face, she took in his appearance as quickly as she could, attempting to solidify this moment into her memory. His dark hair was a complete mess, sticking to his forehead and cheeks, and up close she could finally notice how much longer it had grown since she'd last seen him.

His eyes were dark, the sharingan no longer lighting up the room for him, and Sakura almost gasped at the emotion she could see reflected in them. She cherished the sight and tried to place as many emotions as she could distinguish. There was determination, lust, worry, and a glimmer of a warm, welcoming emotion that she couldn't quite place.

So as she pulled him toward her and kissed him hard, she concentrated hard on the warmth in his eyes, letting it fill her as she climbed on top of him, never once removing her lips from his.

A/N: Hey guys. Long time no see.