I have no excuses.

Also.

LOLOLOL I don't own Naruto! Havent mentioned that for a few chapters, sorry!

Itachi was not one for dreams, his mind thankfully seemed to be blank most nights as he slept. However, tonight he found himself facing what seemed to be his Mangekyō sharingan. He stared up at the blood night sky in disinterest, silently praying it was not a nightmare similar to the ones he experienced after the clan massacre. The soft crunch of snow under his feet was a new addition, as was the forest surrounding him. Ancient redwoods climbed into the red sky, their branches desperately stretching for a sunlight that would never come.

He continued walking on his aimless journey in the monochrome world until he felt an abrupt grab at his left hand. Itachi's instincts screamed at the sudden danger and he attempted to make a grab for a kunai, but an invisible force held his unoccupied hand down. Sharingan ablaze Itachi glanced at the intruder, her grip more powerful than he imagined possible.

Before him was a small girl, perhaps no older than Sasuke when the massacre occurred. Her monochrome clothing matched the environment, but the splash of cherry blossom pink in her short locks was enough to identify the child. She pulled him off the path and led him further into the dark trees, trotting through the shin deep drifts proved difficult for the child. The light from the overhead moon was disappearing at an uncomfortable rate, but no matter how hard Itachi tried to resist it seemed young Sakura overpowered him effortlessly.

They twisted around trees as she led with confidence through the labyrinth of haunting redwoods, each seemingly playing witness to the mystery that lay before him. They had reached a dark pond settled in a rare light spot where the moon shone through the trees. The glass surface held a sinister feel to it, almost as if possessed by a creature of the forest. "What is Sakura doing here?" Itachi thought to himself. A tug on the arm she held brought his gaze down on the child, her petrified green eyes seemed to glow as they glanced up at him in fright.

"Where are we." He spoke softly, just as he had with his brother at her age. His voice startled her.

"A pond…." She gazed at the ground, seemingly afraid her answer was not the correct one.

His eye nearly twitched; Itachi was unamused at the lack of depth to her response. "Yes," He fought the need to grab the bridge of his nose in frustration, but impatience with this child would get him nowhere "But perhaps you could tell me a little more? Why are we here?"

She stared back at the pond and pondered his question. "Perhaps the renowned intelligence came after Tsunade began instructing her." His thoughts, though rude, stirred the environment and the raven-haired shinobi brought his attention to the small ripples on the black pond's surface.

"I just do as I'm told." The child's sinister voice put Itachi on edge, the previous innocence squandered.

Nothing had changed, no wind came, and nothing had been thrown into its depths, yet the water moved in a mesmerizing fashion. Just as Itachi was about to take a step forward and scrutinize the occurrence, the small child's hand tugged him back in an aggressive manner. The strength of her fragile fingers was impossible, and it was at that moment he noticed the hand holding his was no longer so small.

He quickly turned his neck to see a much larger, manicured hand grasping his own in a vice grip. Black talons protruded from the nailbed almost as if they had been overcome with the final stages of decay. His eyes couldn't move fast enough as the figure abruptly melted into the shadows of the woods, the haunting echo of a familiar chuckle following it. He stood still, sharingan on as Itachi attempted to track the apparition's movements.

"My, my. Have you resorted to insulting children now? What would your mother say?" Itachi turned towards the sound and froze. Before him was Sakura, but everything about her was wrong. Bright, pale pink hair flowed much longer than normal, nearly reaching the small of her back. The bottom edges seemed to vanish in swirls of pink fog, creating an ethereal look around the midnight black skin. The state of undress was unnerving as well, the black wraps that fashioned her make shift crop top and shorts did little to preserve the modesty Sakura normally demanded. A long, sheer strip of silk cloaked her front atop the shorts and fluttered in a non-existent breeze that Itachi could not feel but sense as dark chakra swirled around the demoness before him. The power was obvious, however what caught his eye was the amount of metal wrapped around her limbs. Thick bracelets went nearly half way up its arms, ancient kanji inscribed into their black iron while a choker enveloped a seemingly delicate neck.

The creature sat perched on a rock, unbothered by the cold environment surrounding her, mischief obvious in the glowing white eyes that replaced the warm emeralds he had become familiar with. "Don't get caught staring." Tendrils of black smoke puffed her out of existence like a replacement jutsu and she appeared behind him "I might just get upset." An arm wrapped around his torso and dragged a lone talon from one pectoral muscle to the other. The burning pain from her trail caused him to grunt, a noise she seemingly approved of.

"Hmm, I love hearing that from you. Perhaps you'll give me more." The demonic spirit puffed out of existence again, but this time Itachi stood unable to move on his own accord. He strained his arms against what felt like chakra strings, however nothing was there when he looked down. The pond was rippling faster than before, its violent waves crashing onto the snowy shore near it.

"Who are you." Itachi said in his calm demeanor. It appeared again, swinging around a tree truck with one arm and sending a predatory glance his way.

For once, it seemed, Itachi was the prey and she the huntress.

"Oh, 'tachi," a pout loomed on her full lips "I'm a complicated case, I fear. Think of me as precious Sakura, but if she had…well an inner demon of sorts." A puff and she was swinging from the tree's branch nearly 10 feet above his head "The name's Izanami and I'm here to make your life a living hell."

The red sky and all light disappeared immediately. Was this a genjutsu defense Sakura had learned? Just what was going on? Surely, she was not so foolish to resist the Akatsuki still-

A hand dragged across his shoulders, out of sight until supernatural white eyes glowed out of the corner of his eye "My precious Sakura, she's been through a lot. I'd rather no one else enter her mind but me." Taloned nails lifted his chin up "She controls me, but only to an extent. Let's not cross that line and you'll never have to see me again."

Itachi took the demoness' abuse, but his slight glare never wavered. "I intend to make her immune to the sharingan. This task is impossible if I am not allowed access to her mind." She seemed to consider this momentarily, but the glowing eyes scowled into his own.

"She has no need." The challenge in her voice raised slightly in pitch, its unspoken warning laying thick behind her words. This entity would take shit from no mortal.

"She will have a need should she cross Sasuke in the future. He is coming for me and will take down anyone associated with me, including her." Silence hung in the air as a lazy hand twirled his low ponytail, the owner seemingly chewing over the idea of Sasuke as a threat.

"You will agree to my terms or there is no deal." Strong hands yanked his hair back abruptly, snapping his head up towards the sky as a soft nose came in contact with the junction of his shoulder and neck "One: Abuse her and you lose my tolerance. Two," lush, cold lips gently trailed over his pulse and gave a light bite "Save Naruto, I cannot exist without the Kyubi and his death would mean the Apocalypse." Small hands cradled his face as he watched the radiant white eyes in front of him "and lastly, tell Sasori to fuck off or I'm coming for him next."

Her eyes closed, leaving Itachi enclosed in complete darkness. Just as he began to struggle with the invisible ropes binding his body, he felt passionate lips press onto his and-

He snapped open glowing red eyes and surveyed the room in a haste, searching, almost longing, for the dark demoness. Only a mute darkness greeted him and Itachi refused to acknowledge the sudden lust in his body. A glance at the kunoichi confirmed that she was still soundly asleep and lightly snoring in her usual way, undisturbed by the events that transpired. Training would begin immediately on her resistance to the sharingan; her mission with Hidan was fast approaching and with it came the risk of Sasuke discovering his tool.

"Again."

The defeated Kunoichi laying on her back smacked the ground in frustration before tearing her exhausted body from the dusty ground. Ever since her panic attack Itachi had doubled her work load and training, preparing her for every situation imaginable. His emphasis on genjutsu was understandable, however, it shook Sakura to the core every time. She had seen her friends die at his hands in many creative ways that tested her mental stability each time. She never dared to ask what would happen should she try to escape the Akatsuki on her upcoming mission; Itachi's visual representations left little to her imagination about the consequences of escape.

Get caught within the sharingan, get yourself out, those were the rules. He had yet to try the Mangekyō and she had an uneasy feeling that perhaps this was all leading up to that.

"Hai" She pushed the hair from her face and set her stance again. Just as she began her attack Sakura's mind raced with everything that had occurred since that first night here. Her daily routine left very little room for her to mope or worry about her life. Itachi saw to it that she began training against his sharingan every morning and afternoon training session.

A near miss from the Uchiha's side kick and following right hook made Sakura drop low and slide between his legs. They were too close for any of her "allowed" sparing justsu's to be of use so a masterful switch to tai jutsu brought close enough to feel his breath on her skin, something Sakura glared at.

"Focus." He reprimanded her as she took a rough left knee to her now smashed rib. She kicked away from him to plan her attack once more. Just as Sakura pieced together enough of a plan and raced toward the dark shinobi Sakura was blind sided by a big, blue truck.

"Now kitten ya gotta watch yer ass or else the big dogs are gonna get ya!"

A disheveled mop of a kunoichi laid defeated in the trench Kisame made, her body and soul seemingly separated.

"If you kill her, she can't train for the mission and you'll be replacing her position." Itachi deadpanned, irritated at his partner's reckless demeanor. Kisame belly laughed in his echoing manner, apparently taking great joy at the idea.

"I'd sooner cut my own dick off with Samehada! 'Sides you know I got banned from the Mochi House, I highly doubt Kakuzu will ever let me wander back there on his tab."

Sakura, dizzily thought about what the men were talking about and this Mochi House, it was perhaps the first clue to her and Hidan's mission and she was to leave in less than a week. They were seriously sending her to a tea house for what? An assassination perhaps? A contract would be there to conduct business with the Akatsuki?

"-tten you're being lazy!"

And without warning the blue barbarian plucked Sakura out of her trench and onto her feet. A swift, hard patting down from his rough hands had her cleaner than before and more bruised as well. It was everything she could do to stand without shaking. She raised her head to tell him off, but was interrupted.

"You are free to do as you wish. We practice at 6am, be ready."

Sakura was out the door before he finished the sentence. After a quick, uninterrupted dinner she rushed to the laboratory to continue her studies to save the remainder of the Jinchuriki. Having to share the space with the puppet master should he need to complete work of his own was not easy. The first time seeing him after the little fiasco he caused was terrible; his smug grin never leaving his face as he tinkered away on a new poison while she mapped out various seal and studied their ancient ways. Sakura turned her lab desk to face his once he left for the evening, something he was sure he would comment about later. His presence rattled her still and she would be damned if he catch her off guard ever again.

"Again, this time without the childish eye roll."

To say Itachi Uchiha was not a morning person would be the understatement of the century. He loathed mornings, he just never showed it. The emotionally constipated ninja instead managed to take out his anger on his new pink, black, and blue toy instead. It was only an hour into their training, but her wounds had yet to heal from Kisame's bulldozer-no-jutsu and everything was stiff for the kunoichi.

"I am trying Uchiha-san, however, you repeatedly abusing me will not improve the fact that my body cannot heal in less than 24 hours without chakra use."

The round house kick to her ribs did little to improve her condition but taught her that pissing and moaning to the mighty Itachi would do little to earn his mercy.

"You have a mission and you're not nearly prepared enough for it. Your enemies will be many and hidden-"

"You keep this shit up and there won't be anything left of me for a mission!" The rosette growling in fury, her patience and control quickly approaching its final moments. "Stop fucking with me, you're just a pissy, fucking-"

Sakura thought she was dreaming, but as he kicked swiped low and knocked her ankles out from under her she decided to say "fuck all" to the rules and murder Itachi.

"ARGHHH!" She yowled in rage, seeing red as she lunged for his pale neck.

They grappled on the ground with the occasional grunt breaking the silence of the training room. His favorite trick was to break her wrist in retaliation and Sakura made sure to guard her teeny limbs anxiously. "You are acting as a genin would. Cease this nonsense you're learning nothing-"

And in retaliation she bit him. A loud grunt released her from his dangerous grip. Did she seriously just bite Itachi Uchiha?

He inspected the wound which had not drawn blood but left him more stunned instead. Perhaps Danzo had broken her mental stability. He glared and looked up at the equally stunned kunoichi, her panting from their wrestle the only sound in the room. He had half the idea to throw her into Mangekyō for her impudence before the door swung open and a crowd strutted into the occupied training dome. The artists were seemingly in the middle of a heated argument of their usual topic of superiority and had just realized they would be sharing the room with visitors.

Sasori was the first to recover. "Itachi-san, pardon me for intruding. Shall you be long? It seems Deidara requires yet another lesson on manners." The emphasis on the blonde's name was not missed by Sasori and he stood to look back at the pinkette as she stood, watching him warily.

"Hai…" His brain pieced together a new plan entirely "Actually Sasori-san perhaps you could indulge young Sakura here if you have the time." The red head perked slightly at the proposal, oh how he itched to fight the brat again. To humiliate her as she had done to him.

"Deidara, I'm sure you understand."

The bomber scoffed in irritation at the dismissal but was secretly eager to seen this fight. Before the kunoichi had gotten lucky, now Sasori could truly wipe the floor with her. Sakura refused to look at Sasori, her attention solely on Itachi's malicious smirk. This was beyond punishment; this was torture of the highest caliber for the kunoichi. "This is needless, Itachi is more than enough for my training. You are unnecessary." Sakura addressed Sasori in a manner meant to push the idea aside, but it only seemed to further excite the puppet master.

"Reap what you sow, Sakura-san." Was all that the raven-haired man replied before walking to the edge of the room where Deidara stood, arms crossed and a malevolent grin.

Sakura's heart rate noticeably increased as the redhead made his way across the room and passed by Itachi. His inquisitive gaze set Sakura on edge, goosebumps raising along her arms as she experienced a moment of déjà vu from their first fight so long ago. "Perhaps we can reach an agreement," his lazy drawl would have sounded sexy to anyone else, but her anxiety only peaked further.

"No puppets." Was all she could manage. She didn't care if she sounded like a coward (and based on the laughter from Deidara she definitely did). Sasori nodded seriously "No biting, that is, unless I ask you." Sakura blushed beet red in anger and embarrassment, how did this bastard even see that?!

They sized each other briefly, the other silently wondering how they grew in strength and talent after all these years. It had been nearly 7 years since the cave, but this time Sakura did not have Chiyo-sama to save her life.

A powerful blast of chakra from his feet launched him into her personal space. She blocked the first punch from her left and glared into the haunting eyes from her past, the slight craze in them only further expressed his blood lust for this moment. However, she missed the follow up from the right and it grazed her chin, just inches from resulting in a knock out.

"Focus Sakura, you might not survive long enough to make it to your little mission." He taunted.

"You can't kill a fellow member-" she began.

"Oh sweet little blossom," the honey dripping words were pulling apart her confidence "Kakuzu has been through dozens of partners, who's to say I can't kill just one little kunoichi." His knee jerked up and nailed her in the diaphragm, sending her into a coughing fit. She tried to retreat backwards, but his presence followed her like a shadow, trying to dance just out of her vision.

A quick spin and she threw a backhanded fist to his kidneys. He was newly mortal and thus weak anatomically. Any trauma she could bring to him internally would throw him off his murder path.

"There, right there, sweetie." Inner voiced in a silky whisper. Shocked, Sakura rolled and swiped at the Achilles tendon on his back-right leg. His grunt and slight limp encouraged Sakura further, perhaps all was not lost.

"She's making you look like a bitch danna!"

A flip resulting in the puppeteer finally getting in her blind spot after so long and caught Sakura off guard and a fist to the back of her head. Small lights danced in front of her vision and she tried to shake them free.

"Is this what you've learned from the Uchiha? Perhaps Kisame named you properly, little kitten."

"Shannaroooo!" Her fist collided bluntly into his torso and threw him back several feet. She rained down on him with a barrage of grabs to attempt to throw his body into the ground, but each handle she placed was professional maneuvered so she could not. She was losing the high ground fast and his eyes never lost the glint of insanity "You will fight me with respect-".

Unfortunately, Sasori managed to rip her arm from his person and toss her into the ground. She attempted to stand quickly but met the dead eyes of the blonde puppet from before.

"I will fight you how I see fit."

He knocked her back down and she puffed out of existence, however, the dark smoke used to do it was not normal for a displacement jutsu.

Deidara and Itachi stood motionless, both unsure how to proceed. Did Sakura Haruno just escape from them? Sasori lowered his arms and looked at the indent where she had been. A genjutsu perhaps?

"Oh I've been dying for this."

Whoops, cliffy.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo