Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Let Me In	By : emeraldfire84 Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1567 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Wow, thank you for all the reviews everyone! I really appreciate them! Sorry this chapter was so long in coming. I got distracted by my other stories and Okami (which is SOOO fun! Too bad I have a while before I beat it.) Anyways, I hope this was worth the wait. Now enjoy!

~~~~~

Let Me In

The pale morning light painted the landscape in variegated shades of gray. The shadows of the night were melting away as the sun crept above the horizon, turning the clouds pink until they looked like balls of cotton candy in the sky. Nature�s montage of trees and rock formations would have been a vision of tranquility on any other day, but today, there was a heavy feeling in the air, as if this was the calm before the storm, that all the trepidation and suspense would bring a clash of epic proportions�

Or maybe all of it was just in Sasuke�s head.

Yet he couldn�t help shake the feeling that the absolute silence was an omen. Not a bird twittered or insect hummed. Even the leaves in the trees were unusually still, as if the whole forest was holding its breath.

Sasuke stood equally motionless, fists clenched at his sides, eyes and ears open waiting for the clue that would alert him to another�s presence. He could have activated the sharingan but knew it would be wise to conserve chakura for the upcoming battle.

The two Konoha ninja�s had traveled for a good part of the night, and though Sasuke felt compelled to keep moving, they had made amp and gotten six hours of much needed sleep. Besides, it didn�t do much good arriving at their destination so far ahead of schedule. They were on Itachi�s time now and he would not appear before dawn so the pair had awoken early and traveled the remaining three hours to the rendezvous point and arrived just as the first of the sun�s rays began to peek over the horizon.

Though they had slept, Sasuke did not feel rested. His dreams had been tortured, full of the memories of what he had witnessed as a child. His entire clan murdered at the hands of his elder brother. He had also seen Sakura�s face, twisted in pain and fear, calling out Sasuke�s name in desperation for him to come to her rescue to spare her fro his brother�s evil, but the younger Uchiha had been helpless to save her, just as he was unable to save his family. In the end, he had only been able to scream sorrowfully as Itachi took yet another thing that was dear to him when he slit Sakura�s throat right before his eyes. Sasuke had awoke with a start, drenched in cold sweat and physically shaking. He prayed with all his heart that what he had seen was not a glimpse into the near future.

�He did say �at dawn� right?� his orange clad friend asked beside him, shattering the silence into a million pieces and pulling Sasuke back to the present. �Where is he?�

�He�ll be here.� The younger Uchiha said softly, but in the deafening quiet it was easily heard.

�Will Sakura be with her?� the blonde asked nervously, seeming more worried about his old crush�s safety than the serious of the battle ahead of them.

�I don�t know.� Sasuke replied. �But he will use any method he can to screw with our heads. I wouldn�t be surprised if he brings her along just to distract us so don�t let your guard down.�

�Now you�re starting to sound like Kakashi.� Naruto grumbled as he scanned the area for the umpteenth time, desperately searching for his team mate�s familiar chakura signature.

�Well, you�d do well to listen to us. The only predictable thing about Itachi is that he is unpredictable. He may toy with us or try to kill us right away. He�s a sick sadistic bastard and finds joy in other�s suffering, no matter how emotionless he appears on the outside.�

�Surely I�m not all THAT bad.�

Both Sasuke and Naruto jumped at the malevolent voice that suddenly permeated the air. Out of seemingly nowhere, a cloaked figure emerged from behind one of the larger rock formations, walking with a sort of deadly grace that hinted at just how dangerous he was.

�Damn.� Naruto thought angrily. �Neither of us even sensed his chakura. How the hell did he sneak up on us like that?�

�Itachi.� Sasuke growled with enough poison and menace to make even Naruto cringe but his older sibling just looked at him levelly.

�You don�t seem to have changed much little brother.� Itachi mused, giving him a thorough once-over. �If you�re still as week as I remember then this won�t take long at all.�

�Shut up.� Sasuke hissed through gritted teeth. �Where�s Sakura?�

At this, Itachi�s lips twitched up at one corner. �Ah yes, your little cherry blossom. She was good enough to keep me company for the last few weeks.� Turning his head to the side he said, �Sakura, there�s someone who ants to see you.�

Both Naruto and Sasuke held their breath as a second figure appeared from behind the pale jumble of rocks. Long pink hair and her familiar feminine figure alerted them that it was indeed Sakura, but there was something very different about her.

Upon closer inspection, both boys could see that her eyes had lost the lively spark that used to reside there. They were now flat and cold as the eyes of a china doll. Her face was equally cold, but calculating and at the same time nearly menacing which was extremely out of character for her. Even stranger, she didn�t call their names or act relieved to see them, as if seeing her two team mates come to her rescue after being forced to live with Itachi for weeks wasn�t exciting at all. Even the way she carried herself was different. She had lost all her girlish charm and now seemed to view everything condescendingly, as if she was superior. She was cold and aloof but seemed relaxed and totally at ease as if nothing in the world was threatening to her. Sasuke�s stomach clenched, because he knew such an attitude was identical to his older brother�s.

�Sakura?� Naruto said, cocking his head to the side as if he were trying to figure out who was the actress in Sakura�s body. Indeed, she had changed a lot since either of them had seen her last. Even her clothes were different. Her traditional dress and shorts having been exchanged for a fishnet top with a solid black band over the breasts and simple black ninja pants. One didn�t have to be a genius to figure these were probably not her clothes, but ones that Itachi had given her.

Sakura only stared down her nose at Naruto, eyeing him with cold respite. She neither answered his question or made any move towards them, just stood, like an obedient pet at Itachi�s side, waiting for her master�s orders.

�What did you do to her?� Sasuke growled, his voice laced with fury. He had no idea what his brother was actually capable of but he had a feeling the powerful mangekyou sharingan was somehow responsible for Sakura�s changed demeanor and he trembled with rage at the thought of Itachi corrupting her with it.

�Do to her?� Itachi repeated, his cold voice betraying the slightest hint of amusement. �Why, I merely gave her the love and affection that you yourself refused her dear brother.�

Naruto meanwhile, was looking from Sakura to Itachi to Sasuke and back to Sakura again, terribly confused and trying to figure out why his pink haired friend didn�t seem the least bit concerned standing next to an S-class criminal.

�Love?� Sasuke scoffed, disgusted by his brother�s answer. �That�s something you are no longer capable of.�

Itachi raised an eyebrow gracefully while the hint of a smirk played on his lips. �Oh? Then perhaps you�d like me to show you.�

With that he wrapped an arm around Sakura�s waist, pulling her roughly towards him and crushed his mouth against hers. The kunoichi didn�t struggle at all but in fact moaned throatily when her captors tongue parted her lips and plundered her mouth in a rather graphic display or affection all before the eyes of her supposed rescuers.

Naruto�s jaw simply dropped to the floor. �S-Sakura, what are you doing?� he stammered, unaware that the woman before him was no longer the Sakura he knew.

Sasuke on the other hand, had to use every fiber of willpower he had to keep from attacking his brother in blind fury. He was already seeing red, the crimson had flared up in front of his eyes the instant their lips had met, and when his brother reached out a hand to firmly grab Sakura�s rounded behind, his rage only intensified. He could see Itachi staring at him, his eyes open and focused on him as his tongue dueled with Sakura�s, daring him to try and take back the woman he had claimed. The younger Uchiha finally casts his gaze downward, no longer able to watch the display before him. His dark bangs obscured his eyes and left only dark pools of shadow where his eyes once were, but even without seeing expression, it was hard to miss the thunderous waves of murderous intent rolling of the ninja in massive amounts.

�Itachi�� Sasuke said, so quietly an onlooker might have missed it. �You fucking bastard. Let her go. Now.�

The rouge ninja released Sakura�s lips but didn�t loosen his grip on her waist. �What�s the matter Sasuke? You�ve ignored her for years and now you suddenly want her back? I think that�s a little unfair of you little brother. Or are you just jealous that she has chosen me over you� Itachi�s rare smirk was definitely visible now.

Sasuke could now barely contain the rage that threatened to overflow. �She didn�t CHOOSE anyone! You brainwashed her you sick fuck! I�ll KILL you for this!� He was screaming now and even if he had cared, he wouldn�t have been able to stop.

He was about to rush forward when a feminine voice stopped him.

�That is where you are mistaken Sasuke, for today, it is YOU who will die, by MY hands.�

The voice sounded like Sakura�s. The words from her direction, and yet Sasuke couldn�t believe that she was really saying them. Was Sakura, the girl who had claimed to love him for so long actually threatening to KILL him? He would have pinched himself but already knew that this, regrettably, was no dream.

Sakura began to make her way towards the younger Uchiha, her green eyes frost with hate and malice but Itachi caught her arm, halting her.

�Let me go.� She growled, never letting her eyes leave Sasuke�s. �I want to make him pay for what he�s done to me.�

�Patience little one.� Itachi rasped in her ear, but loud enough for everyone to hear. If he noticed Sasuke visibly stiffen at his pet name for her, he didn�t acknowledge it. �Why don�t you accompany your blonde friend over here somewhere out of the way so us brothers can talk. We have a lot to catch up on. You can warm up with him and bring him back here when you�re done. Just leave him intact for me, I need the 9-tailed fox alive.�

Sakura gave a curt nod and pulled away from Itachi as he released her arm. Instantly she disappeared only to reappear behind Naruto who was too shocked to do much as she wrapped an arm around his neck in a chokehold. Letting her eyes drift to Sasuke�s, she glared at him with an icy intensity.

�When I return, I will make you eat every word you ever said about me being weak and annoying. You will suffer how I suffered all those years when you ignored me. I will break your heart as you broke mine, only I�ll do so by tearing your from your chest.�

Hearing such words from the girl who once practically worshipped the ground he stood on left Sasuke absolutely speechless. A hate of this magnitude was so uncharacteristic of her, yet it was there, burning coldly in her dead green eyes. Before he could formulate a response, she had disappeared again, taking a very shocked Naruto with her, no doubt teleporting them far away, leaving Sasuke alone with the man he had sworn to kill.

~~~~~

Naruto blinked as he suddenly found himself in new surroundings. Finally regaining his wits, he scrambled away from the woman who had brought him here.

They landscape was similar to the one they had just left but he couldn�t sense the chakura of Sasuke or Itachi. They could be a few short miles from them or on the other side of the woods entirely for all he knew.

However, there were more important things to worry about at the moment. He turned his attention to his female team mate who was currently acting incredibly strange.

�Sakura, what�s gotten into you? Why did you say those terrible things to Sasuke?� Naruto asked, still not willing believe she had truly turned evil. �I thought you cared about him.�

The kunoichi regarded him coolly. �That�s when I was young and stupid and took his abuse because I was too blind to see the truth.�

�The truth?� Naruto asked, honestly perplexed.

�He did nothing but hurt me, both mentally and emotionally and I intend to make him pay for every moment of it.�

�Hurt you?� the blonde said, increasingly confused. �Sakura, you�re the one who refused to let him go. He never asked for your affections but you wouldn�t stop following him around even when he told you to. He even said��

�Shut up!� Sakura screamed, looking far more dangerous than she ever had during her pre teen temper tantrums. �I�m not going to let you fill my head with bullshit. You�re obviously on Sasuke�s side.�

She began to circle him and Naruto couldn�t help but feel like she was a big cat and he was a big piece of meat.

�I loved Sasuke with all my heart but even that wasn�t good enough for him.� Sakura continued as she stalked her prey. �Nothing was ever good enough. I tried so hard when we were on Team 7 but it didn�t matter. I was always the slowest, the weakest. You made bm feel that way too Naruto and I won�t forgive you for it!�

Sakura was getting increasingly agitated and it was becoming apparent that either Itachi had screwed with her head big time or the kunoichi had simply gone insane. Naruto remembered Sasuke saying something about brainwashing and assumed it was the work of the sharingan, but since he didn�t know how it worked, especially in Itachi�s case, he had no idea what he was up against or how to reverse it. He figured his best strategy for now was to keep her like this, ranting and raving but not fighting and as far away from Sasuke as possible before she decided to follow through on her threat and really get aggressive with the younger Uchiha. Naruto didn�t think she�d actually be able to seriously injure him but he didn�t want to take the chance. Unfortunately, that left him separated from Sasuke and unable to come to his aid if he should need it. This definitely was not a good situation, and he didn�t even know exactly where she had teleported them to.

�Sakura, you�re not weak and you know it. You�ve become one of the top ranked medical ninjas in our village. You trained with the hokage herself. So many people look up to you and��

�And yet you STILL continue to look down on me.� Sakura interrupted, stopping her circling and focusing deadly eyes on his. What Naruto saw in those flat green depths horrified him. Beneath the surface, hate boiled within her, hate so strong that it threatened to consume her, just as Sasuke�s had once done to him, and now, she was directing all that hate at the man before him.

�Sakura,� Naruto said quietly, having to physically restrain himself from embracing the woman he cared so much for, �What has Itachi done to you?�

He wanted to take her into his arms, reassure her, make her see that she really did have friends and she didn�t have to feel what she was feeling, but he knew that the Sakura he knew had gone missing for the moment and he hoped it wasn�t forever.

Sakura scoffed arrogantly.

�Itachi only made me see how foolish I was, chasing after and impossible dream with someone who didn�t even deserve me, wasting my life with people who care nothing for me.�

�Sakura that�s not true!� the blonde cried, taking a step towards her. �We care about you, Sasuke and I. I know he doesn�t show it but we both��

�Shut up!� Sakura screamed, recoiling as if she�d been struck. �Stop lying to me. I don�t want to hear it!�

�Why were you kissing him? Don�t you see he�s just using you to get to Sasuke?� Naruto pushed on, trying to make Sakura come back to her senses.

�No! Shut up! Shut up ! SHUT UP!�

She grabbed her head in both hands and trembled at the internal battle that seemed to be going on inside her. Naruto�s heart flooded with hope at the thought that the real Sakura might be in there, fighting to get out and regain control of her body. However, some of that hope ebbed away when Sakura lifted her head and looked at him with the same dead eyes.

Regaining her composure, she looked at him again, a smile on her lips, but the smile was as cold and empty as her eyes. �Too bad Itachi wants you alive.� She said in a malicious tone that contradicted her pretty face. �I�ll have to refrain from killing you.�

Naruto barely had time to bring up a hand to defend himself as she charged him, throwing a punch he was barely able to catch with his palm in front of his face. He punch was a lot stronger than he remembered and he winced at the impact as he closed his fingers around her fist to trap her there. He was now nose to nose with the deadly kunoichi and saw that she was wearing that smirk that mirrored Itachi�s.

�What�s wrong Naruto? You seem surprised. Am I stronger than you thought I was?�

�I don�t want to fight you.� Naruto growled through gritted teeth as he tried to force his blocked hand backwards and take her with it.

�Well that�s too bad, because I intend to beat you within an inch of your life!� Sakura sneered as she pulled back her other fist to deliver a blow to his whiskered jaw.

Naruto was able to dodge and grab her wrist. He twisted her body away from him to leave her arm trapped uncomfortably between their two bodies. He began to speak to her, trying to get her to remember who she really was.

�Sakura, we�re your friends, the people you grew up with, forget what Itachi told you. Forget��

His words were effectively cut off as he felt her feet lift to connect right between his legs. Pain rendered him speechless as nausea formed in his gut and threatened to make him sick. Sakura wretched away as his grip on her loosened and he sunk gracelessly to the ground.

She had kicked him in the place a man should never be kicked! Naruto could hardly believe it. The Sakura he knew was far above fighting this dirty. But when he looked up at the woman before him, she stood above him arrogantly, a smirk still on her lips and a hand on her hip, daring him to do something about it. Anger flared and replaced the sickness within him. This was not his Sakura and he would not let her get away with this. He was going to bring back the sweet girl he loved even if it meant beating this imposter to a pulp.

With a roar, he sprang to his feet and charged his waiting opponent.

~~~~~

Two figures stood amid the unnatural silence of the early morning. The grey of dawn had given way to pastels and then to brighter hues as the sun continued its journey through the sky. All the sunshine in the world however could not bring light to dark hearts of these men. Both were corrupt and sinful, yet one tried to find the brighter path while the other only hoped to drag his companion into the pit of darkness with him.

�So little brother, it is just the two of us now.� Itachi said, his voice betraying nothing of what he felt inside.

�Yes, and it is better this way. They won�t have to hear your screams when I kill you.�

The elder of the two seemed unaffected by his sibling�s words. Instead, he calmly reached for the clasp at his throat and let his dark cloak fall away, revealing a fishnet shirt and simple black pants beneath.

�I sense a change in you brother.� The elder said, tossing the heavy garment aside and focusing coal black eyes on Sasuke. �Your hate is deeper, more intense than before. It�s because of HER isn�t it?� At this, he let the faintest trace of a cruel smile grace his lips.

Sasuke visibly stiffened, angered by his words.

�What did you do to her Itachi.� He hissed. �You�ve obviously messed with her head and filled it with lies. For that, I�ll never forgive you!�

With his last words, his eyes flashed from black to red with a blink and he lunged at his brother with every intention of spilling his blood, every last drop of it.

Itachi leapt away easily and fell into step with his brother, each circling the other in a graceful yet deadly dance.

�It seems I�ve struck a nerve with you.� Itachi mused, locking his black eyes with Sasuke�s red. �Could it be that you actually have feelings for your weak little team mate?�

Sasuke answered only by dropping to the ground and kicking his leg out in a wide arc, hoping to knock Itachi off his feet. His opponent however, avoiding the attack and maneuvered behind Sasuke as he stood, giving him time to chuckle in his brother�s ear.

�You are foolish for passing up such a prize. She�s quite good in bed.�

Sasuke�s eyes widened and his heart almost crashed against his ribcage with the force of every beat. No, Itachi couldn�t have�but Sakura was so pure, as innocent as a girl could be in her line of work as a ninja. How could Itachi take that from her?

Itachi inwardly smirked as his brother turned to face him, revealing his shell shocked expression.

�Oh yes dear brother. I took your sweet little Sakura�s innocence since it seems you weren�t man enough to do it yourself. Pity you�ll never get a chance to taste her. Even if I wasn�t going to kill you right here, she hates you now with everything she has; I made sure of that.�

Itachi could practically see his brother�s blood boil at his words and was pleased with the effect. He wanted Sasuke�s rage to be at an all time high when he defeated him. It would be more fun that way.

�You fucking bastard.� The younger Uchiha spat, his red eyes aflame with hate. He threw himself at his opponent and unleashed a long chain of kicks and punches in such rapid succession that his limbs became a blur of speed. Itachi however, seemed unphased by the assault and seemed to block every move easily, moving just as fast as his brother to defend himself.

Sasuke was burning with fury, the world in front of his eyes stained a permanent red with the anger that seethed in him, but he was still clear minded enough to know that his attacks weren�t getting him anywhere. He broke away from his brother, chest heaving from excursion and rage. He would have to change tactics if he hoped to win.

The Akatsuki member smiled at his brother�s emotional display. He could nearly taste the hate in the air it was so strong. He goaded Sasuke even further, egging him on to let his anger consume him.

�Do you hate me little brother? I�m sure you do. Let you hatred grow in you, for it�s the only way you can hope to beat me. Only if your hate is strong enough will you be able to kill me.�

Sasuke narrowed his eyes to red slits before flickering out of existence. He appeared behind Itachi so quickly that the human eye might now have been able to track it. One arm grabbed a fistful of Itachi�s hair, jerking his head back while the other held a kunai at his throat, ready to slit it in an instant.

�Hmm.� The elder brother mused, impressed that Sasuke had managed to get behind him. �So you have grown stronger, but I doubt it will be enough to defeat me.�

Sasuke ignored his brother�s taunts and sliced through the pale skin of his brother�s throat in a single stroke, feeling hot blood rush over his hands as he bled the essence from his hated sibling�s being.

~~~~~

Naruto was flung backwards to the ground with the force of Sakura�s counter attack. How the hell has she gotten so strong? During sparing sessions back home, she had barely been able to keep up with him, but now it seemed like she constantly had him on the defensive. She was quick and she hit hard, too hard. Naruto�s bones reverberated painfully with the force of the impact. What the hell happened to her during the two weeks that she had been away?

Naruto picked himself up off the ground and wiped away a trickle of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Sakura was standing there waiting for him, giving him the chance to pull himself together. It�s like she was mocking him by holding back her strength, but if she was indeed holding back, just how powerful had she become? Naruto didn�t think he wanted to consider the possibilities at the moment, especially when it could mean that he had actually met his match.

�What�s the matter Naruto?� Sakura said, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. �You seem surprised that I keep knocking you on your ass. It�s just like back at the academy; you were the looser, dead last in the class. Everybody was amazed you didn�t flunk out.�

Naruto gritted his teeth and shrugged off her insult, even though the words cut him deep, especially since they came from Sakura. But then again, the woman before him wasn�t really Sakura anymore was she? The radical change in her personality made it more and more apparent that Itachi had seriously tampered with the inner workings of her mind and yet, she still retained all her memories and knowledge that the real Sakura had; memories and knowledge that this new, cruel Sakura did not hesitate to use against him.

Naruto was severely disadvantaged because he had to defend himself, but at the same time, he didn�t want to hurt Sakura, brainwashed or not, she was still his team mate. She had been different from Sasuke until now. Sasuke could handle a match with Naruto fighting at full strength but Sakura�s strengths lied not with her combat, but with her chakura control and healing techniques.

�It�s ok Sakura. I know you don�t mean that.� The blonde said as he pushed himself into a crouch. �The real Sakura would never say those things to me.�

�It that so?� The pink haired kunoichi sneered. �The real Sakura was also a fool!�

Quick as lightening, Sakura had closed the gap between them and leapt into the air, intending to smash her foot right into Naruto�s skull. Using her own momentum against her, he was able to catch her ankle and whirl her around. When he let go of her foot she flew through the air, crashing through one tree but regaining her balance before she came to the second. She hit the next tree feet first and repelled off of it gracefully, landing in a crouch with all the grace of a cat.

�Very good, you�re finally understanding.� Sakura smiled coldly, rising from the ground. �If you intend to win this battle, you�re going to have to fight me full out. If you want to win you�ll have to kill me.�

Her face was deadly serious and he knew Sakura meant it. If he were to loose, Sakura would turn him over to Itachi and the Akatsuki would do whatever necessary to extract the 9-tailed fox from him. He would fail his village, fail Sasuke and most of all, fail Sakura for not being able to rescue her from herself, from her own corruption that Itachi had instilled within her.

�I won�t kill you Sakura. The real you is in there somewhere and I�m going to bring her out.� Naruto said, falling into his usual fighting stance.

Sakura�s humorless smile widened into a maniacal grin. �You really are a stupid boy Naruto. I refuse to go back to the way I was. I�d rather die!�

The pink haired kunoichi was suddenly right in Naruto�s face and he barely had time to block a punch aimed at his gut. She caught the counter blow he sent at her face and squeezed his clenched fist painfully tight in her hand. Naruto grunted as he felt the bones of his knuckles grind against each other under the pressure. Thinking quickly, he knocked his forehead against her own, surprising her with the tremendous force and causing her to let him go.

Using the moment to his advantage, the blonde shinobi made the hand seals he could do in his sleep and summoned ten clones to aid him.

Sakura chuckled darkly. �Don�t you EVER get tired of this trick Naruto?�

�Don�t be mad because you don�t know how to do it!� a chorus of Narutos yelled before charging their pink haired opponent.

Sakura was suddenly all speed and grace, drawing two kunai from her pouch and leaping away from her incoming attackers. She dodged the first clone and plunged one dagger into the chest of the second. Planting both feet on the wounded clone�s chest, she pushed off it to propel herself backwards right before it poofed out of existence. She jammed her elbow back into the clone coming up behind her, knocking it aside and then twisted her body in the air to throw her kunai at two of the clones within range of her peripheral vision. She heard two poofs sound as collided head on with another, grabbing its head in both of her hands and twisting it in a way that would have broken the neck of any living person. Apparently, it was enough to defeat the clone because it disappeared from her hands in a cloud of smoke.

That left Sakura with six more clones and one real Naruto. All she had to do was find out which was which.

Before she could reorient herself, a clone grabbed each arm and held her still, disabling her from dodging the flying kick aimed at her from another orange jump-suited figure. The blow hit her so hard that the force knocked both her and the clones to the ground.

In the process of falling, Sakura was able to fish two more kunai from her pouch and spread her arms out on either side of her, deadly points in her fists facing down. Both daggers punctured the fighters on either side of her, lowering the clone count to four.

Quickly rolling to the side to avoid another attack, she lay belly down and planted her hands on the ground to give her the leverage needed to swing her legs around in an arc to sweep the blonde copy off its feet. She was able to trip it but as it fell, it kicked a leg out, hitting her hard. She used the momentum to roll away a safe distance from the clone on the ground, only to discover that the other four Naruto�s had surrounded her.

�Give up Sakura.� One called to her.

�Yeah, you can�t beat us all.� Another chimed in.

Sakura slowly rose to her feet, face turned down so that her mused hair hid most of her face. Quietly she said, �Never tell a girl what she can and cannot do. It only makes her want to prove doubters wrong.�

She settle into a fighting stance and tossed her hair, revealing hard green eyes that were just daring Naruto and his crew to try and take her down. �I don�t think any of you are man enough to stop me, so why don�t you try and prove ME wrong?�

Expressions of shock, hurt and outrage spread across the faces of the clones as the one previously on the ground joined the circle.

�Not man enough? What�s THAT supposed to mean?�

�Well YOU are the one who couldn�t get her to like you after years of trying.�

�Maybe I could have if it wasn�t for your ugly face!�

�Hey! It�s YOUR face too!�

As the clones argued with each other, Sakura�s hand crept to her pouch to retrieve the last three kunai there. Seeing they were preoccupied, she leapt high into the air and threw her kunai at three different targets. Only one hit its mark as the as the remaining four opponents finally stopped their bickering and went after her.

As she came down from her jump, two orange clad figured jumped higher than her, intending to drive her into the ground with kicks from above.

Sakura smirked at their strategy and flipped her body to hit the ground with her hands, bending her arms to absorb the shock of the fall, she kicked her slightly parted legs up into an odd handstand, hitting the outstretched legs of both clones and knocking them off course.

The clones had barely landed before Sakura flipped to her feet and ran at the nearest clone. She grabbed it by the hair and swung it in front of her just in time to protect her from another�s blow. The human shield couldn�t take the force of its comrade�s blow and poofed away. Sakura grabbed the shirt of the attacker and whirled around just in time to grab another. She smashed the two together in front of her with all the force she had, causing them both to disappear. That left her with one figure; the REAL Naruto.

�What was that about not being able to fight all of you?� She taunted, preparing for the next attack.

�Damn Sakura, where the hell did you learn THAT?�

Naruto couldn�t believe she�d taken all ten clones so easily. He wiped his brow with his forearm and got ready for another round with the kunoichi.

�Let�s just say Itachi is the best teacher I�ve ever had.�

Sakura charged the blonde almost immediately but Naruto teleported behind her and delivered a hard blow to the back of her head.

Not giving her a chance to recover, he went after her, delivering a few quick punches before delivering one to her jaw that sent her careening backwards to the ground. When she didn�t immediately get up, Naruto ventured closer to her motionless form.

�N-Naruto?� a soft voice whimpered, a voice that wasn�t cold and harsh.

�Sakura?� the blonde cried, immediately kneeling at her side and rolling her onto her back. �Is it really you talking?�

Her pretty face was covered in dirt and her split lip was already starting to swell, the blood trickling down her chin and neck and her eyes were reduced to thin slits of emerald.

�Naruto�why did you punch me?�

�Sakura, I�m sorry!� he cried, relieved that his friend had come to her senses at last, taking care to help her to her feet without hurting her more.

�Wow, you sure had me worried, I thought you were never going to snap out of it.� Naruto said once he had Sakura steady on her feet, turning away slightly to brush the dirt off his thighs and rear. He was surprised when he felt two hands grip his shoulders, forcefully pulling him back to face his female team mate.

�It seems you�re not only stupid, you�re gullible too.�

Naruto didn�t have time to react as he felt her knee connect with his gut in a blow that force spit and blood from his mouth. She hit him so forcefully, he wouldn�t be surprised if her knee popped out through his back. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his wounded stomach as he simultaneously coughed up blood and tried to keep his stomach from emptying its contents on the spot.

The women above him kicked him onto his back and knelt to straddle him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and hauling his chest up off the ground. His head fell back limply as she looked down on him with mild revulsion.

�What makes you so special Naruto Uzumaki?� she spat contemptuously. �Why are you revered as one of Konoha�s best ninjas when I can beat you so easily after only two weeks of training with Itachi? He was right about you and the village. All you�ve done is hold me back.�

She pulled back her free fist and struck him repeatedly across the face, bloodying his nose, bruising his eye, splitting his lip.

�You�re pathetic. I was stupid to expect more from you.�

She released her grip on his shirt and Naruto�s head hit the ground with a heavy thud. Despite his face�s distortion caused by the swelling that was already setting in, Naruto was able to smile at her, a true, genuine smile.

�You always did love to beat me up Sakura, and yet, I always had a hard time hitting you back. But even now, here, despite all the blood and dirt, you still look beautiful to me.�

Sakura�s cool composure broke for a moment, replaced by a strange grimace of pain? Fear? It was gone to quickly for Naruto to be sure. His vision was becoming increasingly impaired as his eye swelled shut.

Instead of responding to his statement, she grabbed the zipper of his jacket and pulled it down, revealing a plain white T-shirt. She grabbed the collar and yanked down forcefully, tearing away the thin cotton material to reveal his muscular chest.

�Sakura? What are you��

�Itachi taught me a technique that I imagined to be quite useful, but I haven�t had a chance to try it out in battle yet. You will be the first Naruto?� she flashed him another twisted smile as she place a hand over his rapidly beating heart. �He saw my potential with chakura control and showed me how, not only to control my own, but to steal it from others.�

Naruto gasped as her hand began to glow blue, suddenly, he felt as if his energy was leaving, he was growing tired, exhausted even, feeling far more fatigue than he should after fighting for such a short time.�

Sakura�s head fell back and she let out a little sigh. �Your chakura is strong Naruto, far more powerful than most. If I didn�t have to leave you alive for Itachi I would suck you dry.�

The blonde immediately understood what was happening. Sakura was draining the chakura from his body and absorbing it into hers. He wanted to push her off of him and fight back but his limbs suddenly felt so heavy, even breathing seemed to be more trouble than it was worth and the weariness was only growing as he watched the blue glow of his energy travel out of his chest and up her arm to sink into her skin. The weight of her body on his chest was suddenly crushing and it felt like he would need the strength of a thousand men to push her off.

�How does it feel Naruto, knowing you are going to meet such a pathetic end?�

Naruto couldn�t form the words to tell her that even now, until the end, Naruto believed there was good in her. Even as his head began to swim however, he wasn�t going to give up! There had to be a way out of this. Sasuke was depending on him and he couldn�t let him down! He would find a way�find a way�find a

Even Naruto�s optimistic thoughts couldn�t stop the world around him from fading into black.

~~~~~

GASP! Is Naruto seriously going to get owned by Sakura? And what about Sasuke and Itachi? Omg omg omg! What will happen next! Sucky place to end the chapter huh? Originally I had intended the fight scene to only last one chapter but what do you know, it turned out too long. Curse me and my detailed writing! This is the first long fight scene I�ve written. How did you like it? Could you kinda visualize what was going on or was it all mumbo jumbo? I�ll try and get the next chapter up soon because I�m pretty sure I know exactly how to end the fight soooo yeah. And thanks to this chapter, I have realized that I'm not half as motivated to write if there's no steamy sex in it. ::blushes:: does that make me a bad person? Anyways, I'll continue to work on this story and reviews might just keep me focused. Hopefully finals won�t get in the way!
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