Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Of Love and Betrayal ❯ Past, Future, Present ( Chapter 15 )

A/N: UPDATE: SO I have gone through this chapter and changed a lot of things because I didn't like the direction I was taking this story and due to the recent events in the manga. Mostly I just changed a lot of conversation but I would re-read it since it becomes important later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

Warning: Violence, Swearing.

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“Hello Sakura, it's been a while.”

Whirling around, Sakura found herself gazing into hauntingly familiar red eyes and before she knew it she felt the edges of her vision begin to go black and she realized too late her mistake.

To look into the eyes of an Uchiha was to sign your own death wish.

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-XV-

Past, Future, Present (Revised)

 

The deep fog that covered her consciousness slowly began to withdraw to the far corners of her mind. She could feel the silky material that covered her body, something that made her frown because she didn't remember putting anything of that material on last night.

Cracking her eyes open, her frown deepened as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. She was in a large, richly decorated room but instead of a bed there was a very large table with about a dozen chairs and she was at the chair on one end of the table. She looked down at herself and realized that she was dressed in a silk milk white dress with embroidered pink cherry blossoms flowing around the bodice and skirt of the dress. She couldn't remember ever once wearing such an expensive looking dress. Her green eyes traveled from her dress to the binds that kept her hands and feet tied to the chair she was sitting in.

She could feel strong chakra flowing through the binds and she tried to use her strength to break the binds, but to no avail. She could remember going into the mansion outside of the small village her and her teammates were staying at, and then she remembered waiting in a room and then she had heard a voice…

Her eyes widened as the memory of the voice and those hauntingly familiar crimson eyes came rushing back. She felt a shudder rush through her body and she breathed in, trying to calm her nerves.

`It's not possible that it could have been him… could it?'

She shook her head not ready to go down that path. She suddenly heard a creaking noise and her eyes scanned the large room looking for the intruder she knew was there. Her eyes caught a movement in a far corner of the room and she narrowed her eyes to try and see through the shadows. The first thing she saw was big aqua colored eyes.

`No not aqua a mixture of blue and green… so unusual for Japanese…'

“Who is there? Come out, I know you are there. There is no point in hiding anymore,” She said in a commanding voice.

She heard, rather then saw the person draw in a sharp breath in surprise. A second later a small boy slowly crawled out of his hiding place. The boy looked to be no older then 8 years old but she sensed a certain sadness in him that was far beyond his years.

Her emerald eyes continued to study the small boy before her, curiosity alight in their green debts. He looked like he came up to maybe her stomach at the most and he had pale ivory skin which looked as if it glowed from the inside out. As if in contrast to his pale skin he had a mass of black hair that fell slightly past his ears.

The thing that drew her eyes the most was the boys' unique eyes. They were such an unusual color, they were colored aqua but as she looked closer she realized he had flecks of gold within his eyes. But it wasn't only the color that drew her interest it was what she saw in those eyes. There was such sadness and fear in them as if he had lived longer then his young 8 years. She let a warm smile slip onto her features and she nodded her head to encourage the little boy to come closer. A small blush appeared on the boys pale cheeks and he shyly moved closer, curiosity burning in his eyes.

“Hi, what's your name?”

The boy continued to stare at her but did not answer.

“Can you talk? Do you know why I'm here and where we are?”

“You're prettier then I thought you'd be,” he said quietly, ducking his head shyly and her eyes met his.

Her smile increased and she cocked her head to the side.

“You don't have to be shy around me I won't bite. Did you know I was coming?”

The child nodded. “Yes Nii-chan told me you were coming… he said that you were pretty and nice and that I would like you. What is your name?”

Sakura hesitated knowing that she couldn't give her real name but she hated lying to the child.

`But still…. This could be a trap, I can't let my guard down.''

“My name? Uh my name is swan and your's?”

“Swan? What an unusual name? I'm guessing that is your alias name? but that's okay Swan-Chan you don't know me yet so you don't have any reason to trust me but I will give you my name because I want you to be my new friend… I am…”

“That is quite enough! Go back to your room I told you that you were not allowed in this room!” A familiar voice echoed through the now silent room.

Sakura looked up from the boy startled and found herself looking at a face she had thought dead long ago.

“Itachi!”

At the mention of his name Itachi's obsidian eyes moved to look at her. She was frozen to the spot; she had thought that Sasuke had killed his older brother long ago.

To her he looked mostly the same except for the fact that he now wore a simple black and red cloak instead of the Akatsuki cloak she had seen him in before. Other then his clothing he was just as he had been before, the same pulled back hair, the same annoyingly emotionless eyes and the same dull voice.

“What do you want with me Uchiha Itachi,” she growled menacingly keeping her voice low to avoid scaring the small boy that had unconsciously drawn closer to her, his eyes fearful.

“We will discuss this when we are alone,” he said simply and turned starting to head out of the door. The small boy ran after him but not before he took one last look at Sakura and in that look she saw an all consuming sadness and she felt a small ache in her own chest seeing such a young boy posses a look that was not meant for someone his age. Just like that, he vanished through the open door and she suddenly felt a sudden loss and she furrowed her brow in confusion at her own sudden depression.

`Who was that boy… he is so familiar to me it's scary and yet I've never met anyone like him. I would definitely remember eyes like those.'

Sakura was brought out of her thoughts again when Itachi walked back into the room and closed and locked the door. Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly noticing the small action but didn't say anything.

“It's been a while Sakura. I see you have finally overcome your emotional weaknesses and come into your true power. How does it feel to not be the weak link of your team anymore?”

Sakura refused to speak to the man so she slipped on her cold mask she used for ANBU hunts and just sat in her chair and stared blankly at Itachi.

Itachi narrowed his eyes seeing the visible change in Sakura. He smirked and drew closer to her seeing her tense involuntarily.

“You cannot fool me Sakura I know what it means to you to see another Uchiha again… I can still see the heartbreak in your eyes…”

Sakura said nothing but she couldn't help but feel annoyance rise in her at how easily Itachi could read her despite her greatest efforts to hide her emotions.

“So you are not going to speak to me? That is alright I have plenty of things to say too you. I guess your wondering how I am still alive. Did you truly believe that Sasuke succeeded in killing me?” Itachi asked chuckling softly, amusement showing in his eyes.

“No my little brother followed a path that I regret to say I started him on a long time ago. By the end he was not the little brother I wanted him to become…. “

Itachi's eyes turned cold and Sakura was shocked to see many emotions run through those usually lifeless orbs. Clearing his throat, Itachi continued with his story.

“After the fall of Akatsuki I left the country and roamed the land outside of fire country learning many things that I would have never learned staying in this isolated land. But the minute my brother was killed I knew and so I returned to this country and found Orochimaru's last hideout and inside that hideout I found many interesting things that even surprised me. And many of the things had to do with you… I always wondered why my brother was so interested in you and why he always put up with your childish antics but now I realize it was not you he was interested in it was your destiny that he was interested in. Because you see even now you are unaware of the large role you have to play in the future of this world. Your role in the upcoming events will determine whether this world will fall into war again or live on in peace.”

Sakura's emerald eyes widened a fraction as she continued to listen but she still refused to say anything. Itachi fell quiet and stepped up to Sakura and knelt down next to her.

“I truly despise what my foolish brother did to you all those years ago, but without his actions you would never have the drive and the courage to go through what you are destined to do.”

“What the hell are you talking about? How do you know anything about what I'm destined to do?” Sakura yelled, her eyes sparkling with fury.

Itachi chuckled softly and brought his hand to her face, slowly tracing his finger down her cheek. “You still have fire inside of you…I'm glad that my brother didn't break your spirit completely. I will explain this only once to you, you must listen because this is very important to your future and the future of Konoha. A long time ago I was sent on a mission to infiltrate the Akatsuki and possibly become a part of their ranks. I was to be a part of this mission indefinitely because of the events that lead up to the massacre of my clan. You see contrary to popular belief, I was not the one to kill my clan…It was actually the very same village that you fight for everyday to protect, who killed my clan. The elders of Konoha decided that my clan was too powerful for their liking and so they decided to kill them all off. When they found out that I was on a mission at the time and was due back in a couple of days, they planned it so that I was the one to blame for the massacre. I got back just in time to prevent the shinobi from killing my little brother but in doing so I had to put the blame on myself because they threatened to kill him.”

Sakura's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief as she listened to Itachi go through the events of the past. She was tempted to not believe his words if it wasn't for the bitter look in his eyes and his clenched jaw, giving away the inner turmoil he could not hide behind his mask.

“You're trying to tell me that the elders of Konoha killed your entire clan and then blamed it on you, and in order for them to make sure you took the blame they threatened to kill Sasuke? Do you really think I am that naive that I would believe such an obvious lie?”

“It's not important whether you believe me or not, what happened in the past should stay there but I want to prove my innocence to you, so that you will trust in what I am about to tell you.”

Itachi reached into his black cloak and pulled out a small, old looking scroll and tucked it into Sakura's kimono.

“when you leave here make sure to read the contents of that scroll and show it to your Hokage, This will put into motion the final part of my mission. That boy that you met earlier, I am leaving him in your care. Make sure to take good care of him and teach him all that you can, because he will have a big role to play in your life later on. He is connected to you in ways that you will want to resent but don't, Konoha's future is resting on your shoulders.”

“What are you talking about; I don't know what I am…”

“Don't worry once you read the scroll you will understand, Here take this scroll as well, It is information regarding the boy, don't read that until you get back to Konoha with the boy,” He said taking out a smaller scroll and placing it with the first inside Sakura's Kimono. Then he waved his hand over Sakura and the bindings disappeared.

“The last thing I want to say before we have to separate is…do not trust others easily, even those you have known all of your life are not trustworthy. There are many spies within the walls of Konoha and they are all working to bring about the destruction of the village. Hurry back to your village, there is not much time left.”

He reached back into his cloak once more and handed her a small necklace. “This is for you to contact me if anything goes wrong. Good luck.”

Just as he dropped the necklace into her waiting hand there was a loud boom heard outside and the entire mansion shuddered.

“It seems that your team has come to save you…” Itachi smirked. “Take care of him… he is key to your future. Make sure to keep him in your possession at all times he is a part of your past as well as your future…”

Sakura opened her mouth to ask Itachi what was going on but just as she was about to say something Itachi started to disappear before her eyes, his body turning into black birds. Her eyes flew to Itachi's eyes and his once obsidian eyes now bled to crimson and she could see the sadness in those eyes just as his face disappeared from her sight.

0o0

Once Itachi had disappeared Sakura quickly assessed the room and made sure that the Uchiha was really gone. Finally realizing that she was indeed alone in the room she hesitantly opened the door a crack and looked through, seeing nothing, she pushed the door open more and slipped out into what looked to be a hallway. Moving hesitantly down the empty hallway she peered periodically through open doors finding the entire place empty.

`How weird this whole place is empty, and yet I remember that when I first came in I saw a whole bunch of servants running around.'

Continuing down the hallway she found herself unconsciously listening for anymore sounds outside signaling battle but those had disappeared as well. She was finally brought up short when she ran into a single red door. Frowning slightly she cautiously opened the door readying herself for anything but when she opened the door and looked through she found herself in a dimly lit room with bar cells on both sides of the room.

She walked fully into the room and saw that all but one of these cells was empty and she moved to the only occupied cell. She found herself staring into the eyes of the young boy she had met a few minutes prior but this person was not a boy any longer, instead he looked to be in his late teens maybe 17 or 18. His black hair was the same length only slightly past his ears but he wore what looked to be all black clothing but it was hard to tell under all the filth and dried blood that had caked onto his clothes. She looked back up into his eyes and found hatred radiating from them, the same hatred that was held in Itachi's eyes.

“What are you doing here?” he said, barely contained malice dripping from his every word.

Sakura drew back in surprise, feeling as if the person in the cell wanted to jump and attack her any minute. She didn't understand how he could be so old. She knew for a fact that this person was the same little boy she had met earlier, the eyes were too unique but she couldn't understand how he was so old now.

`Maybe he used Genjustu earlier… but if he had used Genjustu, then why is he locked up in a cell, his clothes caked with blood?'

“Maybe I should be asking you the same thing? How are you so old…? I just saw you a few minutes ago and you were only around 8 years old…”

Confusion entered his eyes and then realization.

“Sakura… that was ten years ago that we first met…”

Sakura frowned in confusion and then she realized just what he had said in his sentence.

“How do you know my name? I never gave you my real name and that is not possible I just saw you two minutes ago.”

“Fine if you don't believe me then don't it's not like you ever acknowledged me before, how do you think I ended up here Sakura-Chan? I don't even know why you bothered coming here anyways I already told you I don't want you saving me I'm just not worth your time remember?” he spit out, barely contained disgust in his voice.

Sakura drew back as if physically slapped. “What are you talking about I would never treat a human being like that… ever, I think you have me confused with someone else.”

He just smirked in response and turned from her again his black bangs hanging in his face, shielding his eyes from her sight.

“I remember I was so happy when I first met you, I though I would finally have a home and I would be able to become a real ninja and be with you… but looking back now I wished I had gone with Nii-san that day instead of you, because from the time I went with you my life became a living hell, no wonder he wanted to kill you…”

“Who wanted to kill me? What are you talking about I have never met you before today!” Sakura nearly yelled frustrated beyond belief.

The man in the stall drew back as if she had slapped him in the face, all his anger disappearing before her very eyes and in its place appeared a deep sadness that seemed to weigh down his entire being.

“What did I ever do to you to disserve this? All I ever wanted was to be accepted and loved by you but instead you hated me and don't deny it I saw past those fake smiles I saw the hatred in your eyes. I just wish you would wake up… swan wake up… please just wake up…”

Sakura frowned realizing that the man's voice was intertwining with a boys voice as if two people where speaking at once and then darkness overcame her, the last thing she saw was the deep sadness in those beautiful aqua eyes.

-0o0-

She could feel her consciousness coming back too her and the first thing she realized was that someone was smoothing her hair back from her face. She could feel the light buffs of breath coming from the other person and she knew immediately who it was from the small child-like hands that felt her forehead for fever. She slowly fluttered her eyes open and found herself staring into the same aqua eyes that just a minute ago held such heartbreaking sadness.

`It was a dream… and yet it felt so real… like something that was going to happen…'

Her thoughts were interrupted by the small boy next to her sighing in relief.

“Thank goodness you're awake Swan-Chan I though you would sleep forever. We have to leave this place it will collapse any minute now and I am too small to carry you on my own. We are not that far away from the entrance, can you walk?”

Sakura could hear the urgency in his voice and she realized that he was serious and they were in great danger. Grinding her teeth against the pain she felt, she slowly got to her feet and nodded to the boy signaling him to lead the way. She silently followed the small child as they made their way down halls and into numerous doors until they finally burst through a door and found themselves outside. Quickly making there way past the iron gates and into the surrounding woods, they stopped just past the tree line and turned just in time to see the structure start to explode and crumble in on itself. Looking down at the boy she found herself studying him with interest.

“How did you know that the mansion was going to blow up?”

“Nii-chan told me so and he told me to make sure to get you out as soon as possible and then he told me to stay with you and that he would come for me later when he could. He never said when but he promised and I trust Nii-chan so I know he will come,” the little boy said his small face glowing with the unwavering trust of such an innocent child.

`I wonder if he is referring to Itachi when he says Nii-chan… if he is then that would mean this boy is also an Uchiha or maybe Itachi adopted him… either way there is something key about this boy that I haven't pinpointed yet… I guess it would be wise to keep him close by until I figure it out.'

Just then she felt 3 other chakra signals' heading right for them and one of them was brewing like an oncoming storm. She immediately knew who it was that was coming and that she had a lot to pay for when she reached Konoha… that is if she ever made it there…

-0o0-

A pair of red eyes looked back one more time at the scene in the clearing. As he watched the woman and the small boy was joined by three males one of which he knew very well. His eyes narrowed and he turned from the scene, a small smile on his features.

“I hope you trust in yourself, because your future will test your loyalties…”

Smiling once more, he slipped into the dark woods never looking back into the clearing, positive that the seeds of doubt that he left behind would grow to fruition.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ Crerar

 

Authors Note:

I am so very sorry about how long it took me to get this chapter I just had a hard time figuring out where I wanted to go from the last chapter but I have finally found more inspiration to write this fic and now since I have a month off of school I will be able to update more often and hopefully finish this fic sometime soon. I hope you liked this chapter, I know it has created more questions then answers but don't worry you will be getting the answers to all your questions soon. Well please review and let me know what you think. See ya later!

Next Chapter:

Sakura is in big trouble with her team and is danger of getting kicked off and being demoted to Chuunin level. What will Naruto do about the boy Sakura brings home and who exactly is this boy and is he really the heir to the Uchiha clan? Next chapter should be up soon in the next two weeks at most.