Chapter 23

I awoke in the middle of the night and realized that Sasuke had indeed fallen asleep. It happens so rarely that I was tempted to lay there and stare at him for a bit, to experience what it's like to be in his shoes since I'm always the one sleeping under his protective gaze, but something else plagued my mind too loudly for me to sit still. It's Deidara and Sasori's bond.

As I carefully removed myself from the prince's loose embrace and stood, I relished in the overwhelmingly warm and adoring emotions just the sight of him brought to my entire being. Even though I'm new to all of this, I can't imagine how horrible they feel because they're at odds. Maybe, just maybe, if I can speak with Deidara without all those intimidating elder vampires around, I can figure out how to both help them and get the information we need.

Madara's bed was still empty. He chose to stay out for dessert. It doesn't come as much of a surprise. He's probably sinking his teeth into a tan beauty. I also bet his teeth aren't the only thing he's sinking.

The ends of my long hair tickled my bare lower back as I crossed the room to grab a robe from the clothing rack. After sliding it on and tying it closed, I spared Sasuke's sleeping form one last glance before slipping out of the room. If I ran this plan past him, he'd say no in a heartbeat. Before Sonukuni, I'd feel more unsure about sneaking around like this, but since I know I can overpower Deidara if we fight one-on-one, that's not so much the case.

A small smile tugged at my lips as my bare feet padded silently against the stone floors of the Sunagakure castle. All the little aches and pains from earlier were gone entirely. Sasuke's blood rejuvenated me thoroughly. It's as if the fight with Amegakure's advisors never even happened.

Whenever a maid or butler would come close to noticing me, I'd duck into a hiding place and wait for them to pass. The last thing I need is for one of them to question me or, worse, tell one of the others without my knowledge. Getting caught in the act would be both humiliating and dangerous. Of course, I'm no traitor, and I don't intend to release Deidara, but it'd be easy for someone to misunderstand if they arrive at the wrong time and hear me trying to empathize with him.

Like in Konoha, the castle was alight with life regardless of the time of day. Without being told, I realized the Subakus' help sleeps in shifts. That means the aides that helped me throughout the day are asleep now, and new ones are roaming the halls in their stead.

It took a bit longer than I intended, but I successfully slipped into the dungeon without being spotted. At least, I believe so. The underground halls and cells weren't lit nearly as well as upstairs, and if I was still human, it might've even been hard to see. I followed the same path I had taken earlier and finally arrived at the cell for which I was searching.

The man's blue eyes were dark, and his skin was caked with blood and dirt, but he was awake, "Here to see if you can make me crack, hm?" He spit on the floor between us and threw a look of significant irritation and distaste shot my way.

I ignored his insulting behavior and knelt with my hands wrapped around the bars of his cell, shaking my head slowly, "I came to talk."

The chains around his ankles rattled as he adjusted his positioning, letting his head fall back against the stone wall he was propped against, "You can talk till you're blue in the face. I'm not telling you anything."

My knees hit the cold floor softly, and I sat more firmly down, "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Just listen." Deidara didn't offer a response and simply kept his untrusting glare firmly in place.

For a few moments, I gathered my thoughts and brainstormed what I should possibly say. I've never done this type of thing before, trying to convince the enemy to come to my side. Well, that's sort of a lie. Becoming friends with Sasori in Sonukuni was similar, but not entirely. Back then, not only was I the prisoner, but I wasn't trying to get him to switch sides. He could've just allowed my sister and Madara to escape while keeping me trapped, and I would've been more than happy to die by his hand.

"Back then, when I was in Ame, you were one of the only people who treated me like something more than a toy or food. I never got the chance to thank you for that." Nothing changed in his appearance, so I continued figuring out what to say as I went along. "I, um…well…When Kaguya caught me, I really believed I was going to die. My sister was pregnant, by the way. Did you know?"

Blue eyes widened, and Deidara's posture straightened slightly. He obviously hadn't been made aware of the fact.

I nodded, not wanting him to feel like I was expecting him to verbally respond, "She and Madara both were put through…unbelievable stress in that room."

Deidara suddenly said, "I was under the impression you and that Uchiha don't get along."

Rather than let my surprise throw me off, I allowed myself to be honest with the man.

A bitter laugh left my lips, and my eyes trailed down to my fingers where they loosely gripped the cell bars, "The last time you saw me, that was the truth, but…I-I don't know. He was different in Sunokuni, more honest. He didn't try to hurt or scare me like he always does and even did what he could to make my sister and I feel safe," Another humorless laugh left my lips, and I smiled bitterly at my lap, "Or as safe as possible considering where we were."

Deidara's hateful expression had fallen into a more neutral, guarded one.

"Then Sasori came along. For some reason, he didn't kill me the instant I asked him for help."

The blonde man's focus seemed to heighten as I spoke about his fledgling, but he still didn't offer another response, so I continued as I searched his face.

"He risked everything to help us. If anyone from Amegakure found out, his life would be at risk. For all he knew, I could've been lying when I said I'd protect him from the Uchihas should they want revenge for his part in our imprisonment, but he still did it, and there's nothing I can ever do that will be enough to repay him."

This is my sad attempt at getting through to the dangerous criminal before me, "Even if that's the truth, I can't not try. I can't sit here and watch him do this to you and suffer. He's my friend, and if he cares about you, I want to help ease his pain."

Deidara's glare returned, "You're a fool if-" "I'm not asking you to give up. I came here to ask how I can make this easier for you both. That's all."

So that's a little bit of a lie, but not completely. If I can gain his trust by showing I'm not the violent monster he saw in the desert when I fought his peers, then maybe he'll eventually empathize with my situation.

We held one another's gaze for a long and silent moment before he sighed, "There's nothing you can do now that I've been captured. I'm as good as dead."

I opened my mouth to argue, brow furrowed as I intended to argue, but he cut me off, "I know I'm in no place to ask for a favor, especially from you of all people, but fuck. What have I got to lose, hm?"

He surprised me by crawling up to the bars, the shackles around his ankles clinking loudly. My instincts told me to move away, but I remained still as he grasped the bars just above my hands and frowned, "Will you make sure he leaves Suna after I'm killed? Sasori… He's such an odd guy, I know, but he isn't bad. He isn't all twisted and fucked up like me and the others yet."

Tears rose in my eyes at his confusing request, and I shook my head, voice cracking as I struggled to control my newly-turned and heightened emotions, "I don't think it's too late for you, Deidara, not if you-"

"Sakura."

My chin quivered as he cut me off, a sad look in his blue eyes, "You don't know about Yahiko and Nagato's powers, hm?"

I shook my head, and he rested his forehead against the bars, "Some of us, not Sasori, are owned by Amegakure's royal family, body and soul." He didn't let me cut in with one of many questions and explained, "Nagato and Yahiko are brothers, and their powers are related as well. After Kaguya fed them her blood, they developed them, and we were asked to prove our devotion to Amegakure."

I wanted to cut in with a comment that it sounded more like they were forced, but he continued, yet again before I could.

"Nagato can revive any person he's fed from so long as he gets to them before their body can decompose, human and vampire alike. He's able to locate any who he's brought back for the remainder of their life. Yahiko can control the bodies of those his brother has revived and those he's personally fed from."

Tears overflowed his eyes, and I realized I was crying too as he continued, neither of us bothering to wipe them away, "During the last war, Amegakure sent reinforcements to Kirigakure to face Sunagakure and Konohagakure and…well…Sasori is the only one that hasn't been compromised. Well, I suppose Obito hasn't, either. They likely don't even know about their abilities."

My fingers trembled as I hesitantly lifted my hands to wrap around his as he continued to grasp the cell bars; shaking my head, "There has to be something we can do, Deidara. We'll find a way to save you."

He shook his head, "You don't understand. We're all dead, not just me. That's why I want you to ensure Sasori runs as soon as I'm killed."

My brow furrowed in confusion, "What?"

Blue eyes closed, and his voice sounded more defeated than I've heard it to date, "Both of them fed from you, remember?"

A moment passed as his words sank in and then another, and then I finally snapped out of my disbelief, "T-That's how you were able to locate us? But neither of them was with you!"

A guilty expression met his face, and a slight sound of understanding left my throat. One of them was actually with the attack party, likely Nagato since rulers rarely leave their homes in times of "peace".

I squeezed my fingers over his more firmly, "Where is he?"

"I don't know for sure, but he's definitely revived everyone you killed. They're hiding out there waiting to catch someone alone, or they retreated to devise a new plan."

So Kakuzu, Zetsu, and Kisame are all alive? Unfaltering terror iced my veins, and Deidara knew exactly what I was panicking about without me having to ask.

"Hidan's alive, yes. The only way to keep all of us from coming back to life is to kill Nagato."

Bile rose in my throat, and I lightly banged my forehead against the metal bars, "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This can't be happening." I desperately tried to get him to say he was lying, "But in Ame, my body reacted as though he'd been killed. The others said they made sure of it before we left."

"That's because he was dead. You all killed him. Yahiko and Konan knew it was you because Nagato could sense you but chose to let you all escape and waited to revive Hidan so we'd have the element of surprise. They intend to have him control you if Yahiko can't."

My heart sank in my chest, and I continued for him, voice blunt and emotionless, "And they'll be able to make me do anything they want. They'll be able to revive me if I get killed, too."

Deidara sniffled, finally pulling one of his hands out from under mine so he could wipe at his wet cheeks, "Now you know. Still think there's hope?"

"How long were you going to withhold that information, you imbecile!" We both turned in surprise to see Madara standing nearby with a hand on his hip and an irritated glare.

My mouth fell open, and I stuttered to try and come up with a lie to explain what I was doing down here, but the Uchiha man's eyes began to glow, and he hissed as he came to stand just a few feet behind me, "Move away from her."

My teeth clamped together in shock as I turned to see Deidara pull away so he could sit in the middle of the cell, that hateful glare returning to his face as he looked up at the new arrival.

I turned back to mirror the expression at Madara, "You can't just-!"

The man grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, away from the cell, "If we kill Nagato, will Yahiko still be able to control those he's revived?" I tugged against his hold, but he only tightened his grip to the point that it hurt, so I relented. Once this conversation is over, I'll give him a piece of my mind.

"Go fuck yourself, Uchiha bastard."

A surprised cry passed my lips when, as quick as lightning, Madara pulled my wrist up to his lips and bit into it before shoving me against the bars, holding my arm still so I couldn't tear away.

Deidara's eyes widened and immediately began glowing, "What is…? Why does your blood smell like this, Sakura? You've turned! It shouldn't-" A low growl rumbled through his chest as he leaned forward and brought a hand up to cover his nose and mouth, eyes glowing brightly in the dimly lit space.

I winced as I tried to fight Madara's hold, "D-Don't drink it or-" A hiss slid past my teeth when Madara's nails dug into my skin, and I turned my head to glare up at him, "Let me go, asshole! What the hell do you think you're-Ah!" The familiar sensation of teeth sinking into my wrist came, and I gasped as I looked forward and saw Deidara had clasped his free hand to it. The mouth on his palm was biting me, drinking my blood.

Warmth flooded my body at the pleasurable sensation, and I groaned with discomfort, "Please let go."

He did, thankfully, and I shoved against the bars. Madara finally released me, and I took several steps away, my eyes glowing with rage and excitement. The man ignored me and turned his gaze down to the desperate-looking blonde man in the cell, who was staring at me with an expression I very much didn't welcome.

"Tell me what I want to know, or I'll hurt her."

My mouth fell open in disbelief, and my voice was much softer, quieter, "...what?"

"You're her master. You won't-"

Red eyes suddenly darted onto mine, "Come here."

My feet began moving against my will, one step after another, until I was pulled between Madara's arms. He made me face Deidara, my back against his chest, as he wrapped his arms around my body so he could pin me down and get a firm grip on my throat.

Terror enveloped my very being, and I trembled despite how warm both his and my body felt, "M-Madara!"

For some reason, the feelings of betrayal did more to disable me than fear. Actually, I know the reason. It's this stupid fucking bond. Or maybe it's not, and it's actually me; I don't know. I do know that I thought Madara was past the point of treating me like an object rather than a person. I thought he stopped doing that way before Amegakure.

"Let her go!" Deidara reached out past the bars in an attempt to claw the Uchiha man's arms away. My blood was working wonders making the poor blonde man feel inclined to protect me.

The fingers around my throat tightened to the point that I couldn't breathe, and I dug my nails into Madara's arm as I tried to break past it and failed.

"Answer my question: Can Yahiko still control Nagato's revived bodies if he's dead?"

Deidara's burning eyes bore into mine with sheer panic, "I don't know, I swear! Just let her go!"

"How far away can someone be before he can't control them anymore?"

"I think he has to be able to see them, but I'm not sure. I'll tell you whatever you want, so just stop!"

The hand around my neck loosened, and I gasped for air, throat and lungs burning as I opted to clutch to his arm for dear life, so I don't topple to the ground in a heap.

"You'll be obedient from now on, even if I'm not here, or I'll feed you her heart. Do I make myself clear?"

Deidara nodded quickly, "Okay, okay, I promise!"

Tears slid down my cheeks as Madara turned and dragged me along with him down the hallway, away from the advisor's cell. I stuttered when a heartbreaking sound of panic came from the man inside, "I-I'm alright! Don't worry about me. It's okay!"

The moment we were out of his earshot, Madara took a few unfamiliar turns before shoving me against a wall and glaring down at me, eyes still aglow. I returned the fierce expression despite the tears still making my cheeks wet. Earlier, I was ready to chew him out and maybe even physically fight him, but now that we're alone and his angry gaze is solely on me, I'm becoming fearful again and can't find the words to say.

"Why would you tell him not to drink? You know what your blood does."

I nodded, finding my courage as he lifted my wrist to lick the slowly healing wound closed the rest of the way. The sight of his tongue against my skin lit a fire in me, but I let it fuel my anger rather than my lust. "He was talking to me just fine before you came and ruined everything!"

The lips against my wrist froze as his eyes narrowed, and then he released my arm so it could fall to my side, "Just what were you doing down here with him in the first place? Does Sasuke know?"

I shoved his chest angrily, my rage getting the better of me, "I don't need permission to talk to someone, and it's none of your business!"

He shoved me in return, making my back hit the wall as he hissed, "It's my business when I'm not sure if you were going to tell anyone what he said." My mouth fell open in shock, and he answered my question before I could get it out, "No, I don't trust you. Not after what I just saw. Who the hell cries because their enemy's going to die, Sakura? What's wrong with you?"

Tears rose in my eyes, and I tried to shove him away again but couldn't quite muster the same strength as before, "Trust? Trust! Who the fuck are you to talk about trust, Madara?"

My voice cracked as he grabbed my wrists to hold them still, but I fought and tried to free them, my rage and hurt flaring wildly within me, "Why are you being like this? You're- …Madara, I'm scared…."

He froze, eyes widening as his angry expression fell into one of surprise.

I stopped tugging against his hold and simply let myself cry and be honest, "I don't know what I did to make you hate me again, but you're scaring the hell out of me, okay? Congratulations, you win again."

A sob tore through my chest, and I came forward to press my forehead against his chest, squeezing my eyes shut, "Y-You made me lose control, and then, just now, you treated me like…like some kind of pawn! That's no better than what Amegakure wants to do to me!" I heard a crack and knew it was my abilities getting out of control, and I squeezed my handfuls of his shirt more tightly in an attempt to ground myself.

The fingers around my wrists loosened slightly before releasing them all together, and I sensed him hesitate before slowly wrapping his arms around me.

"We're supposed to be on the same side now, so why are you acting like this?"

The cautious way he was holding me became less so, and I felt one of his hands rise into my hair so he could hold me against his chest, "I don't hate you. I…" He trailed off before sighing in defeat, "I heard what he said about Amegakure's plans and lost my temper."

Another crack came from nearby, and I began to panic in my already heightened state of emotion. What am I breaking right now? Please don't let it be the ceiling or something.

Madara allowed me to pull back a bit, and I focused on controlling my breathing as I glanced around, eyes wide with fear. It was the floor. Two massive cracks lay to either side of us, crawling like spiderwebs in the stone. A third crack appeared, then, and my breaths fell into gasps as I took one step away from Madara and then another, "I-I…."

He followed my movements with one hand reaching toward me, "Sakura…Calm down."

I could feel the electricity of disobedience climb my spine as I unintentionally forwent his order. A cry of pain tore through my chest, and I clutched at it as I turned and began stumbling in the direction of the steps, "I need…." One moment I could barely walk, and the next, I was sprinting as quickly as possible.

In what felt like a blink of an eye, I found our room and woke the sleeping prince by straddling his hips and shaking him with trembling hands, "S-Sasuke! Sasuke, help me!"

Dark eyes blinked sleepily for a moment before widening in surprise. Since he was aware of what was going on, I untied my robe and let it fall off my shoulders in time for him to sit up and pull me closer to him, "What happened?" Then his lips were dancing against the sensitive skin of my neck.

I gasped as I felt him quickly hardening between my legs, "I-It's a long story; I'll tell you when I'm not about to destroy-Ah!" Sasuke moved his hands between us to pull himself from his pants, and I eagerly took him inside.

My head fell back, and I let my arms follow suit, palm pressing against the mattress as his knees bent slightly. He mirrored my actions but kept one hand on my hip to aid me in moving against him while allowing me to bite into his wrist. A soft groan left his lips, and he blinked, eyes finally turning bright red as he looked over my appearance. I moved my legs so my feet were against the mattress rather than my knees, which allowed us both a bit more control over how we moved and how deeply he was pressing into me.

Slow and steady, the coils within me tightened and flexed until it became hard for me to keep the movements of my hips metered. A breathy moan escaped me as I released his wrist, and I came forward to press Sasuke down to the pillows, coming back onto my knees to let my body move more naturally. It felt good. No, it felt amazing. Even more so than usual, too. Short sounds of pleasure dusted the air as I gradually increased the pace, the gorgeous man beneath me hungrily grabbing and feeling any part of my body he could grasp.

Finally, I climaxed and felt him join me immediately. My head fell back, my eyes squeezed closed, and a tortured, pleasured moan gasped almost loudly from my mouth. I raised a hand to cover my lips as my insides squeezed and shook around him, relishing in the delicious warmth pooling in me.

When I could think coherently again, I collapsed against Sasuke's chest, breathing heavily, "Thank you. I'm sorry…." The terrifying, out-of-control feeling was gone.

"You talked to Deidara, didn't you?" He ran his fingers through my hair to slowly soothe it out over my shoulders so I could cool down more quickly.

"Yes. I got some info."

"How?" My eyes opened, and I stared at his chest as I hesitated to answer.

"What did she do?"

I was momentarily confused but immediately understood what was going on when I heard Madara speak from nearby, in the direction of his own bed, "She just talked to him until I came around and made him drink her blood. He shouldn't be any trouble now."

Mortification flooded every part of me, and I fumbled to pull the blanket over my naked body, sliding Sasuke out of me as I buried my face in his chest, "M-Madara! What the-"

"There's little I haven't seen in my lifetime, Dear."

I looked up to meet Sasuke's gaze, and he seemed a bit apologetic but relatively calm, considering. This must be him testing the waters of what I told him earlier, that I want him to start taking liberties when there's something he wants. He didn't want to stop what we were doing just because Madara arrived, so he didn't. While I'm glad he was receptive to my request, I wish he'd told me his uncle had shown up, so I could've at least stayed under the covers.

"So, is it just sex that can get you under control?"

I buried my face in Sasuke's chest again, face burning as hot as the sun as the prince tried to comfort me by rubbing my back up and down soothingly, "That with the blood, yes. I-I'm still trying to figure things out."

An almost comical sigh came from the older Uchiha man, and I had to turn my head so I could look over at him. He was lying on his back with his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling, eyes blazing red, "You may just be the luckiest man on Earth, Nephew."