36. The Reality Of Love

Sasuke POV____

After fighting that lunatic from the Akatsuki I was left feeling pretty weak.

Luckily Suigetsu, Karin and Jugo found me and took me back to a nearby village and got a hotel room so we could rest.

Jealousy and hatred filled every inch of me as I lay in bed thinking about what I had just seen merely hours ago.

Loud voices started to interrupt my train of thought, I couldn't hear myself think over Suigetsu and Karin's bickering so I told them to shut up before lying back down again and closing my eyes.

Silence, that's what I needed right now.

If only my heart would be silent but the look I'd seen on Tila's face when she came running out from amongst the tree was one that I just couldn't fathom.

The way she looked at the blonde guy as he blew himself to smithereens, was a look I'd given before too.

It was the look that I gave at the sight of my parents being murdered. The pain, the hurt in her face was undeniable. Why was she looking at him like that?

How did she know him?

Was she in league with the Akatsuki?

If she was, she would have known where Itachi was...

She would have known when she had returned to Orochimaru.

It all started to make sense and ripples of hate for both Itachi and Tila grabbed hold of me. I'm going to find and kill them both

Tila's POV______

I felt arms around my torso, holding my body in place, someone's warm skin softly against my cheek.

I flittered my eyelashes and opened my eyes, becoming aware of Itachi's familiar smell filling my senses.

I felt his deep relaxed breaths pressing against the side of my body as I lay between his spread legs, we were huddled on his spacious bed. A moment of calm silence filled the space surrounding us. My eyes were swollen and my lips were dry and cracked. My small shallow breaths passed by the skin of my lips.

I can't tell what's real and what is an illusion anymore.

"You're awake..." Itachi's deep voice spoke softly to me. I gulped and let out a short raspy breath. My heart began to be weighed down by all of the memories as they arose to the surface of my mind, clouding my thoughts completely, making it impossible to clearly hold on to one idea.

Sasori, now Deidara.

...

......

What is love?

.....

Why does it hurt so much?

........

Why do I always find myself being torn away from those I love?

Is it my fault?

It has to be...

There's no other explanation.

I waited too long and now I'm suffering.

.....

Time waits for no one. Especially not me.

......

It will pass me by and I will be left standing alone shrouded by the darkness

_______________

I shuddered and held my head tightly as the intricate thoughts my mind produced leaked through every surface inch of my cold pale skin. A small metaphoric light in the darkness presented itself unexpectedly, my voice found itself words.

"I know why you're not scared... I'm beginning to feel the same way you do" I whispered, the words only having entered my mind momentarily.

I felt Itachi pause his breathing for a second before letting out another deep breath, I felt his skin still subtly colliding gently against my own.

I didn't want to be alone, I didn't want to be left.

I didn't want my heart to ache anymore, I didn't want to let time pass me by as I stood there helplessly...

So I did what my body and mind were desperately aching for.

I tilted my head up ever so slightly and softly placed my lips onto Itachi's cheek leaving a soft kiss upon it. As he carefully gazed down at me with those dark onyx eyes I closed my own, I felt my tears trail down my cheeks.

What was I doing?

...

A soft kiss placed itself onto my cracked and sore lips, the passion rippling its way into my heart helplessly as though filling the deep empty cavity in my chest. His warm breath spoke words only inches from my lips, tears still rolling from my closed eyes silently down my cold lifeless cheeks.

"Are you sure this is what you want Tila?" He asked.

I slowly opened my eyes back up as if I had found new light.

"I've loved and I've lost. I see more clearly now than ever before, Itachi"

........

"I see you."

The darkness of Itachi's eyes spoke to me. They longed for it.

For love. For passion. His eyes told me all his deepest darkest secrets.

He didn't want to hurt anymore either.

"Please... Make it stop," Yet another whisper escaped my lips unintentionally.

I gasped as his cold hands gripped the sides of my waist roughly, lifting me up and forcing me to sit on his lap, each of my legs now straddling him. Soft slender fingers entwined themselves with my own and I was pulled forward forcefully, my uncontrollable tears now gently falling upon his cheeks as he kissed into me roughly.

His kiss deepened, lips tasting so sweet, as though eating the forbidden fruit. My heart thumped hard and the adrenaline let loose throughout my veins to reach every arteriole within my already quivering body.

Itachi's lips broke apart from mine then his hands parted from my own then found themselves at the hem of my shirt lifting the fabric off my body without hesitation.

I ran my fingers down his hard chest, our eyes still connected. Still speaking to each other wordlessly, I shakily reached his beltline and lifted his shirt off too. I watched silently as his cold touch trailed up from my belly button against my skin, he gently trailed higher until he reached my left breast then grasped it tightly with his palm and began to knead it roughly.

"Itachi" I moaned his name, he pulled me against him roughly with his free hand, my body quivered from the intensity of his dominance over me.

Tears still trailed down my cheeks as I kiss up the soft skin of his neck, his grip on my breast released and his hands trail down the sides of my body until each of his hands gripped onto my behind.

"Itachi" I moaned into his neck, I couldn't control the overwhelming feelings overtaking me. A tightness formed in my throat and I hiccupped, he looked down at me to see what might have been the matter.

"Tila" he sighed as he realised I was still crying.

The sound of him saying my name was enough to trigger my pent up emotions, I broke out into rapid tears and buried my face further into his neck to try and hush my sobs. His arms wrapped themselves back around my frame, his fingers tickled the skin of my back, making my body tingle in desperation. Amidst the silence all that were audible were my tears, that was until I heard Itachi say something I had not expected;

"Tila, I believe that you were put on this earth to do something great for this confused and pained shinobi world." His soft yet deep words echoed in my mind...

"What could a helpless, weak girl like me do? It was my fault Deidara..." I whispered my thought out aloud.

"You're strong and I know you will overcome this, don't let pain deter you from choosing the right path in life." I closed my eyes wondering what the right path that Itachi spoke of was.

What was this force inside myself that took over me when I least expected it? Did it have something to do with what Itachi was saying?

"Itachi, I need to tell you something," I looked back up at him. His gaze steadily held mine so I decided to tell him what had really happened.

"The reason... Deidara did what he did, the night of my birthday... Something unexpected happened" I began to explain the confusing situation the best I could.

He nodded slowly, listening intently as I proceeded

"Some sort of deep darkness inside me took over my body, I couldn't control it. It's as if I have another personality deep within me. That entity took over while I was talking to Deidara earlier and it. It told him I loved Sasuke" I gulped thickly as I finished explaining, the thought of what this thing was capable of scared me so much.

Itachi brought his hand up and cupped my cheek gently, his thumb softly whipping away my tear stains.

"You're from the Kurama clan Tila, am I right?" Itachi asked softly.

I nodded slowly in anticipation of where he was going with this...

"Aren't you supposed to be able to cast Genjutsu?" He asked, I nodded again.

"This dark force inside yourself may be because of your Kekke Genkai" he explained. A flashback quickly crossed my mind and I had a small feeling like déjà vu.

"Orochimaru once told me years ago that... I would have split personalities due to my ability. But, I can't use Genjutsu Itachi" I sighed. How could this be possible?

"I'll train you then," Itachi said gently followed by a small smile. I felt his lips touch my forehead as he kissed it. It's as if his kiss made all my fear disappear and be replaced with overwhelming security. I felt so safe, as though I could accomplish anything with Itachi by my side.

As Itachi's lips broke away from my forehead and avert back to me I couldn't help but give a small smile.

"Alright, I accept your offer Itachi" I whispered.

Knock knock.

We both looked towards the door at the same time as the sound of knocking echoed slightly through the silent walls of Itachi's room.

"I'll get it" He let go of my cheeks and got up to answer the door. As he cracked it and peered outside I caught a glimpse of Konan's deep purply blue hair. They exchanged a few words quietly that I couldn't hear then Itachi turned back to face me.

"Leader-Sama wants to see you in his office," Itachi said coldly, I slowly stood up and walked over to the door.

"I'll come and see you later on," Itachi said as he opened the door for me.

"Okay," I replied before taking a deep breath to compose myself. I slipped on my shoes and shirt and left. Konan had already walked away by the time I'd started walking down the hall towards Leader's office. Maybe she already knew of what happened and figured it was better to say nothing to me about it.

I knocked on Leader's door, he beckoned me to enter so I did.

He was sitting behind his desk as usual but the look in his eyes seemed darker. I took a seat in front of his desk and waited to hear what he had to say.

"The time has come to revive Madara Uchiha."