Eyes of the Devil Rewrite Chapter 3

A/N- well thanks to my one and only reviewer so far. ^^ I really do appreciate reviews and I would love to have more. Just a hint…

Anyways, on with the story!

Her head felt like it was going to explode from the pain, her body slamming down into the hard wooden floor. Hot blood trickled down the back of her neck and down her forehead, dripping into her left eye. Her lungs were screaming for air and she tried to inhale, only to cry out in pain as her bruised ribs burned in protest.

"Still so fragile, little blossom?" Came his voice from across the room. He was almost whispering the words as if he was speaking to a lover, but Sakura knew better. Behind his velvety voice was nothing but pain, suffering, and darkness. The kind of darkness she knew all too well…

Sakura heaved herself up and managed to gaze back at him fiercely, despite the crimson liquid burning in her eye. Every ragged breath burned in her lungs. Her kimono was tattered and torn, her body covered in bruises and cuts. Stressed muscles in her arms sent searing pain through her beaten body as she tried to hold herself up.

She forced herself to glare at him, her green eyes burning with anger, fear, sorrow and every other emotion she felt. After everything that's happened to her, she'd be damned if he saw he cowering in fear again!

His crimson eyes darkened dangerously at her. Who did she think she was? She was his!

Rage thrummed through him as he began to go over the best ways to break her. He, of course, knew every way to make her crumble. After all, destroying her had been his favorite hobby for those glorious months he had her.

Then it came to him.

Slowly, meaningfully, his hand drifted to the hilt of his sword, and Sakura's heart stopped. The soft click and following ringing sound filled the room he drew the blade from its resting place on his back. The moment it was free of the sheath was the same moment all of her defiance and anger went out the fucking window.

"So you got some of your old fight back huh?" He said lazily, flipping the sword in his hand to rest over his shoulder.

Her body was shaking so hard he was surprised her teeth weren't chattering. Those hands of hers, which he knew from experience could be soft as silk or rough as leather, were clutching at the floor as she tried to hold herself up.

The young kunoichi's pale green eyes were wide and full or terror, glued to the sword he held lazily in his hand. He knew full well the terror that his weapon could inspire in her, and the knowledge made him smirk evilly. Oh the pleasures he had in mind for her. Just thinking of how much fun he was going to have made his blood. He couldn't wait to be covered in her blood once more.

The mad gleam in his eyes grew darker as he took a step towards her, a low growl resounding in his chest. His sneer only grew as she tried to move scurry away, only for her to meet the cold, hard wood of the wall behind her.

"I missed you, Sakura." He purred, taking another step towards her, purposefully making his movements slow and meaningful. All of her defiance crumbled with each step he took. She cringed back, recoiling from his very presence with a soft, strangled cry.

"No…" She begged. Hot tears threatened to spill down her face as every memory of everything he'd done to her, everything he'd taken from her came slamming back, along with the knowledge of everything he would do now that he had her again.

Smoke was pouring in from all directions, burning in her lungs and her eyes. The heat from the fire consuming the building was almost overwhelming. The rafter creaked above their head and Sakura could see the glow of the flames spreading across them.

"Mine again." He murmured, mere inches from her now.

Sakura screamed and struck out at him. Her fist swung with all the strength she could muster in her weakened state but he merely deflected the attack as if he were swatting an insect. Growling he viciously slammed her hands to the wall bruising her knuckles and nearly snapping her wrists.

She cried out, terror filling her as he closed the gap between her bodies. He was barely an inch from her now.

"Please… No more Sasuke… Not again…" She begged.

"Now I'll take you back." He growled. Bending down he brushed his fingers over her cheek tenderly. Sakura jerked away from him, only to have him grab her by her jaw roughly and pull her back to meet his gaze. His blood red eyes shown with fury and she knew that only meant pain. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a voice she didn't recognize.

"Let her go, Sasuke."

Sakura bolted up, barely managing to stifle the terrified cry from leaving her. As usual her clothes were soaked in sweat and she was out of breath; par for the course as far as her usual nightmares were concerned. Still, that one was very, very different. She tried as hard as she could to remember but try as she might it was already gone. She ran her fingers through her sweaty hair, growling softly. She buried her head in her hands and took several long, deep breaths. It took everything she had to suppress the tears burning in her eyes, threating to spill over.

It took her almost ten minutes to regain her composure. She just sat there, starring at the wooden floor, forcing her runaway emotions back under her control. Finally she let out a deep sigh of relief and sat up straight, now in control.

"It's fucking cold." She grumbled softly, pulling the blanket tighter over her thin frame and stretching her tired body at the same time, mewling softly. Glancing over at the fireplace she noticed that it was roaring still, much to her surprise. She cautioned a glance at the window and grimaced. The sun had gone down long ago, nothing but darkness and blankets of white visible to her. "Guess it's still snowing…" She mumbled aloud.

Then her entire thought process ground to a screeching halt.

Something wasn't right… She didn't remember falling asleep, nor having a blanket. In fact if memory served, there had only been one blanket…

Terror coursed through her as her eyes shot to the make shift bed in the middle of the room…

It was empty…

Ice flowed in her veins.

"You're finally awake."

Sakura's heart stopped as her gaze swept immediately to her left, green eyes wide with shock.

Time seemed to freeze as he came into view.

He was standing in the kitchen, leaning nonchalantly against the small wooden table with his arms crossed above his semi bare chest. He'd put his gi back on, despite the blood and tears littering the fabric. His long dark hair had also been tied back into a lazy ponytail, the midnight tresses flowing down his back. The man just stood there, his seemingly loose stance holding an inherent danger that was palpable in the very air around them.

Slowly her gaze rose to meet his own, and she couldn't help the surprised gasp that left her as she locked eyes with him.

Now that he was awake his features looked less and less like Sasuke. His face was thinner and instead of his hair framing his face like Sasuke's it acted as a curtain for his own, hiding his grey eyes (that's the only way she could describe them at the moment) and shadowing his face a bit. His raven bangs hung almost straight down, giving him an air of mystery. But it wasn't his face that made her gasp.

His eyes were beautiful. Most of the iris was a soft grey color, with the color darkening steadily from silver to the normal Uchiha onyx around the pupil. The swirl of colors drew her in, mesmerizing her. His gaze was so intense it made her stomach twist and she could swear she was starting to sweat.

He opened his mouth to speak again, causing reality to come smashing back down on her.

Old reflexes kicked in and Sakura bridged the gap between in less than a second; planting her left foot with a determined growl she spun into a roundhouse, putting enough force behind it to send him through the wall.

Without so much as taking a breath he threw up his arm and blocked her attack. The smack of the impact reverberated through the small cabin, making anything not nailed down shake and Sakura swore she heard the kitchen window crack.

Sakura's eyes widened. He'd just blocked a kick that had knocked hunter Nin out cold with almost no effort, only an expression of mild surprise and curiosity on his face. He raised an eyebrow at her, almost as if he was trying to ask her some sort of unspoken question.

For some reason this enraged her to no end. How dare he act like she was nothing!

The pink haired girl growled and unleashed a barrage of taijutsu at the seemingly arrogant Uchiha before her, and as if just to anger her more he dodged or deflected every attack. His form was perfect and he moved so fluidly it was hard to keep track of him despite that he was only defending. He was so damn fast!

He growled softly. This was getting old very quickly. She was obviously very well trained and he would have to end this quickly if he didn't want to have to hurt the poor girl.

Then he was gone. She hadn't lost sight of him, hadn't moved, hadn't even blinked and he was gone. It occurred to her in that split second that she was completely and utterly outclassed.

Next thing she knew her right arm was being twisted behind her back painfully and he was shoving it upwards so that if she tried to move her arm would snap. His other hand locked around her throat and she knew she was finished as she was slammed into the rock hard ridges of his chest. She was trapped. Her stomach turned as his proximity brought a familiar terror bubbling to the surface, her breath quickening.

She failed to notice that he wasn't exerting any pressure on her neck or arm.

"Look." He growled, close enough that his breath ghosted over her ear. Sakura went even more rigid, if possible and let out a barely audible cry of despair.

Sensing the girl's distress he took a long, rattling breath and allowed himself a moment to compose himself before trying to speak again.

"If I wanted to hurt you I could've done so a thousand times already." He spoke quietly, his deep voice reverberating in his chest and by contact through Sakura, making her even more uncomfortable. The only thing keeping her from fighting him was the hold he had on her arm. She was well aware that if she made any attempt to move he would snap her arm like a twig. "You saved me. I don't repay that kind of act with murder." He said, emphasizing the last few words.

Sakura made a noise somewhere between a growl and a sigh. She hated being completely helpless. Not to mention his statement made sense. He could've killed her a dozen times by now if he'd wanted to cause her harm. Still, it didn't mean she had to like it.

"Since when are bandits so considerate?" She spat, venom dripping from her words.

The cold, emotionless tone she spoke in shocked him. It was as if she was and empty shell, pretending to feel…

The Uchiha growled and applied a slight pressure to her arm. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to make her cry out in pain.

"I am not a common bandit. I was attacked by those cowards and I defended myself."

Sakura looked back at him incredulously, locking eyes with him for the first time since their initial contact.

"You call murdering them defending yourself?" She barked.

"They were trying to kill me. Why should I have spared them? They were murderers and thieves." He growled. "If I hadn't dealt with them they would've kept on hurting people."

Again, she deadpanned at his logic.

"Well aren't you mister hero." She grumbled.

The man behind her sighed heavily.

"Look," He started, relaxing the pressure on her arm so it wasn't hurting her anymore, "I'm not going to hurt you, alright. I'll let you go if you give me your word that you won't attack me again."

She hated the thought of having to trust an Uchiha to keep his word. They were all lying, deceiving, murderous, rapi…

No.

She'd been praised all her life for being bright and having a cool, calculating mind. Judging one man on the simple basis of his bloodline was unfair.

"Think idiot…" She growled inwardly. "He said he doesn't want to hurt you and everything he's done has been in self-defense, including the bandits and our current situation as well. If he was a bandit, or a murderous bastard like HIM, then he would've killed me already…"

She bit her lip out of habit, her mind going into overdrive. He waited patiently for her to mull things over until she finally made a decision.

Sakura gave an exasperated sigh, but nodded in defeat.

He released her and took a few steps back, watching her hesitantly.

Striding over to the kitchen table she leaned against it, much like he had been earlier, and stared at him, allowing herself to slip into her usual emotionless façade.

"Just because I'm not going to attack you anymore doesn't mean I trust you." She stated evenly, refusing to fall for the hypnotic power of his eyes again.

Sakura almost fell over when he chuckled slightly.

"You'd be a fool to." He said, striding over to the fireplace and sitting down with his back to the wall.

Sakura turned her body as he moved, never coming off guard and never giving him her back.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He gave her a quizzical look.

"It means that you have no idea who I am, and vice versa, so any trust her would be foolish." He said, his eyes locking with hers. "But, I meant what I said. I won't hurt someone who saved me. I owe you my life."

It took Sakura few minutes to process his words. That time was filled with an awkward silence as they stared at each other. The only sound was the soft crackle of the fire as it filled the small cabin with heat and light.

Her mind was brimming with questions but given how he'd reacted earlier she was unsure if she should ask them, especially if it caused another conflict.

She growled softly. There was no choice. The simple fact that he hadn't killed her yet meant that he didn't have any ill intent towards her, for now at least.

He shifted slightly next to the fireplace, and Sakura caught him wince slightly, despite his trying to hide it.

"Did your wounds re-open?" She asked softly.

"I'll be fine." He said softly, his head tilted down so his hair hid his face from her.

Sakura scoffed and strode over to him, stopping just in front of him. Bending down to her knees she reached out to examine him, but he caught her hand in his own in a flash. He rolled his head back to rest against the wall, his hair falling so only half his face was visible. Her expression hardened.

"I gave you my word, didn't I?" She said sternly, staring him right in the eyes. "Now let me look at your wounds before you bleed out on the floor."

After a long moment he released her hand and moved forward slightly so she could examine him properly, slipping his gi off of his shoulder.

At first being this close to a conscious, very dangerous Uchiha once again made her stomach turn and her hands start to shake, but after a moment of mental chastising she fell back into the role of medic quite naturally, examining his shoulder with a careful eye.

"Well you got lucky." She said after a few moments. "The stitches didn't tear, they just got tugged a bit and it bled a little. You'll be fine but I need to change the bandages."

She strode over and grabbed her medical bag off of the table. Walking back over to him, she sat down and set about re-bandaging his wound. There was an almost semi-comfortable silence between the two of them as she worked, until he spoke up unexpectedly.

"Thank you." He said softly.

"For what?" She asked as she continued her task, wrapping his arm in white cloth.

"For saving my life." He said, so lowly that she barely heard it.

"No need to thank me. I could never just let someone die." She said, trying to act like she was focusing on her task. "My name is Sakura, by the way." She said in afterthought.

"Nice to meet you, Sakura."

His voice was deep and reverberated in his chest when he talked. It reminded her of her few brief encounters with Itachi Uchiha, but this man's voice was more gravelly than Itachi's smooth baritone. Still, it wasn't exactly hard on the ears.

She finished setting his bandages in silence. He was content to let her work and she was focused on the task at hand.

"Look there's something I should tell you." She mumbled. She let her eyes meet his gaze for a minute, but dropped them back to the things she was stuffing back into her bag.

He gave her an odd look, but nodded for her to continue.

"I'm…" She began, unsure of what to say. "I'm from Konoha." She blurted out. He immediately tensed as soon as the words left her mouth. She met his gaze and his eyes burned into her, his gaze intense as he read her every feature for the slightest threat.

"So you know who I am?" He said carefully after a few moments.

"Not exactly…" She said, doing her best to hold his gaze as she spoke. "I know that you're an Uchiha, but that's it…"

Again, he mulled over what she said to him for a few minutes before he spoke again. As each minute passed Sakura grew more and more tense, terrified that this unknown and obviously rouge shinobi would kill her for revealing his identity.

"Are you a hunter?" He asked. His tone was soft but Sakura sensed the imminent danger behind his words.

"I'm no longer a part of the village hidden in the leaves." She said her eyes on the floor.

"I'm sorry." He said. Sakura's gaze raised to me his, his words shocking her. "Leaving it behind was hard for me; I can't imagine what it was like for someone who didn't leave of their own volition." He said softly.

"How did…" She began, but he cut her off.

"I could tell by the look in your eyes when you spoke of the village." He said.

They fell into a calm silence again, staring into each other's eyes. She swore she saw a look of forlorn sadness cross his features as he spoke of the village, giving her the distinct feeling that there was a lot that he wasn't telling her.

"So…" Sakura said, purposefully leaving the sentence open.

"I am an Uchiha." He said. "There's no changing that."

"Can I know your name?" She asked hesitantly.

"No." He said suddenly, his tone growing hard.

"Why?" She asked incredulously, glaring at him. She had told him her name; the least he could do was return the courtesy.

"Trust me Sakura; you're better off not knowing my name." He said softly. She was going to argue but something in his voice and the way he hid behind his bangs when he spoke put her off somehow. The sadness in his voice was unnerving.

She gave another heavy sigh, her hundredth that night probably. Brushing a hand through her pink hair she studied the man before her.

"So just what do I call you then? Uchiha?"

He looked back at her, emerald meeting swirling gray, and she saw the smallest ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Call me Hei."

A/n- sorry this took so long to come up with but I couldn't make up my mind on how it would go when "Hei" woke up. I think I did ok. And it's pronounced hey, not he-A, btw. Pronunciation is one of my little quirks. As for Sakura, she doesn't quite trust our mystery man yet, but something deep down is telling her she should… or is she simple going batshit from all the horrible things she's endured? And as for Hei, why is he so hesitant to give his name? Why did he say she'll be safer? How the fuck is another Uchiha alive? We'll see. As always, reviews are appreciated.