Absolved.

Nightmare.

[Song: Narcissistic Cannibal - EarlyRise]

I opened my eyes again, expecting to see Itachi inside the genjutsu version of my village. Instead though, I found myself in pitch darkness. My hands shook at my sides and I balled them into fists, trying to chase away the fear.

"Itachi?" I called into the black, too afraid to move.

I was not answered by his voice, but by a soft humming sound. The sound was complemented by a glow of white blue light in front of me. As it brightened, I saw the source of it, the little bear my mother had given me. The unnatural hum turned to the tune I almost remembered, and was joined by singing.. My mothers singing.

"Sleep now, ocean of mine. Lost in the desert, slave to the sands of time. I will protect you, I will guide you through. Lost in the desert, until you find something new."

My body quaked with emotions, I felt a tear slip down my cheek as that old familiar longing groaned inside me. It had been so long that I had forgotten the lullaby she once sang for me, and I knew it was mine because she had chosen my name. She once called me her Ocean because she felt like I had saved her from the sand. "Mommy?"

Behind the bear I could just make out the shadowy silhouette of a woman, of Karura. "I need to show you something, sweet girl."

Before I could ask what she meant, the world slipped from beneath my feet and I was falling. I let out a scream, grabbing for anything I could see but nothing held me. I felt like I was falling for minutes until my body rocked against something solid, yet soft in a way.

"Kairi!" The familiar velvet voice was rushed, laced with concern.

"Itachi?" I asked, confused as I shoved myself out of his arms. "Why would you do this to me?" I sobbed out. I knew he could be cruel, but he hadn't been to me. To bring my mother into a genjutsu was beyond the kind of torture I'd imagined from him.

"Do this to you?" He questioned, gazing up above me and then back at me. "I warned you not to try and make that sand of yours float. It isn't the same as Gaara's, minerals are heavy."

I stared at him, glaring at the akatsuki cloak he wore. "You promised not to talk about him." When Itachi had first started trapping me in these genjutsu, he had pointed out a bond between us. We both refused orders to kill our little brothers, though mine was out of love and his was out of self preservation. I had been disgusted about it, and the only way he could get me to speak to him was to promise me he wouldn't bring up Gaara again.

Itachi raised his eyebrows, his face as confused as my own.

"I'm sick of this game, release me." I growled, regretting ever opening my eyes to look at that stupid crow.

"Game.. Release you.. What?" He looked shocked and hurt.

"Let me out of your genjutsu!" I demanded of him, shoving hard at his chest.

"Kai... I swore to you that I wouldn't put you under another Genjutsu.."

I glared at him, he'd made no such promise to me. He seemed to enjoy catching me off guard with his sharingan and forcing me to visit with him. It had been tense, but never before had he been this sick.

"Itachi my man, is everything alright down there?" Another male voice called from somewhere up the cave system we seemed to be in.

"Everything is fine Deidara." Itachi called back, his eyes still on me.

Apparently ignoring the assurance, a blond man made his way down to us. He was wearing an akatsuki cloak just like Itachi's and he had a crossed out Iwagakure headband just barely visible beneath where his fringe swooped into his face. "Not getting cold feet are you?"