A Second Chance
All rights and characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
A/N: Hey all! I'm back for the summer, which means the next chapter for Rebirth will be up in two weeks! This little one shot was inspired by the ItaSaku moments in Rebirth. It was also largely inspired by this amazing artwork from byShamora! Enjoy! byshamora/art/ItaSaku-Kyun-686923896
"Sasuke! Yamete!"
Sakura's cry rang clear in the clearing as she stumbled across the one scene she never wanted to imagine. Her plea was ignored as she watched Sasuke charge at Itachi, his blade poised for the fatal blow. Ready to interrupt the battle, she felt a strong grip wrap around her arm. Surprised by the touch, she turned to glare at the individual responsible for stopping her attempted intervention. Piercing blue eyes that belonged to her teammate greeted her as a solemn expression that was uncharacteristic of the boisterous boy halted her actions.
"Let me go, Naruto! I have to stop them." She could hear her voice crack as the desperation bled through her words. Forcibly attempting to remove her teammate's hand, she was shocked by the strength of Naruto's grip. Her notorious strength appeared to fail her as her silent partner refused to let go. Frantically she searched his eyes, pleading for him to release her, but all she got was a slight shake of his head. Furious but trapped, she turned her attention back to the fight. She watched as Sasuke's blade was easily deflected by Itachi's Susanoo. A slight wave of relief washed over her, but it was immediately quelled as she watched Sasuke back against the only remaining wall. Panic and fear contorted his expression, but it was Itachi's staggering steps that had Sakura freezing with dread.
"Gomen Sasuke. But this is it…"
Time seemed to slow as Sakura watched Itachi tap Sasuke's forehead, bringing forth past conversations about his favorite gesture of affection before he listlessly collapsed to the ground.
"ITACHI!" Finally, feeling her teammate's grip loosen, Sakura rushed over to the fallen ninja. Her hands glowed a pale green as she attempted to heal the damage, but a part of her knew it was too late. Tears blurred her vision, preventing her from seeing the peaceful smile that graced Itachi's features. Once again, she could feel her heart breaking as memories of the past year rushed over her. Their first encounter, her realization of his sacrifice, his confession, her profession of love, and the last night they spent together. Clutching the ground, she could still hear their conversation echoing in the back of her mind.
"Sakura." The faint call of her name caused the slumbering woman to wake as she felt the warmth of her lover beside her. Slowly she lifted her eyelids, the sight of Itachi watching her caused a slight blush to color her cheeks. Noticing the flush of color, a slight smirk twisted his lips as he easily leaned towards her. Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt the warmth of Itachi's lips brushing against her own, reigniting the passion they had sated earlier. Feverishly, she returned his affection with equal desire as her arms wrapped around him, relishing the feel of his skin as she pulled him closer.
Tempted to quell the hunger that was growing inside him, Itachi forced himself to break the contact. Leaning away from his lover, he was entranced by the sight of her tousled locks and bruised lips. Mildly distracted, he appeared to lose himself in his thoughts as Sakura patiently waited for Itachi to explain his sudden withdrawal. Minutes appeared to pass with no word from her lover. A small smile twisted her lips as she easily caressed his cheek.
"Itachi?" The sound of his name warmed him as he leaned into her touch. Taking a moment, he steeled himself before he addressed Sakura. Within seconds, all pretense of desire was gone as he adopted his expressionless guise. "Tomorrow, I will face Sasuke."
The serious tone alerted Sakura as she immediately removed her hand. Her brows furrowed as she rose from the bed, the sheets appeared to slip away as she directed her attention to Itachi. The past few months had been blissful. A never-ending dream that she refused to wake from, but now, it appeared she had no choice. Her eyes briefly fell shut as she could already sense where the conversation was going. A childish part of her wanted to run away from this inevitable discussion, but she knew deep down it would be a decision she regretted. Running her hand through her hair, she turned away, attempting to hide the inner turmoil that was threatening to overwhelm her. Forcing herself to take a breath, she asked a question she already knew the answer to. "I'm assuming you do not want me there?"
"It would be for the best. I have made my decision." His words made her heart clench as Sakura could feel the tears beginning to form. Quickly blinking them away, she stared straight ahead at the adjacent wall. The slight patterns in the bare walls appeared to be a decent distraction as she bit her lip.
Itachi watched the silent female. Even though he knew his decision was final, a selfish part of him wished he could give her the future that they had both desperately envisioned, but, he was never destined for happiness. If Sasuke was unable to kill him, the disease surely would. He refused to allow Sakura to waste her life as she futilely tried to extend his own. He was already living on borrowed time. Although the thought of Sakura settling down with another man and starting her own family pained him. Easily, an image flashed in his mind, one that haunted his dreams ever since they had confessed their love for one another. It was a simple dream, one in which Sakura was carrying a baby, their baby, awaiting his return from a mission. It was one that he knew could never come true, but it did not stop his mind from indulging in those worthless fantasies.
A frown appeared as he could not help the familiar wave of loathing overwhelm him. His actions and decisions were ones he had never regretted until he met Sakura. It was easy for him to accept his fate, but she changed everything. Her compassion, love, and stubborn ways won him over as she had managed to break thrown his cold façade, rediscovering his humane side he locked away after the Uchiha massacre. He had refused to indulge himself at first, his rational mind knew nothing good would come out of it, but the emotions she was able to conjure easily silenced his reason. She had made his life bearable. Even if it was temporary, he would cherish their memories together. They would be his only form of comfort before his life ended.
"Itachi…" The sound of his name broke his thoughts as he turned his attention to the female who still refused to look at him. Immediately his frown disappeared as he could see the tears well in her eyes although she was furiously attempting to stop them from overflowing. Reaching for the petite woman, he easily pulled her into his arms. He could feel Sakura burying her face into his chest; her arms were tightly wrapped around him as if they were attempting to stop him from leaving. Returning her embrace, he buried his face in her hair. The scent of musk and sandalwood greeted him, calming his inner demons that struggled to part with his only source of comfort.
"I promise you, Sakura. If we meet again in another life, I will never let you go."
She could hear how serious Itachi was, and for a moment she prayed to Kami they would be given the opportunity to reunite. "I will do the same Itachi. Aishiteru."
"Aishiteru…"
Remembering his words, Sakura couldn't stop her trembling hands as she wrapped her arms around herself. Unwillingly to try to stop the tears, she allowed herself to wallow in the onslaught of pain that washed over her. When she had awoken the next morning, she was pained at his absence. He did not let her say goodbye. But then again, he knew she would still find him and attempt to save him from his fate.
"Aishiteru, Itachi."
Her confession surprised her two teammates, but Naruto's somber expression hinted that he knew of her affection. Walking up to Sakura, he placed his hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it as a sign of reassurance. Shakily, Sakura reached for her teammate's hand. Although he prevented her from interrupting, she knew he had done the right thing. Returning his gesture, Sakura rose from her position. Brushing her tears away, she walked over towards Sasuke. Her hands faintly glowed green as she once again summoned her healing chakra.
Still overcome by shock, Sasuke barely realized Sakura was healing him. His mind was processing his brother's actions as slowly he realized how naïve he had been. Memories of his childhood flashed into his mind, rushing over him as he remembered all of the fond moments he had shared with his brother. Slowly, he felt his eyes begin to water as he was forced to confront his actions. He had killed his brother. Covering his eyes, he couldn't help the stream of tears that escaped him. Unwilling to allow his two former teammates to witness his moment of weakness, he brushed away Sakura's hand, ready to escape once more. However, he was surprised as he felt Sakura's strong grip preventing him from leaving. Frustrated, he was ready to push his annoying teammate away, but Sakura prevented him from doing so. Forcibly, he felt her pull him into an embrace. Ready to push her away, he was stopped by his teammate as she tightened her hold, draining his will to escape as he found solace in Sakura's arms. Burying his face into her hair, he silently allowed himself to cry at the loss of his brother.
An hour seemed to pass before Sasuke released Sakura. Gently he pushed her aside, before rising from his position. Walking over to Itachi's corpse, he easily bent down and lifted his brother's body. Glancing at his two former teammates, they all understood his silent request. Naruto easily walked over to Sasuke, ready to help him with his brother's corpse but Naruto was not surprised by Sasuke's rejection. Acquiescing to his friend's decision, Naruto and Sakura patiently waited for Sasuke's next move.
"Let's go home."
Both of the teammates faintly smiled at each other as they all nodded their heads in agreement. Already preparing to leave, Sakura briefly glanced at the desolate scene. Once again, she could feel the tears well in her eyes, but she quickly brushed them aside. Even though they would be separated, for now, Sakura had a feeling she would be able to see him again.
"Sakura." The sound of her name drew her attention as she stared at her two teammates patiently waiting for her. Unwilling to make them wait any longer, she gestured for them to move out, her eyes briefly lingered on her lover's peaceful smile before focusing on her trek home. Her own expression mirrored her lover's as she realized the once broken Team 7 was finally reunited.
"Arigato, Itachi."
Epilogue
The sound of her alarm trilling caused the slumbering girl to jolt awake. Her dazed green eyes bleary glanced at her phone. The dreaded alarm was immediately shut off as she was tempted to go back to sleep. But, after blinking once more, she was cursing up a storm as she realized her phone said 8:10 am instead of 7:10 am. That meant she only had 20 minutes to get ready and get to class before she ended up being marked absent.
Sakura leaped from her bed. She rushed into the bathroom, quickly brushing her teeth before running her hands through her short hair. She needed to thank Ino for convincing her to cut it short. Not only was it a nice change from her typically long locks, but it also cut the amount of time she needed to get ready in half. Rummaging through her closet, she found her favorite red top. Throwing it over herself, she slipped on her white skirt before grabbing a jacket. Grabbing her laptop, textbooks, homework, and keys, she raced out of her room. Really happy that she had splurged on the automated coffee machine, she was extremely impressed that she had remembered to program and prepare her favorite brew the night before. Her workload was overwhelming at times as her shift the night before had run a little late, forcing her to stay up later than usual to review the chapter her professor had promised to quiz everyone on today. Muttering a sigh, she poured the coffee in her favorite traveler's mug, before briefly scanning her apartment. Pretty sure she had everything she needed, she locked the door and dashed towards her car.
Luckily her apartment was just ten minutes away from campus. However, the fact that the student parking was on the other side of the campus from her first class meant she usually needed a good ten minutes just to get there on time. She glanced at her clock once more. The white lights flashed the time: 8:20 am. Groaning, she sped through the uncrowded streets — one thing to be thankful for. Early classes mean less traffic, and since Konoha university was secluded, the commute was less stressful compared to her high school. Focusing on the streetlight, she impatiently willed the light to change. She was just two minutes away from campus. That means she would only be ten minutes late, and she could easily sneak into the back of the class since her first class was a general course that everyone was required to take. That meant there were at least 50 students in attendance, making it near impossible for the professor to keep track who was present. If she was lucky, Kakashi-sensei would be late too, so she should have some wiggle room.
The sound of her phone ringing broke her concentration as a familiar name flashed on her Bluetooth. Rolling her eyes, she easily answered. "Hey, Naruto."
"Sakura! Where are you? Kakashi is actually here right now. Sasuke and I are betting he has an evaluation or something. He is never on time."
"Crap. I'm parking right now. I overslept since I was working late last night. Can you stall, please? I'll treat you to ramen after class before you go to work."
"Sure, thing, Sakura! Ichiraku has a new flavor I want to try! But don't you have work today?" Flattered that her friend had an idea of her schedule, she smiled into her phone as she juggled her backpack, laptop, and coffee.
"Not today. Tsunade has a meeting, so she said she doesn't need me at the clinic today. I'm free for once!"
"Yosh! We are going to have fun. Oh crap…Kakashi-sensei is looking at me. See you soon!" Rolling her eyes, Sakura quickly hung up her phone. A text message alert surprised her. Noticing it was from Tsunade, she was curious as to why her boss was texting her this early. Especially when Sakura knew Tsunade was never a morning person unless she had an important meeting or a sake convention. Rolling her eyes at an image of Tsunade lined up at sake convention, Sakura was already opening her messages. Briefly scanning the short text, a giddy feeling swept over her as Tsunade had basically given her the rest of the week off as she had to prepare for a conference at the end of this week. Ready to celebrate the unexpected surprise, Sakura was too distracted to notice an individual approaching her, equally preoccupied with a book he was reading.
Inevitably, the two collided as Sakura felt her nose crash against a sturdy chest. Stumbling at the unexpected obstacle that had stopped her, her coffee tipped over, splashing her jacket and the unknown individual who had grasped her arms to steady her.
"Dammit. I'm so sorry!" Her frantic apology was accompanied by a groan as she realized her once white jacket was now a nice shade of brown. Today was not her day. Glancing down to see if her coffee spilled anywhere else, she was surprised to see one of her favorite novels on the ground. Reaching for the book, she picked it up and quickly brushed off any dirt. Pleased that the book was not subjected to her coffee fiasco, she glanced at the person she had crashed into.
Onyx eyes greeted her as a man she had never seen before was closely examining her. His brows were furrowed, as a slight frown pulled at his lips. Although he appeared to be only slightly older than her, the lines that appeared under his eyes made him look as if he was in desperate need of sleep. However, it did little to hinder his overall appearance. Noticing the pressed suit pants and a collared shirt that was slightly unbuttoned at the neck, he looked like a professor or lecturer. However, his long raven hair that was loosely tied at the nape of his neck had her questioning whether he was a professor. Overall, Sakura couldn't deny how attractive she found the man, but she could not let herself be distracted. Especially when she was running late, and he looked pretty ticked off at her.
Sheepishly she spoke, "I'm really sorry for not paying attention. Your book is okay, though!" Holding the book towards the male, she was surprised when he had nothing to say. A bit puzzled, she was ready to leave, but the sight of brown stain on his shirt sleeve had her pausing. Frowning, Sakura glanced at the man.
"Are you hurt? I know the coffee wasn't too hot, but you could've still been burned." Gesturing at his arm, Itachi briefly scanned his ruined his shirt before sighing, "I'm fine." Although he was ready to fault the girl for delaying him from his important meeting, he realized he was partly at fault. The novel he was reading had his full attention making him oblivious to his surroundings. Not to mention, it appeared the woman was also in a rush, and she had received the shorter end of the stick as her jacket was now ruined. Retrieving his book, he was ready to leave but was surprised by a small hand halting his steps. Bright green eyes were once more fixated on his arm. He watched the frown deepen, momentarily mesmerized by the woman's odd coloring.
"Come with me." He felt her hand tighten around his own as he was gently being dragged towards one of the buildings. Presumably, the health building, which was luckily the same building he was heading to. Surrendering to her actions, he easily followed the petite woman whose hand was wrapped around his own. He only just realized they were holding hands. Blinking at the revelation, he was more so surprised by his lack of disgust with the physical contact. He wasn't known for physical displays of affections. It was the one trait his past lovers continually cited as the reason behind their relationship failing. He couldn't understand why they needed blatant displays of affections, but he found himself enjoying the woman's hand wrapped around his own. Her grip was gentle, almost ensuring she would not further injure him, but strong enough to make sure he was unable to escape. A small smile played on his lips as he was bemused by the woman's strength and consideration.
As the unlikely pair entered the building, he watched as the female waved hello to everyone in the office. She must be popular. Quietly, he followed the woman into one of the rooms. It was a standard room, mirroring the rooms that were found in every hospital. She gestured at him to sit, as she deftly retrieved the necessary supplies. Silently, he watched the female work. It was evident she was comfortable in this environment. Which means she was most likely majoring in the sciences. He observed her gather everything she needed before easily stripping off her dampened jacket. A flash of pale skin caused him to turn away as he felt a part of him blush on behalf of the girl. Odd, considering he had just met her. He had never been fazed by a woman's bare skin. Too used to the countless females throwing themselves at him, he would admit he had seen his fair share of gorgeous women. She was pretty, though. Fair skin, bright green eyes that paired nicely with her soft, pastel pink hair that reminded him of cherry blossom season. Although her coloring was unique, he couldn't help but feel as if he had met the girl before. It was that feeling of déjà vu that had him observing her earlier when they had first collided.
"Can I see your arm please?" Breaking away from his thoughts, he nodded his head before placing his hand before her. Gently, she used a damp cloth to cover the now reddened area. It did sting a bit, but he was used to the pain. After all, his father had forced him to learn the standard martial art techniques as a child. But, the manner in which the female was focused on her task entranced him. She was delicate but confident in her work.
"I really am sorry. I should've been paying attention. I'm not usually this clumsy or late." A rueful smile danced on her lips as she removed the cloth. Dropping it on her tray, she reached for the burn cream. "I'm Sakura by the way."
His heart appeared to skip a beat at the sound of her name. Why did that name sound so familiar? Curiosity almost hindered his manners. Easily, he responded, "Itachi. It is quite alright. I should've also been paying attention."
His baritone voice surprised her. Although she had barely heard him say two words prior, she didn't realize how soft and melodic his voice was. However, his name echoed in her mind. Biting her lip, she wondered why that name appeared to be so familiar. Pausing her treatment, she glanced at the male. Surprised that he was also staring at her, the two silently locked eyes. Slowly, she could feel a slight blush begin to color her cheeks as the man continued to stare, but she was mesmerized by his eyes. They drew her in, coaxing her to attempt to understand why they felt so familiar.
Similarly, Itachi felt bewitched by her green eyes. They were expressive, making her easy to read, but still, they hinted at a hidden secret. One that he found himself tempted to uncover. The slight flush that appeared on her pale cheeks enticed him further as flashes of what could be taunted his mind, startling him from his reverie. It was so clear, almost as if it was a memory, but he knew he had never been with this woman before…. but, what he saw. It was evident he was attracted to her and judging by her reactions, the feeling could be mutual although he was typically hesitant in following his emotions, he never felt surer of any decision until today.
"Sakura, this may appear sudden, but would you like to go on a date with me?"
Sakura blinked as she was shocked at the male's question. She was sure he was annoyed with her, hence the shock at hearing him ask her out. But, she couldn't deny her attraction to him. Plus, she couldn't fight the feeling that she knew him from somewhere. Biting her lip, she turned away from him as she pondered over what she should do. A part of her was skeptical while a larger part was ready to jump at his offer. Looking at him once more, she was surprised at the patience in his eyes and the slight smile that appeared on his lips. Blushing at his obvious appraisal of her and his ability to sense her unease, Sakura decided that for once in her life, she would trust her gut instead of her mind. Taking a breath, she beamed at Itachi before replying, "I would love to."
"I promise you, Sakura. If we meet again in another life, I will never let you go."
"I will do the same Itachi. Aishiteru."