When you live your life in regret, you're world (along with everyone elses') comes crumbling down



She looks into the face of the killer who has brought upon her best friend's grievances for half of his life. His crimson eyes gaze at her with little interest, with little worry. She knows he can't possibly hurt her; not with his chakra depleted, not with his hands bound together, and certainly not when she has a weapon in her hand.

"Tell me, Itachi," murmurs Sakura. "have you any regrets in your life?"

His lips move — no sound emits.

The Uchiha looks at her blankly, all trace of emotion wiped clean off his face. She knows he is hiding it, and knows that inside he is terrified for his life.

This time, he moves his lips in a silent whisper. "I regret nothing."

Her lips purse, and her brows knit. The katana in her hand suddenly feels heavy — heavy with the impact this effect will undoubtedly cause. She would cause Sasuke a lot of emotional pain, but it was irrelevant. This time, this assassin has to be brought to his defeat.

She smiles apathetically, but it's the only sign of pity she shows toward him.

"That's too bad," she says. "You could have had a lot of chance in this world. You could have had a family. You could have been happy."

His face forms a scowl. "Do not tell me what my life could have been. I've chosen this path, it is my burden to bare."

"You're right," she amends. "I should get this over quickly for you. I wanted to make this last for as long as it could, but I'm starting to think that it wouldn't solve the empty feeling I have in my stomach by causing you pain."

"I do not care for your feelings. Just get it over with."

"As you wish."

The katana in her hands quivers, and her pulse palpitates tremendously. She was not sure she could go threw with this, was not sure she could handle the rejection she would receive from the young Uchiha when he would find out that his brother was murdered by none other than his worthless female friend.

I'm not his friend, she says internally. I'll never gain his acceptance.

"What is taking you so long?" sneers the elder Uchiha. "Can you not kill me knowing that you would never be the object of my foolish brother's intentions?"

"Shut up." She barks. "It has nothing to do with that."

"I can smell the deception on your person, and hear the intonation of a lie in your voice. You cannot trick me, kunoichi. I know what you feel for my brother."

"What you think I feel for your brother is wrong," she mumbles, and still can't find it within herself to kill him now.

"Is that so, kunoichi?" he asks. He tilts his head to the side, long silky strands of raven hair obscures his obsidian eyes from her vision. "Then kill me now. Prove me wrong."

"I..." her hands grip the hilt of the katana tighter, and she squeezes her eyes shut. Even here, in this deserted meadow and the rain falling serenely onto the blood sodden grass, she couldn't find her inner rage. She wanted to be angry with herself. She wanted to hack away at the Uchiha for causing her teammate so much misery.

"You can't do it, can you?" he jeers, and chortles hollowly. "My brother was right, you are a weak kunoichi."

Automatically her chakra flares, but not with the killing intent. Her knees are starting to feel numb, as well as her hands. She has to do this now, or there might not be another chance to save her home and her friend.

Friend...

What friend? she asks herself. What has he done for you?

She shakes her head, little droplets of water rain falls onto the ground.

"I don't think I can..."

His lips move into a small smirk. "You'll do your village disservice from failing to kill me, you know that, right?"

"It is not my fate to kill you."

"That won't buy you a ticket out of the consequences, kunoichi." He reprimands.

"It doesn't matter," she says.

"You are right," he acquiesces. "What only matter is my brother's approval. You will not kill me today, kunoichi. You shall leave this to the hands of my brother." He stands, and she makes no move to stop him from advancing. "You cannot take away what will be his. But be warned, should he come after me, I will kill him."

She nods her head, and looks up into his eyes. She's not scared of the Sharingan. Anything is better than what she was feeling at that moment.

"He will kill you, Itachi." She says confidently, and watches as his eyes slit almost imperceptibly. "He has enough anger in him to sustain him long enough to kill you. I am confident he will return home a live and victorious and valiant man."

"Than you are more naïve than I gave you credit for."

Her head snaps up, and waits until he explains himself.

"His heart is so full of hurt and blinding rage that it is too late to pull him from the depths of his ambition. Konoha has been lenient in these past years where war is sparse, but, should my foolish otouto return to you and his former companions, Konoha will not spare him any guilt or allow his reasoning to appease their inner care. You, who have been sheltered all your life from the darkness of shinobi, would not understand the role my brother has been forgoing, and would not be comprehensible to the nature of which you've been humbly deprived."

"You're wrong," she says. "My family would not let that happen."

"Your family would and will allow it."

"You know nothing of what we wouldn't do for Sasuke," she accuses.

Itachi merely meets her wavering gaze with a blatant amused one of his own. "I know that forgiveness would be lost among you if you had a lick of knowledge of the treason and abhorred things he has done."

"We've all had our moments," defends the kunoichi caustically.

She notices that he is far closer than needed, and takes a hesitant step away from his person. He catches this; takes another step forward. She feels caged, unable to get away, but never restricts eye-contact from his person. His hands are close to her, close enough to just brush the bare part of her bicep should he choose to. Her gaze under his firm stare becomes firmer with every breath, because she knows that he can't possibly harm her. He could not possibly inflict pain upon the person who graciously (albeit foolishly) saved his insignificant life.

"You would not be able to bring my person down unless you haven't a weapon. I'm too great an adversary for you, kunoichi, you've reached your limits. Retreat now and I will spare your lowly life."

"Never,"

He makes a subtle move—one that she automatically mistakes for a sign of attack. Her finger slips into her holster, and removes a needle filled with purple liquid. Before he has a chance to retreat, she plunges it into his arm, and ejaculates the numbing substance into his system.

He scowls, grabs her wrist, and forces her to abandon the object. The needle falls to the ground with a hushed thud.

Not able to repress his anger any longer, Itachi lunges at her, and pins her wrists to the dewy grass. She doesn't bother to struggle—there is no point. The liquid would soon invade his system, slowly deteriorating all of his cells, breaking down his immune system, taking away his nervous system, until all he would be able to do is lay on the floor, paralyzed.

His mouth skims her cheek, and she feels his hot breath fan her neck.

"Why don't you fight against me, kunoichi? Too prepared for death?" he asks, and she resists the urge to throw him off her. His strength may exceed hers, but she knew he could feel his power lilting, and that a good chakra infused fist would end his pathetic life.

"I do not need to fight back, Itachi," she states, and he pulls back to stare into her green depths. "The poison will soon take effect, and you will not only be paralyzed, but your sight will diminish as well. What's left of it, anyways.

"You'll lay here, and you will be able to feel every bit of the poison destroying your system, and you'll be helpless to stop it. There is only one cure, and I'm the only person who knows of it. But I will not tell you how you can make it, or where you could get it. You'll die a slow and painful death, Itachi, and even though your brother won't ever feel gratitude for my misdoings, I can at least sleep one night peacefully knowing that I have defected yet another threat to my home. That, in itself, is payment enough."

He chuckles, and the sound makes his body shiver. "You really believe that, don't you? Foolish girl. Just because you have poisoned me, and my time in this world will be only short-lived, you think that you have done this world some great good? You are more naïve than I had first thought."

"I thought we've already covered the part where I'm 'naïve'," she mutters, hoping he hadn't heard her.

She feels as his hands slowly unclasp her wrists and move down to her stomach, where they rest on her medical apron. She gulps wordlessly, never breaking eye-contact, afraid that if she does, she'd be in heaps of trouble.

A sardonic smile forms in his lips as his hands slowly lift, removing the weight of his upper body. At first, she is stunned at what he was doing, but when he pitches forward when his legs give out, she realizes that the poison was doing its job thoroughly.

His chin falls on her stomach, and though she is uncomfortable by the proximity, she knows in her heart she did do something worthwhile. She had eliminated one of the world's most dangerous of ninjas single-handedly. No more would she think herself a weakling kunoichi after this day when she would gaze into his dark eyes and see the life slowly drain from his body.

"Are you satisfied, kunoichi, that you have finally brought me to my knees?" he asks, his voice layered in both pain and anger. She feels safe—he can't hurt her now. "Is this the same redemption you've been dreaming of since a little child? Is this how you pictured my defeat? Literally falling to your will."

Sakura holds her tongue, but is unable to hold back the pensive glare she gives him. She finds she cannot smile, that the victory would be buried somewhere, and that she'd find it eventually.

"What good did you get out of killing me? What service would it give you in your future? Sure, you got rid of me and saved your village that is going to fall down on its own, but what, necessarily, did it give you in return?"

She knows he's just taunting her on, making her feel crazy about her decision. She'd stick with it for her life, and she wasn't about to let him intimidate her, not when she finally had him.

"It will give me some peace of mind, knowing that you no longer pose a threat to Naruto-kun," she says quietly, and studies his eyes that are vastly transposing from crimson red to onyx.

"Is that all, kunoichi?" strain is evident in his question.

"No, it's not. I get to have my satisfaction by knowing that I killed you, and that I've finally proven myself a suitable shinobi among my kind. It will give me the respect and recognition that I deserve."

He laughs, hollow and bitter, and spittle runs down his lips. Blood.

"Is that what you're seeking? Recognition from your village? I find that hardly a suitable goal to attain. What a waste of a life," he reproves, shaking his head just barely. His eyes flutter close, remain that way for several heartbeats, before they re-open to penetrate her once again.

He's stronger than I'd thought. It's been three minutes and he is still clinging to consciousness, Sakura ponders, worrying her lip between her teeth. No one has lasted more than a minute and a half when she injected it into an unlucky ninja. He was strong willed, she had to admit.

"No, it's not just about recognition," she answers finally, averting eye contact.

His lips quirk as he figures she is uneasy about this particular topic. He can feel his lungs collapsing and his breath shortening, but he is powerless to stop it, powerless to move, and powerless to stop looking at her. At least, he thought with some chagrin, I got to see something beautiful in the making before I perish.

Unaware of his thoughts, Sakura finds herself still lying on the grass, and remembers that his head is resting just below her belly button. A bit abashed, she sits up, and repositions herself, so that her legs were crossed and he was lying on his back, facing the obsidian sky with eyes that were almost guileless.

A moment where he appeared so tranquil and at ease, a rare sight to have been bestowed upon her. She milked in the moment, memorizing his face, retaining each and every detail for stories to come. He was so vulnerable, and she, Haruno Sakura, had succeeded in bringing down the mighty shinobi. She wished she would have slain him with her katana, instead.

"Tell me, Itachi," she reiterates, finding herself smiling just a bit. "Do you have any regrets in life?"

He does not answer, his eyes are closed, and his breathing is labored and scarce. She figures he's finally fallen asleep, where'd die a painless death. Too bad, she thinks vindictively. I didn't want him dying peacefully. He doesn't deserve it.

"I…regret nothing, foolish kunoichi." He wheezes, and when his eyes open, they are unseeing. "You've finally ascertained your karmic justice, by killing me, and maybe diverting Sasuke's attention elsewhere. But, I must admit, I do feel quite troubled I was not able to live life a little longer. And, in my last moments in this demonic world, I do regret not being able to view your face longer than desired. You are a treasure, certainly, one my brother has overlooked with ignorance." Her breath hitches, and she tries to keep from flushing.

"I've been wandering this world for that seems like an eternity, awaiting death around every corner, knowing it was inevitable, and that my death was imminent. Nothing could have sufficed to a more fitting death than falling at your hands. Our battle was great, and you survived, it must mean something to you, little girl.

"The world is plagued by monsters of two kinds," he continues, his voice shaky. "One kind is of the egotistical sense, where he drowns in his own money and still desires more. Another is one that does not appreciate the values of their sentimental life and often thinks himself a loser rather than a winner. Those are the type of people who do not persevere and lead on to doing aspiring things with their life.

"You are different, kunoichi. You have something to strive for, or, should I say, you've already completed that driven goal. You have astounded me, and this does not occur frequent." He coughed, rattling his chest and sending more blood up out of his mouth. "No, nothing I do not regret. Everything I wish to amend, yes, but nothing I regret. Everything was done for one purpose, a purpose which I shall carry on to my grave.

"Never regret anything that once made you smile. Do you, little kunoichi, regret anything in your life?"

She lets out a soft, merciful sigh as she let him finish his surprisingly heartfelt soliloquy, and takes his wrist in her palm, and counts his pulse. 20 beats per minute. He won't last much longer. So, keeping her two fingers on his pulse point, she rests it in her life and allows herself to be bathed in bliss.

"No, nothing I regret," she whispers, almost too low for herself to hear.

His lips upturn in a small smile. "Nothing. I see. Maybe you'll do something with your life worthwhile, and possibly make it to my rank, someday. Do not allow my otouto to bring you down from your dreams and expectations, you will only feel loss and regret and mourn yourself as your catch glimpses of your compatriots. That is something that you should keep in mind for the future, while my life is passing."

Her head bobs, and she doesn't trust her words. His request was sad and, strangely, reassuring, and the fact that he holds confidence in her ability implants a small little pang of regret in her heart. To have him act so human, so normal, around her when he was just minutes of passing, she didn't think that her job was so fantastic any longer.

"Kunoichi…"

She feels his pulse thinning, and, soon enough, his eyes flutter close for the last time. His pulse halts. He is dead. Slowly, Sakura picks herself up off the ground and stares at his corpse, and feels a knot in her stomach tighten uncomfortably.

Without another word, she slung his body over her weakened back and starts the long and arduous journey home, knowing there'd be hell to pay when she arrived back.

--

A/N: Hey everyone, sorry it's short and not too exciting. Just wanted to experiment with this couple and the passé-composé state, I guess. It's been mulling in my head for a while, so I decided to just copy/paste it into fanfiction and give it a whirl.

Comments and reviews are appreciated, and I'm trying to get back in the biz, people. I've been stacked with juggling school work, plus trying to publish my novel (I am STILL searching for money around the house to reprint my manuscript again), and having a lot of fun hanging with friends and messing around a bit. So, hopefully, this satiates your Ita/Saku hunger and (hopefully) allows you guys to have some sort of inner compassion to forgive my absence. I'll try to come back. Promise!

As for the other stories I've abandoned (Blind, Embracing Death, and Forgetting Something), I don't know if I will discontinue their use. I may delete them, actually. I know I have completely lost my muse for Blind, but Embracing Death is an iffy. Forgetting Something is just begging me to write more!

Anyways, chow, and you know what to do on your way out!