Secrets.

Warning, spoilers.

Standard disclaimer applies.

In a way she had always held Uchiha Itachi in the highest regard. It took a lot out of a shinobi, be it prodigy or not, to take orders from the Hokage to kill his entire family, and actually go through with it. And then, leave as a traitor, never returning. All because of an Uchiha uprising. Sakura wiped the sweat off her brow. She looked at the man on the medical bed. He was well built. He had a feminine look about him, yet still masculine. His delicate eyelashes, his well shaped brow and facial features. His long raven hair that was delicately sprawled across his pillow, sticky with dried and wet blood. His face was bloody as well, along with his torso and legs. His clothes had already been removed, and she was simply amazed at his body. It was a work of art, well toned muscles, and how it never looked too masculine.

Of course, a blanket was provided to serve as privacy. She didn't want him to kill her whenever he woke.

Speaking of which, he should have woken up by now. All of his wounds had finished healing properly a couple days ago. She knew he was very well alive, as much as he had been when she and the others found him.

Sakura sat down in a chair to rest, and rested her head in her hand as she stared at the elder Uchiha. She, Naruto, Yamato, and Kakashi had gone a mission with team 8 to fallow a lead to Sasuke. They were distracted by the Akatsuki member in an orange member, Tobi. Tobi was very powerful. Every attack he had dodged, or it went straight through him. She could not believe her eyes. But it was real. Very real.

And then Zetsu came. He had appeared from the tree, next to Tobi. He had said that Itachi had lost the battle, and Sasuke was laying on the ground unconscious, next to his dead brother. Sakura's heart had stopped. She ran as fast as she could, after the two Akatsuki members. She was too late to save Sasuke, who was captured by Tobi. But Itachi...

He was very much alive. He was breathing shallow, and it seemed as if he was moving at all. But her keen medic eye knew better. She had wanted to heal him right then and there, but Naruto was demanding that they leave and find Sasuke.

"No." Sakura told him, her voice firm. She was still gazing at Itachi.

"What do you mean no?! We have to find him before-" Sakura interrupted her loud friend.

"Naruto, it's too late. By the looks of it, Tobi had gotten to him first. They're long gone by now." she told him softly, but her voice was still firm.

Naruto looked down and glared at the man he believed was dead. He hated Itachi with a passion. Itachi had ruined his best-friends life, and tried to capture him multiple times. Sakura picked the Elder Uchiha, with ease and walked toward Konoha.

"S-Sakura, what are you doing?" Hinata asked. Sakura glanced over to her friend.

"I'm taking him to Konoha. He needs proper medic attention."

"He's a traitor!" Kiba told her angrily.

"Think about it Kiba. Once he is healed, Morino can interrogate him. We can learn what the Akatsuki want." Shino said quietly. Sakura thanked him silently. She really didn't want to lie to her friend, but she couldn't tell them the truth. It wasn't her secret to tell.

-

And that was how he came to be here. In her personal ward. No one was allowed to come into this room, except for Tsunade. Most of her time was consumed here. And it frustrated her blond friend quite a bit. He didn't understand why she fretted over him so. Why she was concerned with a murderer.

And she simply told him that every shinobi was a murderer, and left it at that.

Tsunade also checked up frequently. She made sure his healing process ran smoothly. She also believed Sakura, when she told her she wanted to heal him so Ibiki could interrogate him.

What she really wanted to do, was tell him herself she respected him, and she knew. She knew the secret. The secret only the elders knew about, other than the Third Hokage.

-

Sakura flipped the pages of her book quietly. Itachi was still asleep. Its been weeks. She was worried. It shouldn't take long to recover from chakra exhaustion, and all his wounds were healed properly. She glanced over at him. Her breath hitched as she watched him sit up, eyes opening. She had no doubt in her mind he knew she was there. He was a prodigy, after all, and any nin could detect chakra.

"Why can't I see?" he asked her softly.

Alarmed he had spoken, she hesitated. He turned to face her. His cold, almost dull onyx eyes bore into her.

"Tsunade-shishou temporarily disabled your sight. She didn't want to take any chances of you attacking us with Megankyo." she told him.

He was silent for a minute or so. She was used to it, having spent time with his younger brother. Silence was often a trait among Uchiha.

"I should have died." he said silkily.

Sakura smiled slightly. "But you don't deserve to.' She dared to go further,'You were only following orders." she finished. Itachi narrowed his eyes. He knew very well what she meant. The orders. The Uchiha massacre. Becoming a missing-nin. All of it, orders from the Third.

"I've known for a while. Ever since I was a little girl. I had over heard Ojii-samma talking to the council about it... They knew I was there, and made me swear to secrecy... Despite it all, I respect you, Uchiha-san." she continued softly. He said nothing. He of course, was choosing his words carefully, as he always did. Sakura closed the book and hesitantly, walked over to him.

He glared at her. But she was not fazed. "I am only giving you your sight back, Uchiha-san. No harm will come to you." He grunted in response. Taking that as a yes, she took her fingers to his left temple, and sent healing chakra to his eyes. The cool chakra did the trick, and soon, he had his sight back. She seemed to trust him enough to not do anything.

"Did you tell any of this to Sasuke." he demanded.

Sakura blinked, but shook her head. "It's not my secret to tell, Uchiha-san."

"Itachi."

"Hm?"

"Call me Itachi."

"Very well Itachi. My name is Sakura Haruno." she said, smiling to him. He blinked.

"A member with the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and my otouto on Team 7." he stated. Sakura nodded.

"Would you like something to eat? The cafeteria food is disgusting, but I could fix you something... And clothes are over there for you to change... I'll be right back." she told him. Itachi watched her leave silently. She closed the door behind her. He stood up, revealing his man-hood, and walked over to get the clothes Sakura laid out for him. He seemed unfazed by the fact he was completely naked. It was to be expected, since she was supposed to heal his wounds.

Speaking of his wounds, there was not one scar on his body from his fight with Sasuke. She did an excellent job, he had to give her that. Just as he slipped on his shirt and finished dressing, Sakura knocked on the door.

"Itachi? May I come in?"she asked. Itachi opened the door. Sakura had a trey with Miso soup, rice balls, and some water.

"I didn't know what you would want... so I made you this!" she handed him the trey, which he took gratefully. She was about to leave, before she stared at him in the eyes and told him.

"They are going to interrogate you, it's your secret to tell, not mine."

-

Just like Sakura had said, Tsunade came in to check in on him, and seeing he was awake, she hauled him off into Ibiki's interrogation room. Sakura watched, as Tsunade's apprentice, and assistent, she had to fill in for her, as Itachi was interrogated. Head on Ibiki asked him the one question he shouldn't have.

"Why did you kill the Uchiha-clan." Ibiki demanded. Of course, he did not expect an answer. And he didn't receve one. Itachi remained silent, staring at her through the two way mirror. He could see er, or at least, sense her. His black eyes bore into her soul. As if he knew exactly what was going on in her head. She was scared to death. She was afraid he would kill her because of what she knew. She was desperately afraid. But he was a former Akatsuki, which she has no explanation for. Itachi wouldn't pour out his secrets to her, even if he did at least one.

Sakura was ordered to clean him up and heal him once they were done. He was losing a lot of blood. She sighed and healed as much as possible. She sighed.

"Do not heal me again."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"I want to die... for Sasuke."

Sakura stared at the Elder Uchiha. He was wiling to die for his younger brother, who wanted nothing more than to kill him? To die as a traitor? She smiled at him, and she respected him even more.

-

For the past months it was the same routine. The interrogation, him telling her not to heal him again, and shed ask him, why, and he'd answer. Until finally, it was his execution day. Sakura stared at the man who she had befriended and grew to love. Her heart had the knack to love people who would not return it. As she stood beside Tsunade, she watched him closely. His face was blank, but his eyes... they were a different story. His face portrayed anger, sadness, anguish, and... relief.

She walked over to him. He turned to face her slowly. She smiled slightly, and to every ones, including Itachi's surprise, she kissed him softly lips.

"I know your secret, and now, you know mine. I love you, Uchiha Itachi." she whispered into his ear.

She loved him for what he did to Konoha. She loved him for what he did for Sasuke. And she loved him for who he was. A caring older brother, and some one who cared for her as well.

She walked away from the gallows as they carried his body for a funeral. A small one, with an unmarked grave.

She never turned back.

Just a one shot I thought of while reading manga 402. Its reall depressing.

please review and tell me what u think, wether u love it or hate it.