Sakura stared at the cold wood in front of her. The dim glow the lone light in the hallway provided did nothing to soften her fear. She knew she had to do this. Her husband was no longer the man she had married. Not anymore. Not since his last encounter with his brother six months ago. Since then, he was once against he self he had been ten years ago. He was once again the avenger.
Sakura was very worried when she was called into the hospital on her day off. Even more so when she saw that it was her husband that was lying on deaths row.
She had pushed herself to her limit. Almost killing herself in the process of saving Sasuke's life. She didn't regret it though. Seeing Sasuke open his eyes again, had been all the reconciliation she'd needed for the task.
She didn't feel that way for long, though. These past six months, he'd almost destroyed their little family.
Oh, not intentionally, of course. He would never harm her or the girls on purpose. Sakura and their three year old twins, were everything to the once Stoic Uchiha. Naruto and his 'nieces' aside, of course.
Oh, no, not intentionally. He had harmed them though. Sakura didn't remember the last time he'd spent voluntary time with the girls. He used to do anything in is power to spend more time with his baby's. She didn't remember the last time he'd told her he'd loved her. Held her. Made love to her. She certainly didn't remember the last time he'd eaten ramen with his best friend, or brought his little nieces a gift. The Hyuuga girls had come sobbing to their door just the week before, Naruto trying to console his little girls that 'Uncle Sasu' didn't hate them.
He was totally bent on revenge once more.
She wasn't there, but his Anbu partner had informed Sakura that the fight between brothers had been a long and bloody one. Ending, as many had before, with one on the edge of death, and a criminal escaping.
Sakura was through with that, though. No longer would Uchiha Itachi destroy her family.
She had been tracking him secretly for the last three months, as soon as she saw Sasuke was beyond hope. The past four days, though, she had been out in the field. Using all her past Anbu skills to track the bastard.
And she'd finally found him. He'd led her in a big circle. Eventually she'd found him though, closer to his old home than she ever would have imagined. Not far from the outskirts of Kohona. Sakura suspected he had been in the vicinity of his childhood home more often that not lately.
Now, here she was. Right outside the bastards hotel door. He probably thought she was some whore or something, as she had been standing in the hallway for at least five minutes, and he had yet to emerge from his room.
She knew he sensed her. She had made no effort to mask her chakra, and he was a former member of the Atkutski, after all.
Finally getting her stubborn limb to move, she knocked. Then waited. Then knocked again.
Finally, he opened the door.
He took her breath away, he really did. It never failed to amaze her, on the few occasions she had seen the maniac, how like her husband-and through him, their daughters- looked like each other.
Itachi just raised a brow at her. That had to be a good sign. He hadn't killed her yet, and she knew he recongnized her.
"May I come in?" She asked him, in a much braver voice than she felt. He stepped to the side, his expressionless face never changing, but his previously blood red eyes turned to black. He obviously had deemed she wasn't a threat.
It took all Sakura's will power to resist the urge to walk backwards and keep her eye on the killer. She knew it would cause problems, though. Probably wouldn't make much difference if he wanted to kill her, anyway.
After staring at each other for a moment, Sakura broke the silence. "Itachi." She greeted.
"Sister," He returned. Sakura flinched lightly.
"So you heard."
"Of course," He replied. In the four odd years since she'd last seen him, he'd somehow acquired a softer look. No, not softer. Older.
"I need too speak with you," She informed him somewhat coolly.
"If I managed to kill my dear brother, and your here for some kind of redemption, all I can say is sorry for your loss," Though she knew he knew he hadn't killed Sasuke, there seemed to be a slight truth in the words. This only served to puzzle Sakura.
"I have some questions to ask you, and would like to do it in a civil manner."
"Ah," Itachi swept out his arm, "Let us sit then," He gestured toward a set of chairs by the window of his room. Hesitantly she made her way over and sat.
"I want to know why you killed your clan, and why you continue to try and eliminate my husband," Sakura stated, getting straight to the point.
He now looked slightly amused. "Why do you think that there is some profound reason. Did you ever think I do it to get stronger, or I may just like killing?" He asked her, and though his expression remained carefully blank, she thought he was genuinely curious.
"Because, to the first, even though your a cold harted bastard, I don't believe your truly evil. And if the scond was true, I would already be dead." He just once again raised a brow.
"Itachi," He looked faintly surprised when she leaned toward him,"My husband is no longer the man I'm married. Do you want to know why?"
No response.
"Because his brother tired to kill him for the umpteenth time, and he still doesn't know why. You've once again brought out the avenger in Sasuke. Your destroying our family. I will not allow it to continue. I have three year old girls. They, and their cousins, think Sasuke hates them now, because he's hardly spoken to them in six months. Naruto is neglecting his duties as Rokudaime because he's trying to help Sasuke, and I'm stuck trying to keep a family together," Sakura's voice was ice by the end of her speech.
His response surprised her. "Sasuke has no nieces." Sakura looked to his hard face in surprise.
"Naruto and Hinata's daughters are his nieces. They are more family to him than anyone else ever was," It was not hard to detect the un-spoken 'better than you ever were.'
Itachi surprised her, when he answered her question. "I killed them because they were corrupt. They were corrupt because of they were too old, and too large. And I continue to fight my brother, because someday he must kill me."
Sakura only stared at him in shock. "I'm glad my brother has found you, but I have too much evil in me to ever try and reconcile with him. Re-build the once great Uchiha clan, and many years in the future, I hope we can once again meet." Itachi stood to leave, but a hand on his arm stoped him.
The green eyes that gazed at him were filled with tears. "I knew you weren't evil," She smiled a broken smile. "I truly wish you could find happiness."
"My brother will emerge from the depths once we speak. I will insult and taunt, he will make threats. Who knows. You might even see me sooner than you think."
"I'm so sorry," Sakura stood up slowly. Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around her brother. He stiffened, and didn't return the embrace, but nor did he pull from it.
"Take care of my family." Itachi told her once he let go.
"Goodbye brother," Sakura whispered to the now empty air.
A month later, while examining the killer of her husbands family, people assume she cried from relief.
Only a select few realise they are tears of grief.
Sasuke doesn't understand why his wife insists on keeping his brothers headband, instead of burning it with the rest of his possessions.
Only Sakura ever sees the two words carved in the metal, meant for the medic who he knew would examine him.
Thankyou, Sister.