A/N: Took a page from Endgame and from an image I saw on Pinterest where Sasuke literally pulls Itachi from another dimension. I think the artist is Surfacage on Tumblr but images are recycled so much on Pinterest that I can't positively confirm. So credit to Surfacage and the Russo brothers.
After two and half years, Sasuke comes back to Konoha stumbling out of a dimension portal with Uchiha Itachi in his arms. Sakura is stunned for all of two seconds but it doesn't stop her hands from glowing green instantly, a natural reaction from being a medic for so long. She grabs Itachi from Sasuke and soothes him on his back before turning to the younger Uchiha, who is heavily favoring his right side. She presses her hands with fingers firm with confidence of her skills against his bleeding side but Sasuke stops her.
"Sakura…" He rasps and she pushes harder against his hand when his voice barely comes out as a hoarse whisper. She can tell his lung is collapsed from the bubbling sound of his voice.
"Don't talk." Her voice is light with sleep but crisp with authority.
His grip on her tightens in an almost pleading manner and she half considers knocking him unconscious to heal him. "Itachi, first."
Sakura shakes her head, the fear in her heart finally manifesting in her eyes. "No, you come first." She says between gritted teeth. She knows as a doctor, Itachi is more severe but the man she loves his dying in front of her and all logic is thrown out the window.
"Please." The fluttering of Sasuke's eye is a bad warning that he's about to pass out. "...please." Sakura curses her love for Sasuke, not for the first time. Her hands hover over his forehead and it's risky putting him in a medically induced coma since she hasn't had time to evaluate how severe his injuries are. It's the only way to put a pause on his death.
The last thing Sasuke sees is the back of Sakura's family stamp and thinks how good she'd look with his family's fan instead.
Sakura works quickly but thoroughly on Itachi. He's unaware of where he is and bleeding all over her carpet but he's still a powerful Shinobi and Sakura treads carefully. It's the first time they're on the same side and she's not sure how to act. The only thing she knows is that this man is her lover's brother and she will do all to save him.
"Sa...suke." Blood spills out of his mouth and he rages into a coughing fit that Sakura quells with a quick tap at his jugular. If Itachi wasn't about to cross the Sanzu River, he would have been mildly impress at her skill. He remembers her, barely but he does.
"I won't let him die." She promises.
Itachi knows a promise when he hears one. He closes his eyes and gives in to the warmth of her chakra.
She stabilizes Itachi after a three hour, complicated healing session that required her to tap into her seal and use her hair as a medium. She's sporting uneven edges around her chin and is drained but works with a new fervor when the color comes back to his cheeks and his breathing slowly abates to a steady rhythm. She moves onto Sasuke, lifting him out of the induced coma and immediately moves him to the side just as he vomits-all over her carpet.
She can't do anything about him vomiting-a side effect to the induced coma but he glares at her so the coma had no lasting effects. For the first time in her life, she's thankful for the icy look in his eyes.
"Itachi?" He asks and this time it's her turn to glare at him.
"I said not to talk." The steel he's never heard in her voice is enough to stun him into silence and he allows her to pour her chakra into him. Sasuke keeps a check on her chakra level and when it dips dangerously low, he pulls away from her.
"I'm okay now." He is still rasping. Sakura throws him an unimpressed look, wiping the sweat beading on his forehead with the back of her hand.
"I'm the doctor here. I'll determine that." She replies, never pausing in her session.
Sasuke lurches forward, dizzy but tries to be as convincing as a half dead man, "Sakura, I'm fine." He rasps and almost grimaces because from the look Sakura tosses him, he's already lost.
Her breath tickles his ears when she speaks, "Don't make me knock you out, Sasuke-kun. I said not to talk."
He scoffs but doesn't fight anymore. His eyes are heavy and he succumbs to the darkness once again.
When Sasuke wakes again, he has to commend Sakura. She was truly meant to save lives. The only reminder he has over his injuries is a slight tenderness stretching across his lower abdomen. He looks for Sakura first because he's confident that his brother is alive under her care.
He finds her sitting at his brother's bedside, fingers pressed against his wrist. Sasuke isn't sure since it's been such a long time he's felt anything remotely close to it, but he suspects it's admiration that leaves him in awe.
The medic doesn't even glance at him as she speaks. "You shouldn't be out of bed." Sakura says. Her voice is low but Sasuke can hear the pinch of salt in it. He walks over to her and settles on the floor next to her chair, leaning his head against the bed. She's still focused on Itachi but that was an excuse to not be focused on Sasuke.
Sasuke takes this time to look at her. Actually look at her and he has to swallow his guilt away that manages to lodge itself in his throat. She looked exhausted. He abruptly catches her hand and forces her to look at him with a light tug at her wrist. "When was the last time you slept?" He doesn't realize how stupid he sounded until it's actually out of his mouth.
She blinks at the question and waves her hand at him then at Itachi. "Between keeping you two alive? I didn't." It was a subtle jab at him but he feels the full impact of the words. Sakura would kill herself to save him.
Sasuke sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose and opens his mouth to apologize when he sees her fingering a black pill in her hand. "Sakura…" He warns but before he could stop her, she's popping a soldier pill in her mouth. Sasuke frowns, dismayed at her blatant dismissal of him. "That's for emergencies only."
She slides him a look that said not to patronize her. "What happened?" She asks without preamble, choosing to not start a fight. She doesn't want their reunion to be stifled by anything but love. Love and blood, apparently.
Sasuke doesn't respond immediately. His eyes move from the breathing form of his very much alive brother to the woman who he owes everything to. Even his heart. He makes up his mind and with a gentleness that surprises even himself, he pulls Sakura up and leads her away.
"Sasuke-kun!" She protests, "You can't-"
"I'll tell you everything after you sleep." He cuts her off.
Sakura is unconvinced. She turns her hand in his grip and clutches his fingers. Sasuke understands immediately that she's afraid he won't be there when she wakes up. He doesn't know if he should be offended that she thinks so little of his words but then again he has a bad rap with her.
Sasuke presses his forehead against hers until he can only see the green depth of her eyes as it widens with the gesture, "I promise." He says. Sakura is out before he could get her to the bed.
Sakura wakes to hear multiple voices in her living room. She can tell, one is Naruto and the other is Kakashi. Sasuke must have told them when she was sleeping-how long, she doesn't know but by her parched throat, she knows it's been more than half a day. She feels like her muscles have atrophied and tempers with the idea of popping another soldier pill. She doesn't though. She knows her body needs real nutrition and that's when the subtle smell of apple catches her nose.
On the night stand is a neatly peeled and sliced dish of apples. She stuffs two in her mouth, nearly biting her tongue on the process and drinks, what seems like, a gallon of water. She doesn't think about where it came from-that would be too ironic so Sakura tosses her blanket aside and pads to the living to be greeted by a sight she didn't think would ever be possible.
Two Uchihas. Two living Uchihas in her house. Her breath hitches when the conversation stops and Sasuke looks at her.
Naruto jumps from his seat and is by her side when she braces herself against the doorframe-whether from exhaustion or incredulity, she doesn't know.
"Sakura-chan!" He's all smile and endearing, teeth shiny a million watts and is the comfort of familiarity that she needs.
"Hi, Naruto." She says and laughs when he wraps an arm around her shoulder for a quick hug. She lightly sags against him as he brushes a few strands of her hair away from her eyes. He presses a chaste kiss to her temple.
"You did good." He softly commends her with a fondness reserved only for her.
Kakashi catches Sasuke's left eye twitching but stays quiet, filing the information away for a later blackmail. Apparently, Itachi does as well and he nudges his brother playfully.
The action catches Sakura's eye and she's still in disbelief at the smiling Sasuke, albeit an uncertain smile but It's a scene that has Sakura tearing before she's even aware of it.
Naruto panics, "What-what, Sakura-chan!"
The Sixth waves them over, "Bring her here, Naruto."
Naruto tugs on her hand and she stumbles, unable to catch her movement from being suddenly pulled. Sasuke's muscles jump when she trips but the blonde is already sheepishly apologizing as he gently steadies her. Naruto moves her by the shoulders as she messily wipes the tears from her cheeks. He looks at Kakashi and steers her in front of the Uchiha brothers.
He hovers behind her because she's clutching his jacket with a little too much force. He pats her hand in reassurance and she lets go.
Itachi and Sasuke are standing side by side. Blood is caked on their clothes and skin, eyes withering with exhaustion but most importantly with life. She can tell that they're both outwardly fine-Sasuke more so than Itachi. A surge of pride is swelling her head enough for a smile to stretch across her lips.
"You guys look good." She finally says. "Half-dead," Here she gives Itachi and Sasuke a reproachful look, "But good."
Naruto snorts from behind her and Kakashi wacks him with a book.
The older Uchiha is looking at Sakura with mixed emotions of appreciation and fascination. He knows little about the woman standing in front of him as opposed to the girl he met on the battlefield six years ago-at least for them. She's not the young teenager who was desperate to bargain herself to get his younger brother back.
She's a legendary kunoichi and while he doesn't have the pleasure of knowing fully what she is capable of, he knows she's capable of loving an Uchiha. To love Sasuke beyond the darkness that folded into the unreachable places of his heart was something he found only a handful of people were capable of doing. He knows that she loves his little brother and they are both alive because she stands before them. It is something he will owe her until he keels over.
"Sakura-san…" He smiles at her and Sakura is struck with a sense of peace that tickles her skin to see a smile so kind from a face she's only known to be hardened with sacrifices. The age of war is prominent in his eyes.
"Itachi." She acknowledges, matching the kindness in his eyes with her tone.
Itachi reaches out his hand, slowly from his wound but without hesitation, "Thank you."
Sakura's lips tremble and drops all her guards hearing those damned words. Laughter spills from her lips, surprising everyone in the room. "The Uchiha blood runs thick, doesn't it Sasuke-kun?" She looks at Sasuke and he's sporting a look that resembles embarrassment.
Sakura doesn't shake Itachi's hand; instead she shuffles closer to the brothers and places her hands on either side of them, drawing them close into an embrace. The affection leaves Itachi momentarily disabled and Sasuke allows himself a brief moment where he can bask in the arms of the woman that loves him unconditionally.
Naruto is making a mess in her kitchen while scarfing down a bowl of chashu ramen. Broth splatters the table and Kakashi admonishes him for his lack of table manners. "Sakura-chan literally just cleaned up after two Uchihas. She'll kill you if you make a mess." The Sixth snatches a napkin from the counter, sliding it over to the blonde in mild disgust.
"Nah, Sakura-chan loves me too much." Naruto replies, bringing the bowl to his mouth to guzzle down the remaining broth.
Sakura sits at the bar counter with a cup of tea in her hand, trying to ignore the blonde. "In any case, while this is a great reunion-" She swivels her head to raise an eyebrow at Sasuke, "Sasuke-kun, you can't go plucking people out of other dimensions like that. Do you even understand the repercussions of messing with time?"
Sasuke presses his hips together, clearly not used to getting lectured by Sakura. Bringing back Itachi from another dimension wasn't exactly what he had in mind either but when he came upon his half dead brother, he knew he couldn't leave him. The only answer he's able to give Sakura is a noncommittal shrug which he immediately regrets after when her eyes narrow with disappointment.
Itachi says nothing when he catches the exchange between his brother and Sakura.
Naruto waves his hand as he deposits his bowl into the sink. Kakashi is thankful he has enough manners to clean up after himself when he turns the faucet on to wash it. "Time doesn't exist for Sasuke, Sakura-chan."
Sakura scoffs, offended that she's being told this by Naruto of all people. "Just because Sasuke-kun can jump from one dimension to another doesn't mean it doesn't exist for him, you idiot." She glances at the clock and hops off the bar stool, grabbing two cups of water that she already prepared and hands it to Sasuke and Itachi. "For the pain." She explains and then looks away. "I used too much chakra." She points to the faded seal on her forehead.
"Thank you." Itachi accepts it with gratitude while Sasuke looks regretful.
Sakura sees the conflict in his eyes. She doesn't know how to explain to him that out of all of them with the exception of Naruto, her body can recover chakra the fastest. Instead, she pokes his forehead. Both Sasuke's and Itachi's eyes widen simultaneously at the gesture. Sasuke rubs the sore spot and glares at her with no real malice behind it. She's still freakishly strong without chakra.
Itachi is quite aware of the huge meaning behind what just transpired between his brother and Sakura. He can tell that it wasn't just Naruto that had a hand in changing Sasuke. He's incredibly thankful for the bonds Sasuke forged with Naruto and Sakura.
Sakura regards Itachi with an awkward tilt of her head, apologizing. "Sorry-we kind of…" She trails off, aware of the eyes on her and coughs into her hand. Her cheeks shade three times red while Sasuke ducks his head to hide his own.
"I'm glad." Itachi says softly, eyes sliding over to Sasuke who refuses to look at him or Sakura for that matter.
Kakashi clears his throat, "Sorry to interrupt your family moment-" Sasuke scowls at him and Kakashi switches tactics, focusing his attention on Sakura who isn't looking too happy with him either. "But I do need to call a meeting with the elders and possibly a summit with the other Kages."
"We'll need Shikamaru's input too." Naruto pops in, wiping his hand on Sakura's skirt. Her eyebrow twitches but she lets him do it since all the dishes, hers included have been washed. Sasuke doesn't though and he yanks the blonde by the ear to get him away from being so close to Sakura. Sasuke's been gone for two years but his stomach coils every time he witnesses his two friends' comfortability with each other.
Kakashi hums in agreement, "Yes-he might have a better idea on how to deal with this."
Naruto breaks his playful character and adopts a grim look, settling on the couch next to his dark haired teammate. "Not that I mind having Itachi back but in all seriousness, do you understand what you did?" Sasuke pins him with a dead stare, seemingly not caring now that he has his brother back and alive. Naruto scowls, "Sasuke, this is bigger than getting your brother back."
"What did you want me to do? Leave him there?" Sasuke snaps.
Naruto opens his mouth to reply but Kakashi steps in before the blonde's idiocy causes them both another arm. "What Naruto meant was will bringing Itachi here have any bearings to the universe we're in now?"
Sasuke is quiet, contemplating. Will one person who wasn't supposed to be here have any consequences to the rest of them? Sasuke isn't sure-he's not well versed in time travel or alternate timelines. He's not sure anyone is but he's been traveling through different dimensions for the past two years and it hasn't resulted in anything detrimental.
"I don't think so." He says. He looks between Sakura and Itachi. He's not sure how it's going to affect them but he doesn't care. He knows it's selfish but with the smile Sakura is giving him and the presence Itachi has next to him, he can't bring himself to regret his choice.
Kakashi observes them carefully and then turns to Sakura, "What do you think, Sakura-chan?"
She jumps, not prepared to answer. "Me?" She asks. Kakashi nods. She knows her answer, "I want to protect Sasuke-kun." She says unabashedly.
"Of course." Naruto mutters. A mug sails through the air but he blonde dodges it and Kakashi is forced to flash step to catch it from shattering in the kitchen. Naruto sticks his tongue out at Sakura, "Ya missed, Sakura-chan!" She raises an eyebrow at him and the smirk on her lips makes him falter. He isn't able to dodge the elbow hammering down on his head from Sasuke in retaliation for the medic and spends the next couple of minutes nursing it.
"Look, Itachi is already here. Sasuke-kun was there because he was meant to be there. What's the problem with having the most selfless person Konoha has ever had the pleasure of honoring alive again?" Sakura pushes off from her chair and goes to her closet, grabbing a bag of supplies. "Frankly, I don't see a problem with it. If it's going to affect anything, it'll affect the timeline that Itachi originally came from." She says from over her shoulder as she slips on her shoes.
Kakashi and Itachi catch on second faster than Sasuke. The look on the younger Uchiha's face has Itachi patting his shoulder. The Hokage smiles, "You were always my brightest student." Kakashi says. Sakura rolls her eyes.
Naruto crosses his arms over his chest, "Excuse me-I'm not an expert in this time spatial thing. Can you explain?" He sulks, looking put out.
"Naruto, I-has anyone seen my hair tie?" Kakashi points to her hair that was up in a ponytail.
Itachi volunteers, seeing that Sakura was busy gathering her supplies. "Since Sasuke was traveling to the past-that would be considered his future and his 'future' here," Itachi waves his hand minutely to indicate their current time, "That he was from would be considered his past. You can't alter your 'past' by changing your 'future'-it can only work the other way around. The moment you change something in that year, the timeline splits but because Sasuke can basically walk through space without consequence, he doesn't experience that split."
Kakashi nods, "Which brings us here."
Naruto looks absolutely floored and if even possible, more confused. Sasuke can literally see the question marks hovering above his head and smirks.
Sakura passes by him and ruffles his hair, "It means the timeline that would be affected has already been affected. It won't disturb what we've gone through. The only thing that can change now is the future moving forward." She says, confident in her theory now that Itachi said it out loud.
"Where are you going?" Sasuke asks with a frown, throwing a questioning glance at Naruto from behind the medic.
"I'm going to work, Sasuke-kun. The hospital and children's ward don't run themselves."
Naruto doesn't look happy when he answers. "It's Thursday." He replies, easily as if expecting Sasuke to know. The Uchiha stares at him, irritation flashing in his eyes. "Sakura-chan has her double shifts every Thursday and Monday." Naruto throws Kakashi a look but his former teacher is already grabbing the bag out of her hand.
"You're off for the next two days, Sakura. Shizune and Ino can handle it."
Sakura rolls her eyes, shrugging the older man off. "I'm fine." She insists, not wanting to look anything less than irresponsible in front of Sasuke.
"Sakura." Naruto says firmly.
Sasuke whips his eyes over to the blonde, again caught of guard by the uncharacteristic development of his seriousness. He expects Sakura to ignore him but when she resigns without another protest, Sasuke begins to wonder what else in their relationship has changed. He forces himself not to think too deeply. He's not aware of the tension seeping down his neck until Itachi pats him on the knee.
He glances over to his brother and the older Uchiha whispers only for Sasuke to hear, "Jealousy is very unbecoming, little brother."
Sasuke bristles at the accusation but doesn't have time for anything else when he feels cool fingertips brushing against his forehead. "Sasuke-kun, breathe." Sakura giggles like she knows what's running through his mind. He doesn't like how easily he's being read but relaxes under her touch.
Naruto is snickering behind the kunoichi and Kakashi once again, acts as mediator and thunks him on the head with the spine of his book. He then stares hard at Sasuke, "You understand it won't be that simply, right Sasuke? A dead man can't just be walking around."
"I know." Sasuke replies while Naruto mutters, "He doesn't look very dead." Sakura pinches his cheek.
"There may be consequences depending on the daimyo and other Kages. Are you willing to face them?"
"Yes." The man replies without an ounce of doubt or hesitation.
Kakashi waits a moment and when there's nothing but conviction in his former student, his eyes crinkle to show a smile underneath the mask. "Well, there it is."
Naruto claps a hand on Sasuke's back. "In any case, we won't make any formal decisions right now. If something happens, well-we'll just face it together!" He says joyfully, nudging Sakura a little out of the way to place a hand on Itachi's shoulder.
The older Uchiha looks up and finds the faces of friends and family smiling down at him. It's a sight that renders him speechless.
"Welcome to the new Konoha, Itachi."