Mission
(A/N: This is something I decided to work on until I get some ideas for 'Serpentine Child'. I'm not giving up on it… I just can't think of any new ideas yet.)
Summary: Itachi and Sakura are madly in love. Heck, they planned on getting married in the near future. So, what's the problem? Sakura can't remember a thing. AU, non-massacre. Rated T for violence, language and mild adult content.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of it's characters. If I did… well, let's just say, you wouldn't be seeing me on here.
~xxx~
Four figures dashed through the trees, trying desperately to outrun the enemy. It was a set up -the whole damn mission was a set up. The team was supposed to present a peace treaty with the Rock village but someone had other ideas.
"Inuzuka, Akimichi, flank right and hold them off. Haruno-san must return unharmed." The pearly-eyed Hyuuga commanded.
"Damn it Neji, just because Itachi threatened to castrate you if I got hurt doesn't mean I can't fight too!" Sakura snapped, leaping to avoid another kunai. She had a point. Sakura hadn't used any chakra yet, making her the best suited for a fight… but Itachi would have his head if Sakura was scratched, even in the slightest.
"No, Sakura." He said in a clam yet firm tone. "The mission is over and I'm in charge now. Do as I say and keep up." Neji motioned with two finger for the others to follow his command. As ANBU captain and mission leader, Neji had final say. Kiba and Choji did as they were told.
Neji slowed to a halt, scanning with Byakugan eyes for the enemy. Seeing none, he turned to Sakura with a frown. They had been bickering back and forth the whole time, six days to be exact. Why? Because Itachi had made it abundantly clear that if anything were to happen to her, Neji would cease to exist. Now, in the mists of battle, Neji was going to keep good on his promise to the kunoichi's fiancée… whether she liked it or not.
"I hope the others are alright." Sakura said, keeping her eyes on the path they emerged from. The pair stood in a clearing about 50 miles north-east of the village. So close to home, yet so far.
"We will wait for them at the river, come Sakura." Neji spoke as he turned away and started walking.
"But what if they're injured and can't make it?" typical Sakura, always worrying for others.
"Have faith in their skills Sakura. They will be fine." He told her as he glanced over his shoulder. But before he could take another step an ominous, dark chakra surged just ahead of them. Rushing footsteps sounded around them, cutting off any and all escape. "It seems, Sakura, you've got your wish." Neji said then flipped backward and landed next to her.
They were surrounded on all sides by clones… dozens of them. With his Byakugan, Neji discovered that none of them were the real one.
"Which one is it Neji?" Sakura asked her back against his.
"None of them." He answered keeping his eyes on the clones. Sakura growled, she was scared and she'd be the first to admit that, emerald eyes scanned the enemy. For some odd reason the memory of Itachi's proposal played in her mind.
~flashback~
Itachi stood with Sakura at their favorite meeting place, the hilltop overlooking the village. Sasuke and their parents were with them but a distance away from the couple. Mikoto had invited Sakura along on a family picnic (she was practically family anyway). At this point in time she and Itachi had been together for a while. Not everyone agreed at first but they soon came around to the idea (Sasuke being the hardest to convince).
'Itachi looks nervous.' Sakura thought as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Well, she could tell. Anyone else would say that he looked the same but Sakura could see his lips pressing to a thin line, the slight furrow of his brows and his hands were slightly clammy. "Itachi, is something wrong?"
Drawn from his musings, Itachi turned and shook his head. Giving her a gentle smile, Itachi squeezed her hand. "How long have we been together, Sakura?" he asked softly.
'Oh God… please don't tell me he's going to break this off.' She thought frantically. "Two years." She answered evenly despite her fear.
"How would you feel about make that the rest of our lives?" his smooth baritone beckoned.
Sakura blinked as Itachi lowered to one knee before her. "What?" she asked belatedly, not believing that the powerful ABNU captain on his knees for her. Faintly, she heard Mikoto give a squeak of excitement.
"Haruno Sakura, will you marry me?"
"SHANNARU!!" she exclaimed and tackled Itachi to the ground, showering the stunned shinobi with kisses.
~end flashback~
Sakura snapped out of her musings in time to duck and landed a solid kick to the clone's abdomen. The clone disappeared with a poof as Sakura spun to see Neji fighting just fine.
"Keeps your eyes on your opponent, little girl." A voice sneered. Sakura turned and met a huge fist, sending her flying into the side of an abnormally large tree. Her head smacked against the bark with a sickening thud. Neji had stopped the nuke-nin from doing any further damage. Kiba and Choji had arrived in the nick of time, allowing Neji to look over Sakura.
Her vision was fading, her head was throbbing and her breath was erratic. "I'm sorry Itachi…" she whispered, not hearing Neji yelling for her to stay awake. She succumbed to the darkness and fell unconscious.
~xxx~
Itachi sat idly as the clan council members droned on and on about his upcoming marriage. Something didn't feel right, maybe it was just him… but Itachi couldn't shake the feeling that something bad had happened to Sakura. He closed his eyes and sighed softly.
'It's been six days, you've gone four months without her before. Suck it up!' his mind snapped. This was true but things had changed since he asked for her hand just three months ago. Sakura wanted a summer wedding so she could wear her mother's wedding dress and he had agreed. When he asked her about the dress, she clammed up and turned her head away. Itachi smiled suddenly, that day had been most memorable.
~flashback~
They were having tea in the parlor when the topic came up.
"I want to wear my mother's dress." Sakura said quietly, gazing at her hands as they folded her napkin. "She would have wanted me to wear it." Sakura's mother and father had passed away from an illness no one could figure out. That was one of the reasons why she became a medic.
"And the dress is suited best for which season?" he inquired placing a hand atop hers to keep them still and to offer some comfort.
"The summer." She supplied with a smile knowing full well Itachi disliked the heat of summer.
His eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Pray tell, what does the dress look like?" Sakura blushed and turned her head away.
"It's bad luck, 'Tachi-kun." She said crossing her arms over her chest with a huff.
"What's bad luck?" Mikoto asked as she set down another pot of tea and sat down with her son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law.
"Sakura will not tell me what her dress looks like." Itachi deadpanned as he looked heatedly at his fiancée. Sakura leaned over then and whispered into Mikoto's ear, shielding her mouth from view with her hand. Mikoto was positively glowing with a motherly pried as she listened to the future matriarch.
"Oh, it sounds absolutely beautiful, Sakura." Mikoto gushed, clasping her hands together.
"I'll show it to you tomorrow. I'm taking it to be cleaned."
"May I accompany you?" he asked suddenly.
"Absolutely not." Mikoto said as she looked at her eldest son. "It's bad luck to see the bride's dress before the wedding."
"I thought it was bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding."
"Both." The women responded as they glared at him. He never did see that dress.
~end flashback~
A sudden rustle brought Itachi back to reality as the shoji door was yanked open. Shisui stood panting in the doorway.
"Itachi," he gasped hunching over to catch his breath. "It's bad, Sakura's in the hospital." He said and looked up to see Itachi completely disappear from the room. He was push roughly out of the way by Sasuke as he ran down the hall.
~xxx~
"… by the time we got there, she was leaning against a tree barely breathing." Kiba explained to Tsunade when she came out of the OR. It was confirmed by Choji who gave a tight nod.
"Where is she?" Itachi's voice was as cold as ice, walking with purpose to stand in front of the Sannin.
"Sakura was just moved to a private room." She answered, her expression grim. "Come, I'll take you to her." Tsunade turned away and started walking. Itachi walked silently behind her, followed closely by Sasuke. When they entered the room Neji stood and bowed, excusing himself.
"You will tell me what happened later." Itachi said shooting a glare to the Hyuuga that would make the most hardened criminal shudder in fear. Neji took it in stride, he deserved it.
"Of course, Itachi-san. I'll wait for you outside." Neji bowed again and left the room. The click of the door signaled his retreat. Itachi looked over to the bed where a bandaged and bruised Sakura lay sleeping.
"Her injuries weren't that serious… that is all but her head injury." Tsunade said as she walked over to Sakura's bed and sat down. It was no secret that the Godaime saw Sakura as a surrogate daughter.
"What do you mean, Tsunade-sama?" it was Sasuke who asked for Itachi lost the will to speak as soon as he laid eyes on his fiancée.
Tsunade sighed and rubbed her face with the palms of her hands. "Do to the force of her blow her head sustained, Sakura's temporal lobe was damaged. Thanks to Ino's knowledge of the brain, the damage was repaired but were still unsure of the effects it caused." She heaved another sigh.
"What effects are you talking about?" Itachi spoke, eyes never leaving the fragile figure on the bed.
"Her temporal lobe controls memory. We won't be sure of the effects until she wakes up." Tsunade explained. By now, Mikoto and Fugaku had arrived and stopped in the doorway.
"You're saying Sakura-chan may not remember us?" Mikoto asked, her face twisted in horror.
"I don't want to but it is a possibility." Itachi walked over to the bed sank into the nearby chair. He watched her chest rise and fall, paying no mind to the others in the room; his full attention was focused solely on Sakura.
"We'll leave you alone now." Everyone filed out of the room and waited outside.
"Itoshii hito…" Itachi whispered scooting the chair closer to the bed. Taking one of her small hands in his, Itachi kissed her fingers. He couldn't bare it, the thought of her not remembering him, their love, everything. It was just too much to hope for, for her to remember. If Itachi had the ability to cry he would have. But because he didn't, Itachi settled on being angry. Angry at Neji for not protecting her, angry at the man who did this to her and angry at himself for letting her go on this mission.
He stood then, bending over to place a kiss on her lips. "I promise I'll make it up to you." He said against her lips then left the room. "Hyuuga, come." He commanded coldly after closing the door to Sakura's room.
~xxx~
Emerald eyes came to life at four in the morning. The room was dark and it was damn cold. Sakura grabbed at the covers and pulled them up to her chin. Now her feet were cold, she had pulled too hard on the blankets. She scowled and pulled her feet up only to gasp as a searing pain shot up her spin. She screamed, loud and long. Nurses flooded her room, and forced her to lay back down.
"Stay clam, Forehead. You'll reopen your wounds." Ino hollered over the fuss of the agitated patient's roaring temper. And then her world turned upside down.
"Who the hell are you people! Let go of me!" Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Haruno Sakura, stop this immediately." A booming voice called from the door. All movement ceased as Tsunade strode into the room. Sakura stared, bewildered at the sight of the busty Hokage. "Everyone out!" three nurses and two orderlies left the room, closing the door as they went.
"What's going on? What happened? Who are you?" Sakura fired one question after another as Tsunade sat down with her.
"Let me ask you some questions and then I'll answer yours. Deal?" Sakura nodded and sat cross-legged on the bed. "Can you remember anything before you woke up?"
Sakura's face scrunched up in concentration as she tapped a finger to her chin. "I… I remember being in pain and… a man. There were six or seven of him and another man with long brown hair…" Sakura trailed off trying her hardest to remember more.
'So, she remembers the mission, that's not surprising.' Tsunade thought with a soft nod. "Can you remember anything before that?"
Itachi received an urgent message from Ino; Sakura was awake. He had to see her, so, he fled his home and headed for the hospital. Itachi stood outside the door as he heard Sakura and Tsunade talking. Sakura recalled what she could from the mission and little on anything else. Sakura began to speak again, not sounding like anything of her former self.
"I can't remember anything else except a name. Does 'Itachi' mean anything to you?" Itachi's heart stopped cold in his chest, his hand fell away from the doorknob.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Tsunade responded. "Itachi, get in here."
~xxx~
A/N: Well, should I continue this or not? Please send me some feed back. Oh, itoshii hito means 'darling' in Japanese. Thanks a bunch.