Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Olive Branch:

'1. a branch of the olive tree especially when used as a symbol of peace

2. an offer or gesture of conciliation or goodwill'

- Merriam Webster Dictionary

Chapter Four

Sakura slumped, exhausted, against the door of the on-call room. She had just emerged from a long surgery involving many complications. The patient had lost an incredible amount of blood, and Sakura was surprised that he was still alive when his team carried him in. He almost hadn't made it, and he had to be defibrillated twice. But for now, at least, his condition was stable. However, Sakura felt extremely unstable on her feet.

Her chakra was dwindling, and her legs felt like jelly. She staggered to the small couch that filled up most of the room, and threw herself down on to the faded fabric. Resting her head on the arm of the couch, she closed her eyes. She knew already that she wouldn't get any sleep. Whenever she was in the hospital she was always on high-alert. At any point a doctor or nurse could throw open the door to the on-call room and ask for assistance.

And there was also the issue with Uchiha Itachi.

To marry or not to marry, that is the question.

Rolling over, she snuggled deeper into the couch. At times like these, she wished that Tsunade was here. Her shishou would probably give her advice. She remembered evenings spent sitting in booths with Tsunade beside her. Tsunade's cheeks would redden and she would rant and rave about the Third Hokage and her old team. Sometimes, she would forego a cup and just drink the sake straight from the bottle. Sakura smiled at the memories that flooded her mind. Tsunade's advice was always bizarre and alcohol-fuelled, but she was always a good listener.

A thought struck her. It went without saying that her business with Itachi had to be kept secret. But perhaps there was a way she could get some advice without actually giving away any details. Sakura smirked. She knew exactly whom she could talk to.

Once her shift was over and her chakra replenished, Sakura left the hospital. She kept her head down as she made her way through the village. The sun was just beginning to set and the streets were half-empty. Although there was no clock, alarm or signal, everybody knew when curfew was approaching. After curfew, if you did not have a pass indicating that you were working or on official business, then you could be apprehended. She had seen it happen from her apartment window.

When the gates of the Yamanaka district came into view, she slowed. As usual, two guards were stationed on either side of the gates, and stretched across the entrance was a complex web of chakra. This system monitored who entered and exited the clan district. If anyone went in and didn't come back out, or vice versa, the guards – usually sensory-type shinobi – would be alerted immediately. When this system was put into place, Fugaku claimed that it was for the sake of security and preventing intruders. But Sakura knew that it was a means of preventing inter-clan scheming.

Even though Sakura did not come from a clan, she was very familiar with this system due to her visits to Ino's house. Last time she and Ino tried to have a sleepover, they were awoken in the dead of the night by the sound of a guard pounding his fist on the front door.

As Sakura neared the gates, she glanced at the guards and stepped into the web of chakra. The chakra brushed across her skin, leaving a trail of tingling warmth. It felt similar to a mild electric current against her bare arms. Soon enough it was over, and Sakura was stood just inside the entrance to the Yamanaka district.

One of the guards looked at her over his shoulder. "You have twenty minutes," he said.

She gave him a curt nod, "I understand."

The Yamanaka district was quiet as Sakura hurried down the winding streets. Aside from her footsteps, the only noise was the chirrup of crickets. As she approached Ino's house, she paused. The lights were on, so somebody was home. She just hoped that it was Ino and not her mother. Even though it had never been said directly to her face, she got the feeling that Ino's mother had never truly forgiven her for the sleepover incident.

Sakura knocked on the door. She heard the muffled sound of footsteps before the door opened. When Yamanaka Inoichi's face appeared, she almost sighed in relief. It had been a while since she had visited Ino's house, and she had forgotten how similar Ino looked to her father. Inoichi's blue eyes were as bright as his daughters, and his blonde hair fell to his hip, the ends brushing the clothed stump of his left arm.

"Sakura," he said with a gentle smile.

Sakura bowed. "Good evening, Inoichi-san. I'm sorry for disturbing you at this time."

"You are always a welcome presence here," he said. "Let me guess, Ino?"

"She's in?"

He nodded. "She is just upstairs in her room. Of course, you already know the way." He stepped back, allowing her to enter.

Sakura slipped into the entrance hall and removed her sandals. "Thank you," she said. "I promise I won't be long. There won't be a repeat of that time..."

Inoichi shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Sakura. It is in the past." He paused. "Although I must ask, is it possible for me to drop by your office some time?"

Sakura frowned. "Is everything alright?"

He raised his hand in reassurance. "I'm quite alright," he replied, then gestured to the stump of his left arm. "It's just that my scars have been itchy recently. I'm wondering if perhaps something has irritated them."

She took a step forward. "I can have a quick look now if you like?"

"No, please," he said, shaking his head. "It can wait." He nodded at the stairs behind her. "You don't have much time."

Sakura felt guilty leaving him without examining his scars. "Feel free to stop by the hospital tomorrow or any other time you like. It's no trouble, really," she said, before ascending the stairs. Stopping outside of Ino's bedroom, she rapped her knuckles on the door.

There was a faint "who is it?"

"Take a guess," Sakura said.

What followed was thud of feet and a bang as the door was yanked open. Ino's blue eyes glinted at the sight of Sakura. "Forehead! Get in here, it's been ages!"

Ino's long fingers grasped Sakura's forearm, dragging her into the bedroom. It had been quite a while since she had visited Ino. Months, in fact. It wasn't out of choice. After the Coup she had lived in a room pre-paid by the Hokage and Council, just like Naruto. But when she managed to accumulate enough of her hospital and mission wages, she moved to a rented apartment. Unfortunately, she had to take on extra shifts at the hospital in order to pay the rent. Her friendship with Ino had suffered as a result.

Ino's bedroom had matured since the last time she was here. The pale lilac walls had been re-painted a bold violet and the faux-fur rug stained with nail polish in the centre of the room was gone.

Ino was grinning so wide that her ears were in danger of disappearing. "Forehead, where've you been?" She grabbed Sakura's hands and inspected her bitten fingernails. "Look at your nails! I thought I taught you how to take care of them properly—"

"Pig, as much as I love you to bits, I don't have time."

Ino pouted. "I know, I'm sorry."

Sakura pulled Ino down to the bedroom floor. As children, they had always sat on Ino's floor, giving each other makeovers. It had become habitual to sit in the same place on the floor.

"So, what's up?" Ino asked. "Something's bothering you. Your forehead seems to sparkle whenever you're upset."

Sakura snorted. "Oh shut up." she said. "But you're right. I need advice on something."

"Fire away."

"So...I can't really go into detail," Sakura began. She had to be cautious about this. As much as she trusted Ino with her life, she just couldn't take any risks. "Imagine a hypothetical situation," she continued, "in which somebody asked you to make a difficult choice. This person wants you to give up your personal dreams for the sake of something bigger, and you can either agree with them or you can choose to be selfish."

Ino was staring at her curiously. "Okaay... well that's bizarre."

Sakura hummed in agreement. "It is. It's ridiculous."

"They want you to sacrifice your own interests for the sake of something bigger," Ino murmured, nodding. There was silence as Ino mulled things over. "It's a tough cookie, Forehead. I wouldn't blame anybody for choosing to pursue their own dreams. It's human nature to be selfish to a degree. But I have to ask, this hypothetical person... are they pressuring you into anything?"

Sakura thought for a moment. "Not really. They are also under pressure themselves, but they want me to choose for myself. They're just hoping that I will agree with them."

"Sakura." Ino's voice was quiet and solemn. "I have a really bad feeling about this. I know we keep saying that it's hypothetical, but it's not, is it? Please tell me you're not thinking of doing anything dangerous."

I'm not sure whether it's dangerous or not. Is it dangerous? Perhaps. It all depends on Fugaku's reaction, or whether or not we are discovered.

"Don't worry. It's not as dangerous as it sounds." Sakura hated lying through her teeth, especially to those closest to her. But she couldn't have Ino worried for her, could she?

Ino nodded. "I hope so, because I almost lost my dad when he rebelled. I'm not going to risk losing you too."

Sakura leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her best friend. Ino squeezed her back just as tightly. It was during moments like this that she couldn't help but wonder if she and Ino had been sisters in a previous life.

"I'm not going anywhere, Pig," Sakura said, pulling away from the hug. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Ino wrinkled her nose. "Yep, you're like a disease." When Sakura lightly punched her shoulder, Ino winced. "Okay, okay! You're not a disease. Just please don't punch me again with those gorilla arms."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. "Gorilla arms?"

"Ahem! Getting back to the topic," Ino said, "Your problem and this mysterious figure who holds mysterious choices."

Sakura nodded, listening in earnest.

"Like I said before, this is a tough one. But since there is a person who is offering this choice, it means that it's not set in stone. In other words, could you not find a way to negotiate?"

Sakura blinked. "Negotiate?"

"Yes, Forehead, negotiation. This person is making the offer, but is there not a way to change the rules? So you could find a way to negotiate so that you're not sacrificing everything, just some things."

Sakura silently thought this over. It was unbelievable that she hadn't already thought of this. No, a marriage with Itachi wouldn't be ideal; she barely knew him. Although, if she were to talk with him and work out some compromises, perhaps they could actually have a comfortable marriage.

"Or, you could just do the exact opposite and say 'greater good, be damned' and just be selfish."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You know I wouldn't be able to do that. It's not right, morally."

Ino smiled. "I know, you're such a do-gooder Forehead. You're too nice, it's creepy."

There was a knock on the bedroom door. Inoichi's deep voice could be heard from the other side. "I hate to interrupt, but Sakura it's time."

The two girls stood, and Ino pulled Sakura into one last hug. She couldn't believe that the time had gone so fast, and being here with Ino now, she realised just how much she had missed her.

Ino drew back and put on a cheerless grin. "Next time, come and visit earlier in the day so we get longer than ten minutes. Actually, scratch that, I'll drop into your office at random. Whenever I get the chance, and not just when I need healing."

Sakura nodded. "Please do. I don't always get time off, so if I don't come and visit you soon then you know where to find me."

Inoichi knocked again. This time he did not speak, but the message was clear as day.

My time's up.

"See you soon, Pig."

Ino pushed her friend toward the door. In the hallway outside, Inoichi was hovering nervously. "Remember, Sakura," Ino said. "This person might have set up the game, but you can still change the rules."

Sakura thanked her. With newfound determination, she exited the Yamanaka household.

Itachi stares at the eye glistening with blood in Shisui's palm. Shisui is smiling, and two red tracks drip from his closed eyes. The blood smells of metal, of rust. It has never bothered Itachi before, but now the scent is invasive.

"You're the only friend I can count on. Protect the village and the Uchiha name. Both of them"

There is a flap of wings and a rustle of leaves as a large crow emerges from the woods behind them. It circles before slowing to a halt inches away from Shisui's hand. In a burst of shiny black feathers the crow disappears along with the eye. Itachi doesn't want to look. He knows what comes next. He has seen this many times before. But he cannot turn away. His body doesn't seem to obey his commands.

"If I die, many things will change." Shisui backs away slowly. His feet are mere centimetres from the edge of the cliff face. His voice is quiet against the roar of the waterfall behind him. "I've already left a note."

Itachi's stomach drops. He feels nausea bubbling inside him and all he wants is to close his eyes. They remain open. Staring. Even as Shisui's feet graze the edge of the cliff. The words are ripped from his throat before he realises that they are his words.

"Shisui, wait!"

"Don't try and stop me, Itachi." Shisui's body tumbles over the edge.

Itachi leaps forward, stretching out to grasp Shisui's shirt, his wrist, anything that could be used to haul him up.

"Shisui!"

Itachi shot up in bed. His skin was clammy and hot, and his pyjama pants were sticking to him. He stared at the geometric pattern on his duvet as he focused on controlling his breathing.

This was the third time this week that he had been tormented by this particular memory. Well, he had always been haunted by it. But never in such detail. Never with such realism. He closed his eyes, pressing them tight. The wet crunch of Shisui's body hitting the rocks beneath the waterfall rang in his ears. His chest ached as behind his eyelids, he saw the body, limp as a rag doll, drifting down the river. He saw the trail of blood in the water from Shisui's crushed skull.

"Uchiha-sama?"

He grabbed a kunai from under his pillow as he whirled around to face the window...only to see a slug. A very large, grey slug that was leaving a pool of slime on his windowsill. His heart pounded, nerves on fire, as he stared at it for a minute. It was only when he noticed the folded note tied to its body that he put his kunai away. Of course it was a summon. An intruder would not likely refer to him as Uchiha-sama.

"Uchiha-sama, I'm sorry for the disturbance."

He shook his head. "I should be the one to apologise. It was a mistake to raise my kunai at you," he said, getting out of bed and walking to the window.

The slug curled inwards and lowered its head. Itachi wasn't too knowledgeable about the body language of slugs, but he could only describe its behaviour as...bashful?

The slug's feelers rubbed together nervously. Much to his confusion, it seemed to be staring at his stomach. "My mistress sends you a message."

Itachi untied the note from the slug's body, raising his eyebrow the slug quivered under his fingertips. When the note was finally free, the slug curled into a spiral. "I m-must go now. G-good day, Uchiha-sama."

The slug disappeared in a puff of smoke before Itachi could respond. He shook his head in disbelief. Sakura certainly had chosen a strange slug to summon. He lowered his gaze to the note in his hand. Unfolding the paper, he read the words scribbled in black ink on the page.

Uchiha Itachi-san,

Meet me at the dango shop opposite the green grocers at 11.00am. I trust you know where to find it. Sasuke tells me that you have an obsession with Dango. I have some things I want to discuss about your proposal.

S.

Itachi frowned at her messy doctor's scrawl. He had to read it several times before he understood all of the words.

Did she write this with her feet?

According to the clock on his wall, he had five hours before Sakura wanted to meet with him. This left him enough time for a quick training session and some paperwork before he needed to set off for the dango shop.

As he turned to the wardrobe to get dressed, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror on his wall. It was now clear why the slug had behaved in such an odd manner.

He was devoid of a shirt, and due to his nightmare, a film of sweat coated his skin.

Sakura almost dropped the vial of poison in her hand as her slug summon appeared, quivering on her desk. She had sent out Cho, Katsuyu's young niece, at the crack of dawn with a note for Itachi. Cho had been fine then, but now the poor thing was jittering. She set down the vial of poison and removed her safety goggles.

"Cho-chan, did something happen? Did my message get through alright?"

The slug nodded, a little too enthusiastic. "Y-yes, Uchiha Itachi-sama received your message, mistress!"

Sakura frowned, reaching out with healing chakra to touch the slug's body. "You're not injured, but you seem so shaken..."

"Thank you for your kindness, but I am quite alright. If you please, I must go. Katsuyu-sama is calling me."

Sakura nodded, unsure. "Of course, Cho-chan. Give my regards to Katsuyu-sama, and please," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "ask Katsuyu to let me know how my shishou is doing?"

Cho inclined her head. "I will, mistress. Have a good day."

When the slug puffed out of the lab, Sakura blinked in confusion. Cho was a very young summon, and she had only been used for delivering messages as she was not yet ready for battle. Sakura had a feeling that Itachi must have intimidated her in some way.

She made a mental note to confront Itachi about it later on. Putting her safety goggles back on, she continued to work on creating an antidote to several new poisons that was currently threatening the lives of an Anbu team. After the Coup, the political instability of the village became an advantage to neighbouring countries who wanted to attack. However, physical attacks were difficult, partially due to Fugaku's security system, but also because the Uchiha clan had made losses during the Coup. Naturally, such losses only resulted in the awakening of many Mangekyou Sharingan. With so many Uchiha possessing such skilled dojutsu, physical attacks on the village were few and far between.

Biological attacks, on the other hand, were a far more common threat. Sakura's skill in poisons meant that she was allowed to work on formulating antidotes, even if she wasn't trusted with much else.

As the morning wore on, she repeatedly glanced at the clock, anxious to step away from work and catch a break. In order to meet Itachi, she had convinced a nurse to swap shifts. The nurse was all too happy to comply, leaving Sakura with the graveyard shift.

When the clock finally hit 10.40am, Sakura put her safety goggles down with a sigh. She was finally free. For now. She would still have to come back to do that godawful graveyard shift. But at least she would be able to feel some sunlight on her face. She put away her equipment and changed into her regular clothes before leaving the hospital.

When she reached the dango shop, Itachi was already there. He was sitting at a table in the corner, away from prying ears. A plate of hanami dango was set in front of him. He poured green tea from a cast-iron teapot into two cups. Of course, he already knew that she was there.

She sidled up to the table and sat opposite him, taking the second cup.

"Sakura-san," he greeted.

"Itachi-san."

He sipped at his tea. "You wanted to meet about our arrangement."

Sakura nodded. "Yes. But first I'm hungry for some dumplings. I'm usually stuck at work during lunch hours." Signalling to a waitress, Sakura ordered a portion of chadango. She ignored the way that the waitress' gaze flickered between her and Itachi. When the waitress left to attend to her order, Sakura leaned forward, folding her hands under her chin – a trait she had inherited from Tsunade.

"I think you broke my slug summon."

Itachi delicately raised a eyebrow. "I don't know what you mean."

"Then, pray tell, why did she return to me trembling like she'd just been held at knifepoint? She's only young, you know, she's not used to this stuff. You didn't have to intimidate her."

"I did nothing of the sort." Sakura gave him a pointed look, and he sighed. "I tend to get very warm in the night. I usually do not sleep with a shirt on."

Sakura wasn't sure how to react. But then her cheeks started to heat up. It was a well known fact that Itachi was strong. According to Sasuke, he trained vigorously every morning without fail. Even though he was lean and tall, he probably had a lot of muscle hidden under his charcoal grey shirt. No wonder Cho was so shy. As she stared at Itachi, she noticed that he didn't seem particularly bothered by the issue. In fact, his expression was stone cold—

Oh wait, he's glaring at me.

She flinched, almost spilling her tea. His eyes were slightly narrowed and glinting with irritation. It was almost unnoticeable to the average person, but Sakura was used to Sasuke's behaviour. The two brothers, whilst very different in many respects, were not wholly dissimilar.

He's looking at me like he wants to burn me alive with his katon-jutsu.

Sakura nervously glugged down her tea. She almost groaned in relief when the waitress re-emerged with Sakura's plate of dumplings. After thanking the waitress, Sakura took a moment to collect herself. She cleared her throat.

"Okay, back to the reason why I wanted to talk to you."

He nodded. She took a deep breath and swallowed.

"I accept."

He seemed mildly surprised. "You accept? I expected you to decline." Sakura gave him a puzzled look and he added, "Sasuke talks about you sometimes. He says that you are stubborn and hot headed."

Sakura clenched her jaw.

Ignore it, ignore it...

"Yes," she said "I accept your proposal...on one condition."

"Go on..."

"I have some requests. But more importantly, I also have several questions." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Questions about the Coup, and about your cousin, and your original plan for peace."

Itachi tensed.

"I want to know what happened fifteen years ago."

A/N: You have no idea how long it took me to write and edit this chapter. I wanted Itachi's dream/memory of Shisui to be as accurate as possible so, being the stubborn little shit that I am, I went rooting through canon. It nearly killed me.

But if you enjoyed the chapter, then it's worth the time and effort! Some of you wanted to see more of this AU and how the Uchiha clan have maintained control, so I hope this shed some light on this AU.

Let me know in the reviews what you think of the chapter and what you want to see more of :)