Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 7

This was the second double shift this week, and Sakura was absolutely drained. She needed to sleep, but she told the nurses that she would be in her office looking over some files before she went home.

Yuki, her head nurse, looked at her and said, "Sakura-san, please go home and rest. I will finish those charts for you and have them ready for you to sign in the morning."

Sakura was so thankful to have a wonderful nurse like Yuki to help her. She said, "Yuki, you are the best. I will… I will go home now and get some sleep. Let me know if there are any emergencies though."

Yuki agreed and was already pushing her out of the doors while assuring her that they would be able to handle the rest of the shift.

Sakura got to her apartment and went straight into the shower. She almost fell asleep as the hot water gently hit her back and soothed her tired and aching muscles.

She wished that her mind could be soothed in such an easy way but sadly she knew that her nightmares would catch up with her as soon as she began to dream. Sakura wished that she would have a dreamless night tonight, just so she could restore some chakra and not have the dull headache that accompanied chakra exhaustion.

Lately, her dreams were filled with images of a young Itachi covered in blood, or having the council, or her own shishou, ordering her to do something against one of Konoha's clans.

The nightmare that she had last night was of her being ordered to kill Naruto, in an attempt to contain the Kyuubi inside him. Just thinking about it made her skin crawl.

Itachi had been right, her world would be shattered once she learned the truth, but she took comfort that she would be the one to help Itachi bear that burden. He no longer had to be alone.

The next morning Sakura was preparing to leave her house to head back to the hospital when one of the Hokage's personal messengers arrived at her door and informed her that her presence was immediately needed at the Hokage Tower.

Sakura followed the messenger and was lead into the Hokage's office.

When the blond woman behind the desk looked up, her eyes suddenly softened and she said to her guards, "Please leave us for a moment."

They bowed and disappeared from the room in a flash.

Sakura approached the desk, a little afraid for what her shishou might say. She was scared that Tsunade might have found the box in the archives that held the information about the massacre, and somehow figured out that she had been the one to open the box.

Sakura's face did not betray her, though. Her face looked perfectly calm, albeit tired, but it showed no panic.

Tsunade motioned for her to sit down and then asked, "Sakura, how are you doing at the hospital?"

Sakura internally breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked at her shishou and said, "I have been able to manage. There are some changes in policy that I have made that have helped cut down on the percentage of hospital acquired infections and the recovery period of our more severe cases has improved."

Tsunade shook her head and said, "Look, I know that you have done exceptionally well in the last couple of weeks but I don't know if this was the right choice for you. I don't see that spark in your eyes like I used to."

She couldn't be more right on her assessment. Sakura had felt a sense of loss since finding those documents. It's as if her innocence had been stolen away, but it was because she felt that Itachi's life had been ripped away by a single command. She felt his pain and could barely understand the reasoning as to why it had to be done. Who could have commanded a child to kill not only his parents, but his entire clan in one night and then expect him to continue to be loyal. She was still astounded as to why Itachi wouldn't have taken the road of revenge against all of Konoha and destroyed everyone else.

Tsunade continued to look at her and said, "Sakura you are doing it again."

Sakura snapped back to reality and said, "Forgive me Hokage-sama, I guess I just haven't been sleeping well."

Tsunade knew all too well about the nightmares that most of her ANBU agents suffered from. It was something that she wished she could take away but was unable to. The men and women of ANBU were the real backbone of Konohagakure and they were the ones that were never openly thanked or appreciated.

She continued to look at her apprentice and said, "Sakura… I thought that by giving you time in the village your… um.. dreams... would stop. I am afraid that by not having something to focus on so deeply I might have made them worse."

Sakura hung her head and said, "Tsunade-sama, would it be too much if I request a long recon solo mission to clear my head?"

"Of course not… I really want the best for you Sakura, I am extremely proud of you and I know that one day you will surpass me."

There was a pit in Sakura's stomach, but she managed to look at her Hokage and bow her head and say, "Thank you."

Tsunade sifted through some papers and then pulled one out and said, "I have this recon mission that you could go on. It should be no more than one or two months. Maybe the time away from the village can give you a different outlook and when you come back you can make a decision about the hospital."
Sakura took the scroll and thanked her once again.

Tsunade noticed the way that her eyes sparkled just a bit after she took the mission scroll from her hand.

She looked at Sakura and said, "Alright, go on and get ready to leave, but be careful. There should be one of our informants that might leave some information in the location listed in that scroll. Be sure that no one sees or manages to identify you. That person has been one of the most trusted sources of information that the Leaf has ever had and has never failed us once."

Sakura left her office with a lighter heart at the prospect of leaving the village for a month or two.

She needed to go home and pack, but only after going to Kakashi's apartment to leave a note for him that she would be out for a while, so he and Naruto wouldn't worry. Kakashi had been on a mission for the last two weeks and Naruto and Captain Yamato had been sent off on an escort mission for some rich merchant.

That night she slept and dreamt, but this time it was of her and Itachi. Her dream was of meeting him in a very different Konoha; a Konoha where the Uchiha clan still lived, Sasuke was a normal guy who was loyal to his teammates and friends, and Itachi had the respect and admiration of the entire village.

At first light the next day, Sakura had already passed the village gates and was making her way out to the coordinates on the scroll.

Kisame exclaimed at the figure before him, "Itachi-san, you have been rather distant these last couple of days, is there something going on that I should know about?"

Itachi continued to glare at the man. He continued to say nothing as they made their way back to their home after a mission to gather some intel for their leader.

Kisame knew that whatever was on Itachi's mind had to be something major for the almighty stoic Uchiha to become flustered whenever he asked any questions.

Itachi could feel his partner's gaze as they traveled, expecting him to answer his question.

The Sharingan wielder knew that if he didn't say something, Kisame would continue to ask him questions and he was sure that he didn't want anyone to suspect anything and be messing in his own personal affairs.

Itachi then quietly replied, "Kisame-san, I have always kept your private matters, private. I wish for you to respect my personal issues as I respect yours. What I am doing will not interfere with our missions so it should be no problem to you or the Akatsuki."

Kisame was surprised by his answer and then he asked point-blank, "Is it a girl?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow as he stared at the blue man and without any notice disappeared into a flock of crows.

Kisame yelled at the crows, "Well you better be back for the next mission!" He shook his head and said to himself, "Finally… that man seriously needed a woman to distract him."

Deidara had made his way back to his hide out near the border of Iwagakure. As he was approaching a field near his home, he came across a man who resembled Uchiha Sasuke.

The two figures approached each other and Deidara said, "Well if it isn't the little Uchiha… Have you come looking for your big brother to finally have your 'epic' battle?"

Deidara's tone was mocking and it only served to anger Sasuke even more.

The younger Uchiha had surrounded the blond Akatsuki member with some of his shadow clones and they all said in unison, "Tell my brother that I am ready for him. I will take away everything that he has ever worked for and everything that he holds dear, including this pathetic organization. There is no escape from my wrath, I will avenge my family and make him suffer."

Deidara had begun to mold some exploding clay spiders as he said, "You know, you and your brother are nothing alike… I don't particularly like either of you, but at least your brother has the sense not to go announcing his plans and making idle threats. Grow up little boy, you are not the only one that has had a tragic past… and I am not your messenger."

Sasuke's patience was running thin… his rage was getting the best of him and he launched his snakes at him.

Deidara had sent his spiders to each of the clones as Sasuke was making the seals for his summoning jutsu. Deidara detonated his clay creations just as the snakes were lunging at him. With a loud explosion all of Sasuke's shadow clones dispelled.

The blond had already jumped away from the detonation and was ready for any other attack.

Sasuke was a ways off, but said, "I'll end you soon, brother. I will pick your teammates off one by one."

Deidara smirked in the direction where Sasuke was hiding and said, "Just you try, little Uchiha…"

He decided to leave Deidara alone for now, he had riled him up enough that he knew that Deidara would eventually go back to try to alert not only his brother, and the rest of the Akatsuki members.

Sasuke then crouched on the ground to pick up an extremely small snake that Deidara had managed to ignore completely during the attack. This particular snake had the thinnest fangs from all of his summons and had been infused with a special venom that could slowly disable a Kekkei Genkai at a genetic level. It was useless in battle because it took a couple of weeks to slowly unravel the genetic code and then destroy those genes that dealt with those special abilities.

Sasuke had taken the snakes from Orochimaru summoning contract when he had killed him. He swore to take down Deidara for insulting him, and he would wait until the poison had taken it's full effect before getting rid of him and eventually the rest of Akatsuki.

The two small puncture fang wounds on the inside of Deidara's ankle had already healed and were almost invisible to the naked eye.

Itachi had traveled in the general direction of Konoha without even thinking about it. He was due to send a crow to the drop site in a couple of days. The elder Uchiha needed to put some distance between him and Kisame.

The last couple of days on their latest mission were torturously long for the usually calm and collected Uchiha Itachi.

Kisame wouldn't stop asking him about why he had left and what he had done. After the second day of ignoring him, they had finally come across their target and Itachi had taken control of the mission and finished it single handedly in order to get away from the incessant talking of the blue man. It was really strange that Kisame would be so willing to ask about his personal affairs that Itachi had used his Sharingan to make sure that it wasn't an imposter posing as Kisame.

Itachi knew that his absence was noticed not just by his partner, but now by Deidara as well, and he would have to tread lightly around their already suspicious natures.

After a days travel he came to the rendezvous point and he spread his senses to see if the usual contact person was at their perspective rendezvous point as well. Since he had done this for the last couple of years the process of handing off information was almost second nature to both parties involved. They both knew the rules and neither of them tried to probe to deeply into their chakra signatures, but when Itachi spread out his senses he found the one chakra signature that he couldn't ever ignore.

He found hers.

Itachi knew that she was alone and flared his chakra for her to feel and soon they were both running towards each other.

He noticed her first.

She was running towards him, her ANBU mask already out-of-the-way, a look on her face telling him that she knew the truth about his past.

Sakura had felt his chakra and was pulled in his direction with each passing heartbeat.

What had struck her as odd, was why he had been so close to the rendezvous point, and then it hit her like a ton of bricks… He was the informant.

She knew that he was, and would always be, loyal to her village… no… their village. She knew that he helped her because of where she was from, and because he was still a good person deep down. Sakura was now certain, that what she felt in his presence was something that they both couldn't describe, but knew that it felt right. She now knew the truth in her heart and she wanted to hear it from his lips.

Sakura's heart told her that she loved him and that is why she was being lead in his direction this whole time.

As she approached him, his calm façade morphed into one of surprise and a hint of relief. He was running towards her, as she was running to him. When they were but a few yards away, Sakura launched herself to him saying his name.

Hearing her say his name with all the unspoken emotion and feelings was like a drowning in an ocean of bliss. He wanted his name to be the only one that escaped her lips. He opened his arms and caught her in an embrace, their foreheads touching as they gazed into each other.

Itachi took in a deep breath as he whispered her name.

Her name rolled off of his lips like a caress and she tightened her grip on his neck.

Itachi glanced down at her lips, as she slowly closed her eyes, he lowered his head to gently capture her lips in a sweet kiss.

Her hands were tangled in his hair pulling him closer. The kiss deepened and they were soon up against a tree letting their mouths explore each other.

Sakura held him close as she whispered in between kisses, "Itachi…. Please…. don't leave…. I know…. the truth…. I…. want…" Itachi couldn't stop himself after hearing her words, her body arching into him as he kissed her. He took a small bite of her collarbone and she breathlessly said, "You… Itachi… oh… stay with me…"

He kissed her lips to answer her question and he whispered, "I haven't stopped thinking about you."

Her head swam at the thought of being the one who dominated the thoughts of a certain Uchiha.

She kissed him back with all the emotion that she held in for so long. No man had tempted her as he did.

They were in need of oxygen and had to break apart.

Sakura felt her heartbeat quicken as she stared at the man that she held before her. Uchiha Itachi looked breathless after their kiss and she could have sworn that it was the most enticing sight she had ever seen.

He slowly put her down, trying to regain a little control and said, "You are here on a mission?"

She nodded and said, "I take it you are the 'informant'?"

He lowered his gaze and said, "As much as I love my village, I am still labeled a missing nin. This is the only way I can still serve the Leaf."

Sakura was amazed at his loyalty. He had given everything up, yet he still loved his village enough to want to protect it in the only way that he could.

Her hand reached his and she brought it up to her heart not having to ask out loud, but instead pleading with her eyes.

He returned her gaze with a half smile.

Itachi then took her fingers and kissed the tips as he closed his eyes. Itachi knew that he wasn't allowed this…. relationships were something that a missing nin couldn't afford to have.

He knew that he could never give her the relationship that she deserved but, her eyes, her words, and her kiss made him a bit selfish.

He would stay with her for as long as she wished him to be there, even if he had to move mountains, to be by her side.

They looked at each other and he said to her, "You know the truth now… is there anything else that you want to know?"

His willingness to open up to her surprised her, but she knew that something had changed between them now. They had shared something that few people knew and her reaction gave him hope that they might be able to share something more.

She said to him as she interlaced her fingers between his own, "You…. you were innocent… Why?"

He looked at their interlocked hands, amazed at how perfect her hand looked in his and said to her, "Because it was something that needed to be done to protect the village as a whole. One clan or the village? Lord Third had a difficult choice to make, and Danzo wasn't giving him many other options. The Uchiha clan would have revolted if we didn't stop them and there would have been far more innocent deaths. I did what I did to protect the village and to silently atone for their sins as clan heir, while giving Sasuke a name that he could nurture and grow into something different. I wanted him to have a clean slate… nothing to tie him to my clan's past, to our curse."

They continued to walk ahead and he asked her, "How long are you on the recon mission?"
She looked at him and said, "About 1-2 months, I honestly didn't think that I would get to meet the 'informant' so soon."

He smirked in her direction and she was truly amazed at how relaxed Itachi looked around her. It's as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

He softly asked, "Do you want to stay with me, during that time?"

She stopped walking and looked straight at him and said, "Yes. I want to get to know you better, and… Itachi, I want to know if what I am feeling is…. well, the same for you?"

He gave her a genuine smile and caressed her cheek and said, "Sakura… I will not hide anything from you. I asked you a question one time while you were asleep, and I am determined to find out the answer."
Sakura was unaware of what he was talking about but she still nodded and continued to hold his hand as they walked into the forest. The couple looked for a place to set up camp for the night, finally finding a secluded cave that was hidden behind a small waterfall. It was deep enough that they could hide a fire and the small opening gave them a wonderful view of the night sky.

A/N: Sorry I was so late with updating this chapter. I had some life issues come up and couldn't really focus (maybe that is why I have Itachi, Sakura, Kisame, Deidara, and Sasuke all in this chapter). I wrote this thing a couple of times because I didn't really have time to write it all in one night. I had to write a paragraph a night due to my time constraints so I am not sure if it flowed well.

The next two chapters will mainly focus on Itachi and Sakura's relationship. Sasuke might not make another appearance for a while.