Hummingbird

Chapter 7: Dust

"All my life men like you've sneered at me, and all my life I've been knocking men like you into the dust." —Brienne of Tarth

"SENSEI!"

"Damn it, onii-san, let me GO!"

Itachi watched – a knot of dread filling his gut and lungs, crushing his ability to breathe and speak – as Sakura's eyes blinked slowly a few times and finally closed, like the weight of her eyelids was just too much for her to take.

Blood pooled around her immobile figure as the blade still lodged in her abdomen shifted with each of her shallow breaths that were slowly getting weaker and further apart, shuttering out of her with diminishing force. Her mouth was filling with blood and bubbles appeared with each breath she exhaled.

Ryouichi was crying, sobs wracking his small and ineffectual form, while he begged for her to wake up and called out her title. Katsurou was still yelling at his older cousins to let them get closer to her. Itachi barely heard them – couldn't bear to listen to the heartbreaking wails of her genin. Instead, his attention was solely focused on the woman lying lifeless on the ground as she slowly died, and there wasn't anything he could do.

Itachi had seen his comrades die before; it was an inevitability of the lives they led. However, he hadn't experienced the death of a teammate until he had been inducted into ANBU, and their bodies would be destroyed before he could witness their end up close. This was a new experience, and for the first time, Itachi was at a loss.

Behind him, Ryouichi let out another devastated bawl over Katsurou's cursing. The two conscious genin were trying to get nearer, but Shisui was holding them at bay. Sasuke had left with Fumiko to patrol the area to ensure more enemies weren't nearby.

"NO, SENSEI! WAKE UP!"

"Move," The Uchiha heir heard above him and turned to see his mother forcing him out of the way with a determined look on her face, a frown turning down her lips, as her hand firmly guided him from where he was settled by Sakura's head. A little bewildered, Itachi acquiesced and shifted out of the way so he was closer to her knees.

His mother's hand rose above Sakura's face and in a motion so quick that not even Itachi, Sharingan activated, could see, came down across the face of the unconscious woman. Slap. When the pinkette didn't move, it reversed and the unconscious girl's face was forced in the opposite direction. Slap.

"Okaa-san…" Itachi started, his hand raised to stop her, but Fumiko's mother, Sachiko, placed her hand on his arm and pulled it back, shaking her head to dissuade him, her face grim.

"Haruno-san, you will wake up, right now." Mikoto's voice was very firm and very loud. Somewhere behind them, Ryouichi shouted at Mikoto, screaming at her to not hurt his sensei. Katsurou's cries joined his. Mikoto slapped Sakura again before twisting the girl's shoulders to the side. Digging her fingers into her mouth, Mikoto began to use her hand to scoop out the blood pooling in her throat. A few clots came out, and he heard someone, one of the genin, wretch and vomit behind them.

It worked. The younger kunoichi sputtered and coughed up more blood, taking in several gulping breaths before cracking her eyes open again the best she could. One was almost completely swollen shut.

"T-t-taichou?" she whispered, and Itachi exhaled breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. She must have thought his mother was him – he did take after her and their hair was the same length. Mikoto shook her head. "No, Haruno-san, it is Uchiha Mikoto."

"K-kat…Ryou…C-chou," she murmured in response, trying to twist her head to see her team. Itachi's mother placed her hand on the girl's chest to keep her in place to prevent further injury.

"They are all alive and safe, Haruno-san. Now, you must focus on me." The Uchiha matriarch's commanding voice snapped Sakura back to attention, her hazy green eyes concentrating on the older woman the best she could. "Now, did Hokage-sama ever have you form a Yin seal?" Sakura nodded slowly. "Will you have enough time to heal yourself with it? Do you have enough chakra?"

The Godaime's apprentice furrowed her brow in concentration for a moment, seeming to gauge her inner reserves. "'nough," was the choked reply. More blood was coming up her throat. "S'rvive. 'Nough to… home."

Mikoto smiled at her maternally before forcing her head to the side to allow her throat to drain again. Sakura coughed, heaving out more of the sticky read liquid, the thick clots dripping from her covered lips. When she turned back, Mikoto was stroking her face gently. "Very good, now tell me what to do."

Sakura's eyes, although milky and unfocused, had a matching determination to his mother, and for a moment, Itachi realized he may be over his head.

"Take. It. Out."

Itachi turned to see Shisui trying to push back Sakura's struggling genin. The exhausted pair were putting up quite the fight to be closer to their sensei, and Itachi finally managed to find his voice. This was not something they needed to see after the traumatic day they had already.

"Get them away from here," he ordered his cousin, who nodded resolutely in response. He finally took the initiative to wrap them up in wire, running around them in rapid circles to bind them together, before dragging them, kicking and screaming, to the other side of the clearing, where Chouko still lay alive, but unconscious, apparently having sustained a head injury.

Mikoto turned to him. "Itachi, hold down her legs. Sachiko-neesan, hold her shoulders. We can't risk her moving and causing more damage."

Once again, he was not given the chance to protest. He held his hands out and placed them on Sakura's knees firmly while his aunt had moved to the girl's torso and situated her hands on her shoulders. Mikoto stood up, and bracing her arms on the hilt of the broadsword, pulled it out in one fluid motion, it making a sickening squelch as it was finally disinterred from the kunoichi's flesh and muscle.

Sakura let out a startled cry that was stifled and over before it even really began, her body going limp and her eyes closing. His mother tossed the sword to the side and was at the girl's head again, asking her what was next.

"Tiger," Sakura said in a low voice, eyes cracked and gazing at the clan matriarch, her hands lifting and shaking as they tried to move of their own volition into the proper seal. Mikoto grabbed her hands and intertwined her fingers to make the hand seal shape.

"Say the words, Sakura," Mikoto commanded. Sakura, who seemed to be fading in and out of consciousness again, opened her mouth but no words came out. There wasn't much blood left in her throat, but it was dark red from the force of her heaves and extent of her injuries.

Since Mikoto's hands were holding Sakura's in place, it was Sachiko who slapped Sakura again, coaxing her back into consciousness. Mikoto repeated her earlier order, this time, her Sharingan was spinning in her eyes as they locked with Sakura's jade ones, "Say the words."

"I-i-infūinnnnn…" Sakura stuttered. Securing eyes with the Uchiha matriarch, the kunoichi seemed to dredge up the strength from somewhere deep, somewhere he couldn't see, and set her jaw resolutely. "Infūin Byakugō no Jutsu… Kai!"

A purple rhombus darkened into view on the pinkette's forehead before four black lines streaked out from the sides and began to cover her face and body, crisscrossing over her head, neck, arms, and what he could see of her torso and legs. Glowing red engulfed her form and Itachi moved back to watch as the gaping wound on his kohai's abdomen began to heal. First the bleeding was slowly cauterized and the wound itself began to close. Her ankle, which had been at an odd angle, snapped back into place with a nauseating pop.

In the time her body was mending itself, Sasuke and Fumiko returned and announced the area was safe and their location as secure. They had set traps nearby to warn them of incoming intruders. Shisui released Sakura's two conscious genin and allowed them to run to her. They sat next to her, watching as her body was repaired by the chakra stored in her body.

After several minutes, the red glow began to flicker out of life and the intensity of the light faded. Sakura's body had been taught from the healing and, once the light receded from view completely, relaxed back on the ground. The winding seal markings faded from view slowly, receding back into the purple diamond that had stayed present on her brow.

Fumiko, who had basic medical training, grabbed Sakura's wrist.

"Her pulse is weak but steady," she announced. While Fumiko didn't have the chakra control that was required for medics, she was able to push some diagnostic chakra into the pinkette. "There doesn't seem to be any more internal bleeding. We'll have to be gentle with her, or we'll reopen the internal wounds."

His mother sighed softly, weariness seemingly overcoming her, but a triumphant smile blossomed on her face. "Let's get her to the Hokage. Itachi, please send a summon to the Godaime to inform her of our arrival."

Itachi did so, calling forth a raven that sped off in the direction of their hidden village, and allowed Shisui and his mother to help him prop Sakura onto his back, her body heavy with dead weight. Shisui was going to carry Ryouichi, while Sasuke took Katsurou, and Fumiko carried the unconscious girl on their backs.

With a nod to each other, the group of Leaf ninja, ranging in rank from genin to ANBU, took off in the direction of Konoha at breakneck speeds to get their battered companion home.

X

When Sakura woke, it was to violet hair in her eyes and nose, tickling her senses, and a dull ache permeating her entire body. She felt warm, like she was in a cocoon, and after trying to wriggle her hand up to remove the tickling hair, realized that it was partially trapped under something heavy.

Luckily, she knew where she was, knew she was safe, and against all odds, alive. She remembered everything about the fight in the woods, including multiple members of the Uchiha clan coming to her aid and forcing her to use the Yin seal.

Which would explain why she was so damn tired; she was exhausted – there was no chakra left in her body to speak of, and she had lost too much blood. All things considered, even with the aid of the seal, she was lucky to still be breathing. For all intents and purposes, she should be dead. Sucking in a deep breath and immediately regretting it – her ribs and abdomen screaming in protest – Sakura blew the gust out of her mouth and some of the hair shifted from her sight.

There was a small giggle from the other side of the room, and Shizune's face came into view. Sakura noticed the tears in her eyes that her senpai was quickly blinking away. The medic touched the pinkette's head with soft, caring fingers, and pushed the remainder of hair out of Sakura's face.

"They refused to leave you. We had to transfer you to a bariatric bed because the normal one wasn't big enough to fit you all, and they were going to smother you to death," she let out another ironic giggle. "Haruno Sakura, survives an attack by 12 enemy shinobi only to succumb to her clingy genin."

Sakura craned her neck to find her team asleep around her. The room was dark, so she assumed it was nighttime. Chouko, with a bandage wrapped around her head (explaining why the hair was sticking up at odd angles and falling into Sakura's face), had wrapped her small body around her left and pressed close to her side, Ryouichi was on her right but faced outward, and she could see the ebb and flow to Katsurou's deep, even breaths down by her feet. He was curled into a ball with a throw blanket placed over him. Her emerald eyes softened before tears pricked the corner of her eyes with unbidden emotion suddenly consuming her.

"I was so afraid," she croaked. Her voice was hoarse and scratchy, and her throat felt like overcooked meat. Shizune pat her head affectionately, her own tears finally leaking from her eyes.

"They were worried about you, but your Yin seal healed the life threatening damage. We took care of your ribs and some of the other more minor injuries – a broken wrist, a sprained ankle, a pretty severe concussion, and the cuts and bruises. Your throat was raw from the upheaval of blood, and we had to transfuse two units into you," Shizune explained, holding up her hands and ticking off her injuries. "You're going to be very sore for a while, and you'll probably be asleep more than you're awake for the next several days while your chakra and blood regenerate."

"How long was I out?" she asked and struggled not to vomit from the pain in her throat. Judging by how stiff her body was, it was a while.

"You were admitted to the hospital four days ago," her senpai replied. "You've had many visitors. These three refused to leave, so their parents have been taking turns bringing them food and clothes."

Sakura nodded and went to open her mouth, but the brunette shook her head. "You should try not to speak. I'll get you some water."

Shizune forced her to drink two warm glasses with honey and lemon before announcing that she would inform Tsunade that she had woken up, but the older medic didn't leave before upping Sakura's morphine drip to ease the discomfort. It wasn't long before Sakura was unconscious again.

The next time awareness found her, it was mid-morning the next day, and it was to a whispered-screaming match between her genin across the room.

"You leave, Kat-bastard!"

"You're the one with the mommy here to take you home, you wittle baby," was the hushed, yet strained, response.

"Willbothofyoupleasejustshutup!" Chouko hissed, trying to intercede.

"One more word out of any of you, and you'll be running laps around the training field for hours."

"Sensei!" All three practically shrieked her title and were on her in a flash, Chouko jumping on the bed to hug her, causing her no small amount of discomfort, but she bore the pain, as not having the hug was so much worse. Ryouichi climbed onto the foot of the bed where Katsurou had been sleeping the night before, while the Uchiha boy stood off to the side.

"You're awake—"

"We were worried—"

"I'm sorry I got in your –"

"Quiet," she commands in a strained, rough voice, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her as more tears formed in her eyes, obscuring her vision of her three genin. For what seemed like the first time, all three followed her order immediately, waiting patiently for what she had to say. "I am so, so, so proud of you three."

There was a beat, and then two, of silence before Chouko started to cry, not even attempting to stifle her tears. Ryouichi wasn't far behind, although he worked hard not to vocalize his sobs, and even Katsurou rubbed his forearm across his eyes a few times.

After their sniffles subsided and her team gave her some more water to drink, they left her at her bidding. Their sensei had insisted, informing them that their parents had probably been just as worried about them as they had been about her and it was time to go home. They parted with the promise that they would return the next day.

The nurse came in not long after and gave Sakura a sponge bath. As embarrassing as it could be, it did feel good to be cleaned up a bit, as much as she could be with a catheter in place. She was told that if she got some more rest, she could have all of her tubes removed and sit up the next day; there was even the possibility that she could move from her bed to a chair.

By the time she was clean and changed into a fresh gown, Sakura was exhausted and asleep in no time.

The next morning, it was Tsunade she found in her room. Her shishou didn't say a word as she bustled from one end of the small space to the next, getting Sakura's medications prepared. The pinkette was able to move her arms and took the medicine and honey water with little complaint, her bed having been moved into an upright position so she could sit up.

All the while, her mentor didn't speak once, and the kohai of the two waited patiently for what she assumed would be the verbal beat down of the century. It never came. Instead, Tsunade pretended like she didn't have tears in her eyes when she wrapped the younger kunoichi in a hug that lasted long beyond what was normal. Then, she shook her several times by the shoulders, ignoring Sakura's bruised ribs.

"You never scare me like that again."

Nodding, but both knowing it was a promise she may not be able to keep, Sakura smiled and patted her teacher's hand where it was resting on her shoulder. "Never again, shishou."

By the end of the day, Sakura could hold down solids and move from her bed to the bathroom by herself. She slept intermittently throughout the day and found her strength returning slowly. Although she still couldn't stand for more than a few moments and her attempts and showering were an utter failure, Tsunade promised she could leave the day after next if she promised to take it easy.

Both women knew recovering in one's own bed could do wonders for the healing process, and Sakura was eager to return to her home after being gone for nearly two weeks. Fortunately, Ino would be around to monitor her recovery, and Shizune promised to stop by the check on her as well.

Ino had visited with Sai after she left their practice that night and had given Sakura the verbal thrashing she had been preparing herself for. Sai, a small frown etched onto his face, leaned against the door with his arms over his chest and nodded his agreement with what the blonde was saying. Those two made quite the pair, Sakura thought wryly, while trying to keep her facial expression appropriately chastised. Like most of her conversations thus far, Ino ended it by crying into Sakura's chest and the pinkette patting her back soothingly.

Tenten came by after Ino's meltdown, having just returned from a mission and hearing the news, with a bowl of miso soup and a bowl of rice for her to eat ("Don't worry, I bought it on the way. No, I didn't make it myself") since hospital food was so unpalatable.

All four of them visited for a while, trying to avoid the topic of Sakura's near death, until Sakura let out a mighty yawn, allowing them all to laugh for the first time that day. Her three best friends left, and, once again, Sakura found herself shattered and was asleep before they turned off the light on their way out.

Sakura managed to shower the next day. It was quick and utilitarian, but it made her feel like a whole new person. Tsunade gave her permission to put on real clothes, so she dressed in comfortable black standard issue pants and a red tank top, hoping it would be cool enough to get her home as she was scheduled to leave the hospital later in the afternoon, Ino having cleared her calendar for the day to make sure she was settled properly.

Her genin spent the morning with her before being ushered out by Sai, who Sakura asked to work on some basic training with them so they wouldn't get rusty. When the ink master had arrived to collect her genin, he brought with him a basket with get well presents from Team Seven, mentioning how worried they were about her.

Trying not to scoff, Sakura opened the card they had sent first. There was a drawning of a cartoon frog on the front in a nurse's outfit, and there was a joke on the inside. Naruto had written her a scribbled note about her feeling better soon, and they had to get ramen sometime! He always had extra coupons and vouchers. Kakashi had drawn a doodle of, what she assumed was, Pakkun with a sad face and had also included a note about her feeling better. Sasuke and Sai had just signed their names.

Sakura pulled out two warm containers of ramen, miso and chicken; judging by the scents permeating the room, both seemed to be made with less spices than normal for her recovering stomach, meaning Naruto had requested a special batch be made. Kakashi had put in a new whetstone and some weapons polish, and Sasuke had picked up the latest issues of her two favorite magazines: Kunoichi Monthly and Five Nations Geographic.

There was also a perfectly red apple and a small knife in a sheath to cut it.

When the tears came, clutching the apple in her hand so hard it would probably bruise, Sai ruffled her hair and led her genin out of the room.

Ino stopped by on her lunch hour and brought Sakura dumplings and dipping sauce. Sakura had left the ramen in the basket; she would heat it up later for dinner. Tsunade still hadn't been by to discharge her, so Ino mentioned she had to run a few errands and would be back in within the hour to help her injured roommate home. The Godaime appeared not long after, signing her discharge papers but ordering that she stayed put until Ino returned to collect her.

Sitting on the chair next to her bed, Sakura hummed to herself and filled out her mission report, including details of her battle, all the while a frown marring her face as she relived the event. There was an unfamiliar, refined knock at the door, and the kunoichi almost fell out of her chair when Uchiha Mikoto walked in the door with a surly Uchiha Fugaku trailing behind her.

Sakura went to stand up and bow, but Mikoto gave her a stern look that had her sinking back into her chair before she could move her mission report off of her lap. She did so anyway, placing it on the side table, but she stayed seated.

"Uchiha-sama, Mikoto-sama," she greeted; her voice was pitched an octave too high in her nervousness. She suddenly felt very self-conscious of her hair, piled in an unattractive bun on top of her head, and her holey, stained comfort wear. It only took a moment for her mouth to snap shut and reason to come to her again. From her place sitting on the chair, Sakura gave a little bow the best she could. "I should thank you, Mikoto-sama, for saving my life."

The older woman offered a graceful smile filled with wisdom; she had always, for as long as Sakura could remember, been lovely and elegant. It was a stark contradiction to the forceful leader that had instructed her when she had been nearly unconscious on the battlefield just a few days past.

"You saved yourself, Sakura-chan. I only motivated you to do so," she replied with a glint to her eye. "We have actually come here to show you our gratitude, Haruno-san."

Mikoto and Fugaku both swept into formal bows, their knees and foreheads touching the ground for one (way, way too long, in Sakura's opinion) moment, before climbing back up in one fluid motion. Sakura was sure that her heart couldn't beat faster or her face turn redder from discomfort and embarrassment.

"I watched you sacrifice yourself to save one of our clan member, and for that, we are forever in your debt," the matriarch explained. Fugaku nodded.

"You have our eternal thanks, Haruno-san," he added in a gruff voice, echoing his wife's statements. The parents of all three of her genin had already been by yesterday to thank her, and that had been awkward enough. This…this was torture.

"Your thanks are welcome but unnecessary," Sakura insisted, waving her hands at them; she could feel her pulse beating in her face. "I was doing what any good sensei… any good teammate… would do."

Fugaku seemed to dismiss her reply without giving it any thought and countered, "You showed great bravery. You have our gratitude. If there is anything you should need, do not hesitate to come to the Uchiha clan for aid."

Letting a wobbly, unsure smile stretch across her face, she nodded, and realized that accepting graciously was the only way out of this conversation.

"Thank you. The offer is generous (and very open ended Inner Sakura thought evilly), and I accept your thanks, but my gratefulness towards you, Mikoto-sama, has not waivered. Your determination to wake me up and heal myself is the only reason I am still alive. So thank you," was the kunoichi's response, and she bowed again the best she could from her place sitting on the chair, keeping her forehead down a little longer this time. Please, kami, let them leave.

Mikoto smiled at her. "You are a remarkable woman, Haruno-san. There is always a place for you with the Uchiha, should you ever need it," she responded and bowed at the waist. Fugaku did the same.

Just as they turned to leave, there was another knock, but the newest guest did not wait to enter. Sakura could have cried with relief when Itachi walked in and eyed his parents with a curious wariness. Shisui, who she had never actually spoken to before, following close behind.

"Okaa-san, Otou-san," Itachi acknowledged with a dip to his head. Shisui greeted them as well with a little more formality, bowing a bit as he was welcomed by his uncle and aunt.

"Ah, Itachi-kun, what are you doing here?" Mikoto asked, another one of her secret filled smiles tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Ino-san had an emergency with a client," he stated, addressing Sakura. "She asked that we retrieve you and return you home safely."

They must have been harangued by the blonde, the young kunoichi thought sardonically, and it was very likely they weren't asked as much as forced. Sakura gave him a small, strained smile, but Itachi's attention was quickly pulled back to his mother.

"Ah, I didn't know you knew Sakura-san so well, Itachi-kun," his mother stated, but her tone lifted at the end, indicating she would like a reason for his relationship with the pinkette.

His father's attention seemed to hone in on him with startling intensity, and Itachi began to feel his defenses rise, preparing for another argument with the patriarch of his clan. Sakura cleared her throat from across the rom.

"My team helped Itachi-san on a mission a few years ago, so that's how we met…officially (not like Sasuke ever had the manners to properly introduce us. Inner Sakura roared). I was teaching Katsurou jutsu, and I'm not good with fire. Tsunade-sama recommended I ask Itachi-san for help since he's been in the village recently, so he's helped me learn fire-based ninjutsu," Sakura clarified easily.

It wasn't exactly a lie – she had every intention of asking for Itachi's help to teach Katsurou; she just hadn't gotten around to it yet. Fugaku's distrustful stare eased fractionally, and he nodded, appearing to accept her explanation. Mikoto didn't look as convinced, but accepted the reasoning for what it was.

"Very good. Itachi, Shisui, make sure Sakura-chan gets home safely," the matriarch insisted before moving to the exit. She thanked Sakura one last time before closing the door behind her and Fugaku with a soft click. Sakura exhaled in relief, but Itachi was in front of her quickly.

"They were not rude to you?" he asked carefully, his impassive mask slipping over his face. Reaching out her hand, she patted his forearm reassuringly.

"Not at all. They just came to thank me for saving Katsurou," she assured, knowing that Itachi's relationship with his parents, his father particularly, was a bit tense. Carefully, she stood up. Shisui had already slung her packed bag with her extra clothes over his shoulder, having taken the time to roll up her mission scroll and tuck it into one of the pockets. Itachi, being as socially awkward as he was, did not have the wherewithal to introduce them, and was internally embarrassed when Sakura stuck out her hand to shake his cousin's. "It's nice to meet you, officially. I'm Haruno Sakura."

Shisui returned the handshake heartily. "Uchiha Shisui. Older cousin and best friend to this guy here," he motioned to Itachi with a laugh.

The walk to her house was slow. The kunoichi could not move quickly, lest she strain her injuries, but while it was hot, there was a pleasant breeze, making the trip more enjoyable. Shisui and Sakura seemed to hit it off, chatting their way through the Konoha streets.

Apparently Sakura had healed him once (she recognized the surgery he described and seemed to remember it, but didn't recall it being a member of the clan specifically). They had similar tastes in books and movies, having a very intense discussion about the latest romantic comedy to come out of Snow Country. While Shisui thought the kind loner deserved the girl, Sakura thought this unrealistic and insisted that the heroine deserved the bad guy who turned good for her at the end.

Itachi found his interest piqued when the conversation turned to books, and his student began to rattle off her favorite authors, some of his own on the list. He asked her about a particular writer's most recent release, which was receiving very mixed reviews from critics and fans alike.

The pinkette wrinkled her nose and explained why she didn't care for it. While Itachi thought they were valid points, he disagreed, and began to quietly list off the reasons why he believed the book was rather intelligent and satirical as opposed to drab and overdone, as Sakura had asserted.

Shisui sped up, grinning and the duo behind him, and allowed them their privacy for the short remainder of the journey. Once they arrived, Sakura tried to contend that she could get herself inside and comfortable, but the pair wouldn't hear of it. Releasing the wards surrounding her property with a dramatic sigh, she led them inside.

Shisui dropped the bag at the base of the stairs, not wanting to invade her privacy by entering her room, and went to the kitchen to fix tea. This left Itachi helped her to the sofa. Originally, he tried to convince her to get into bed, as she would be able to rest better there. The stubborn girl wouldn't hear of it and maintained she be left on the couch, where she could socialize with her roommates and friends as they came and went. He pushed the coffee table towards the couch and situated pillows on it to prop her feet up.

Embarrassed, Sakura waved him off, not used to his fretting. Appearing seemingly out of nowhere with green tea, honey, and lemon, Shisui set the too-full cup down on the end table next to the couch and coaxed her into drinking most of the cup. He then made her eat a few onigiri.

"Ino's orders," he told her conspiratorially behind his hand, his eyes dark with mock fear. Sakura laughed, but believed his explanation, finishing her snack without further fuss. Exhausted from her walk, Itachi hovered over her as she shifted on the couch to lie down; Shisui set up the movie they had been discussing on the TV, insisting: "Now watch it again with a different viewpoint. You'll see I'm right!"

Sakura dozed off not long after the two left, a silly grin on her face.

X

A week later, Itachi walked towards the kitchen, the soft wood of the engawa padding under his feat. He and Sasuke had just had a rigorous spar, and after a shower, he was hungry and ready for lunch. His little brother had disappeared to eat with Naruto and Sai. When he slid open the shoji screen, he found his mother placing containers in a canvas bag.

"Good, you're here!" was her too-enthusiastic greeting. Her eldest son eyed her warily. "I was at the market today, and I stopped to get flowers from the Yamanaka Flower Shop (she gestured to a lovely arrangement on the counter). I got to talking with Yamanaka-san, and she mentioned the Sakura-chan would be alone for the next two days. Ino-chan and their other roommate were sent on missions, leaving Sakura-chan by herself!"

Waiting for the point of her story and ignoring the overdramatic tone to her voice, Itachi arched an eyebrow at the woman. She rolled her eyes at his lack of social graces. "So, we agreed to make up some meals for poor Sakura-chan. Yamanaka-san said she was getting better but still couldn't stand or stay awake long enough to make her own food," his mother explained, handing the bag to Itachi, who took it on reflex. "Yamanaka-san promised to deliver more tomorrow, but I need you to take this to Sakura-chan."

"Okaa-san," Itachi replied, about to protest. He was hungry himself, and his duty to his mother was outweighed for his own need for sustenance. Giving him her best stern expression, the matriarch pointed towards the door with an outstretched finger, leaving no room for further argument.

"Go."

Finally heeding her commands, Itachi left the house, sliding the door behind him with an exasperated sigh. The heir to the clan made his way through the warm Konoha streets to the now familiar house of his student. When he opened the gate, he noticed that the wards around her home flared before permitting him to enter. Interesting, he mused, she had adjusted her barriers to allow him in.

The door opened after he knocked once, and Sakura's confused but not unfriendly face greeted him. Her pink hair was still in a ponytail and while still in comfortable house clothes, her complexion was markedly better, and she wasn't holding herself as tensely from discomfort as she had the prior week.

"Taichou?" she quested. He held out the bag for her to take, and she peered inside after sliding it off his fingers. Emerald eyes widened at the amount of food his mother packed, enough for a small army.

"My mother discovered you would be alone for two days," he said by way of explanation. Grinning, Sakura moved to the side.

"Well, there's plenty here, and its lunch time. You must be hungry," she replied, gesturing for him to come in.

Blankets were piled high on the couch to one side, and the coffee table was still pushed against the couch to give her more leg support when she sat up. The living room had become her bedroom for the past week, so they moved onto the dining area. After heating up some pickled vegetables, fish, and rice, they sat together in companionably as they ate their lunch.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her between measured bites. Sakura grimaced, her hand automatically going to the place in her abdomen where there had been a sword lodged just last week.

"Sore," she replied. Itachi lifted an eyebrow at her, waiting for more. She frowned, her hands shaking a bit as she put her chopsticks down. "I was...so scared. I've never felt fear like that. I was responsible for protecting them, but I failed. If you hadn't come when you did, we would have all died."

For a few moments, Itachi was silent. His hand itched to reach out towards her, to comfort her, but it stayed in it's place on the table. "If you hadn't summoned your slugs and sent Ryouichi to us, we would have never come," he replied. "You did protect them. You are the reason they are still alive."

He looked away when she wiped the tears from her eyes, giving her a moment to collect herself. When he turned back to her, she looked less heavy, like a weight had been lifted from her. The rest of their meal was finished in an easy silence. After placing their empty dishes in the sink to be dealt with later, she stored the rest of the food in the refrigerator for future consumption.

Sakura looked at the sunny weather outside from the window above the sink, and after being cooped up for over a week, longed to spend some time soaking up the warmth. "Tenten made iced tea before she left. Would you like to sit on the porch?"

Nodding, Itachi retrieved glasses and followed Sakura, who had the pitcher, out through the back door. On his way, he noticed the title of the book they had been discussing last week sitting end table in the dining room with a marker about halfway through.

"Are you rereading it?" he asked, indicating the book with a tilt of his head.

Furrowing her brow, the kunoichi nodded. "I'm trying," she retorted with a tortured sigh. "I probably made a mistake taking Shisui's advice, but I see where's he's coming from with that movie we had talked about. I'm trying to look at the book from your perspective, but it's so hard. I still think it's dry."

His lips tilted up, and Sakura found herself blushing a bit under his gaze.

"Come on, let's have some tea."

They sat on the back porch on two wooden chairs with a table between them, discussing the finer points to the books they liked, and to Sakura's shock, the romantic comedies Itachi had forced himself to watch during the past week.

Author's Note: Look who updated three times (two different stories) in one month! Huzzah! Sorry that this chapter is so transitionary, but I wanted to build more Itachi/Sakura interaction in there while introducing some characters that will continue to play parts in this story. The next chapter will see a bit of a time jump (nothing too major, just a few weeks) and a new setting for our story to continue.

I would also like to say how amazed I was at the response to the last chapter. I usually see about 20 Story Favorites/20-30 Story Follows/20 Reviews per chapter, and while this may not seem like a lot to stories with over 1k favs/follows/reviews, I love/appreciate each and every time I receive this much love (any love, to be honest). But that last chapter had over 30 reviews and even more favorites and follows. This sort of support really is motivation to continue writing and to more frequently, so thank you all for the overwhelming positivity you send my way.

Not unlike, I'm sure, many of you, I suffer from depression and anxiety. Writing has always been my outlet and when I started publishing, I was always sick with worry over the reviews I would receive. However, this site and other fanfiction sites have given me the confidence and positivity in myself to continue writing. So, genuinely and from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I look forward to continue to write for you, and please, keep sending your love my way.

Stay sexy and don't fall into Mikoto's diabolical plotting for her son.

MizukiYukiko