Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Somehow she didn't know how, but she managed to not get Naruto to tell the whole village that she had beat Itachi in a spar. She attributed most of it to him not being to be able to think right for about a full thirty minutes. She supposed she and Itachi were on equal footing now, but she had an inkling of a feeling that he had told Naruto and Sauske about the spar just to rile her up. Now they wouldn't stop asking her how she did it and of all things to say Naruto had mentioned; "She probably blinded him with her ass, do you think Itachi's an ass man? I've always been more into boobs myself." After that Sauske said while nodding, "Hmm, if he is he gets it from my dad he's always sneaking squeezes from my mom."
So when Kakashi came to eat ramen with them and saw Sauske with a crooked nose and Naruto having a still present lump on his forehead he merely sighed and said," So they asked about your spar with Itachi again?" Sakura gasped and turned to him, "Kaka-sensei! Naruto told you didn't he?" The spoken to nodded, "`He hasn't told anyone else I think you've tormented the man enough." She blushed lightly, "Yeah I'm gonna fix it though, I went overboard this time." Kakashi merely smirked, "You and Naruto always giving people second chances."
She smiled; she wasn't as forgiving as Naruto she had to admit. After a while she'd leave you there, perhaps that made her weak but she waited in her life too long to do anything but that. "Yeah but he isn't that bad of a person I suppose, he just gets on my nerves always perfect with everything." Kakashi breathed out a light chuckle, "Uchiha's are known for having one of the strictest clan regulations out there. Obito's told me of how they keep reins on their heirs." Her eyes widened in a look of acceptance, "I'm guessing that's why Sauske is always around and Itachi's nowhere to be seen on days off."
Kakashi nodded, "Anbu life is not as glamorous as Sauske and Naruto see it to be. The jobs are…I'm not sure you want to hear about them." Her eyes darkened with empathy, "You've only told us about one and that was terrible enough. And now Itachi's been in there longer than you, I don't even want to know what kind of jobs long term members get." Kakashi smirked slightly, "Despite that you seem like you'll be the first of team seven to be one." She huffed, "Yeah Tsunade will probably tie me up and ship me to Anbu, following in her footsteps and all." Kakashi chuckled, "Well, I don't like to get too sentimental at five o'clock in the afternoon so see you around." She lifted her hand in greeting, Kakashi will be Kakashi.
Oh, she did not feel like going on this mission. After all today was the anniversary. She sighed lightly, "What's our life motto?" Put away our problems and help someone else's? "No, get up and suck it up." She was not selfless; dealing with it would not only help her but those around her. Everything else just seemed more important. So she got up and moved a bit slower than usual, so instead of being done in fifteen minutes she was done in twenty. And instead of getting to the hospital four hours early she got there three hours and thirty minutes early. And instead of going home late she went on time.
She was not paying attention to the world at the moment, too caught up in her thoughts at the moment. So when her foot hit the glass of the door a little too hard causing a pang to echo, she sat there for a moment to just hear it. Allowing the noise to wake her. Then she realized someone was opening the door for her, "Abusing doors isn't good for your already violent track record." She smirked, "And helping the culprit makes you an accomplice Itachi-san."
Just like that he noticed it disappear. That painful sadness that haunted her eyes for those two moments now looked as if it was never there. Replaced with a normal looking friendly smile that screamed at him, I am not okay but these lips will say that.
She saw the confusion lightly touch his eyes; she learned how to read Uchiha's a long time ago. Well since he was here, "Would you like to meet her?" She supposed she only confused him more which was why he said, "See who Haruno-san?" She smiled sadly at him, "My mother."
"Ah Sakura! It's so good to see you, how are you doing?" Sakura smiled at the nurse, "Good to see you too Hanami-senpai, how is she doing today?" Hanami smiled, "She asked about you, wanted know if you got home safe from school." Her eyes lit up, "So she's up that far? C-can I see her?" Hanami eyes softened, "Of course you can, and by the way you've hooked quite a looker back there." Sakura choked a little, "Itachi-san?! No, no, we bumped into each other just friends Hanami-senpai." Hanami spoke again, "Whatever you say Sakura but if don't get him one of these nurses will Shizuki almost passed out when she saw him." Sakura shook her head with a smile, "Thank you Hanami-san, see you next week."
She opened the door as a woman with blonde short hair turned around from her chair near the window. "You there, what is Hanami doing I told that dumb woman I wanted a new remote this one doesn't ever work." She smiled patiently, "I'll see what I can do maybe it just needs new batteries?" Itachi followed quietly behind as she walked towards the blonde woman, he hadn't said much this whole time and she wondered if it was out of curiosity or respect. Picking up the remote she noticed that instead of the remote being set to TV it was on DVD. Switching it to TV she handed back the remote, "How about you try now?" The woman frowned, "Hmm, your better than Hanami that dumb woman just told me to try again. She probably didn't even check on my daughter."
Sakura felt her eyes sting. The blonde woman spoke again a hopeful spark hitting her eyes, "Can you? She's about six years old wears a dark blue shirt and…I can't remember her pants color but she looks a lot like you has the pink hair, green eyes and all just, make sure she's all right she gets so scared when she's alone." Her eyes began to water, "Hai I-I'll go right away. Is there anything else you need?" The blonde woman shook her head, "No my baby and Kizashi are my world all I need is to know their safe and I'll be okay. Thank you child." Sakura allowed two tears to slip as she walked out the room.
Sniffing once as she calmed herself down she spoke, "Ah, sorry you had to see this Itachi-san I get a little emotional at this time." They had decided to go to a dango restaurant nearby and were currently waiting on their orders. Itachi shook his head, "No I imagine it is difficult to have a parent with Alzheimer's." She smiled, "Ah I wish it was that simple but it's not a common disease. It's a jutsu actually. It eats away at the victims memories from their beginning to up to when the jutsu was used until they have no memories left and can no longer remember anything." She smirked lightly, "Want to know how it happened?" Itachi repositioned himself focusing on her intently, "If it is of no trouble to you." She spoke, "Every spring we'd all go out on a family vacation to celebrate me and my father's birthday being one day apart. Five years ago we were walking through a path to a lake when some rogue-nin dropped on the ground in front of us. I hadn't even sensed them, but I arrogantly thought we'd be okay. Besides Mom and Dad were retired Ninjas they knew how to fight still right?"
She took a breath, "Before I knew it the leader had my father hostage said some guy named Hiji wanted me dead and if I didn't go he'd kill him. So I said okay, but my father wasn't having it. Before I could even signal I had a plan he'd launched himself at him. However my dad's reflexes weren't as quick as they use to be and… he was stabbed straight through. Before I could even process what happened he launched another jutsu, I wasn't paying attention and right before I was hit my mother pushed me out the way. All I remember after that is waking up covered in blood with a dead man below me wheezing 'You'll never get them back now'." She suppressed the oncoming tears, now was not the time.
She chuckled hollowly, "Well there it is, right on the table. My father's dead and my mother won't remember me in a couple years sad enough?" Itachi merely stared at her. After a couple of minutes he spoke, "You are a strong woman." She blushed brightly, "Ah I'm not so sure about that but um thank you Itachi-san." Itachi shook his head, "You are not weak and you are no longer a fifteen year old girl, you have matured and should be proud of yourself do not feel ashamed of what you could not help." Sakura was completely shocked.
Itachi was angry at her; he noticed it in the tone of her voice. She blamed herself for this and by the way she spoke of the incident she hadn't even taken time to deal with it. There were too many cases like this in Anbu; he was one himself he should know. He wouldn't let her go down any farther the path she was on. Noticing he was finished with his food he put enough money on the table for both of them including a tip and stood to leave. "I have a mission later I will see you around Haruno-san."
She tried to tell him they could split the bill but he had already left. She smiled lightly, "Thank you, Itachi."
A/U: ...Don't kill me and I'll give you a cookie? So basically I just found like 15 different mmorpgs and went nuts with em. And then had a harry potter marathon a fairy tail marathon and a smallville marathon(does anyone else on here know that?) next up? why a supernatural marathon of course! Yeah...I watch too many shows but anyway I'm getting back into my writing I was mostly working on the actual book I'm writing which I've probably been working on for four-five years which made me take longer but now that the main editing of that is out the way I'll be more on this I like the way its developing...what you think I planned this story out? I'm making this up as I go along.
