THINGS WE LOST TO THE FIRE Chapter 8

Things we lost to the flame
Things we'll never see again
All that we've amassed
Sits before us, shattered into ash

These are the things, the things we lost
The things we lost in the fire, fire, fire
These are the things, the things we lost
The things we lost in the fire, fire, fire

Flames they licked the walls
Tenderly they turned to dust all that I adore


Years later, living alone in the woods with half a dozen dogs, questionable reading material, and crippling attachment issues, Sakura realizes she turned into her teacher. Agebent Sakura Sensei


Chapter Eight


Sasuke glared across the table at Sai who ignored the Uchiha without a hint of effort. Naruto stared between the two of them in frustration, unable to understand what was wrong.

"Are you sure?" Naruto tried asking again.

"Positive," Sai answered breezily without looking up from his homework. "Nothing to share."

"I don't think I believe you," Naruto said while looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke just made a sound with his tongue on his teeth that sounded something like 'tsk' which was odd because Sasuke usually made the 'hn' sound just like his brother when he was annoyed at being bothered. Naruto didn't know what 'tsk' meant. It had taken forever to even learn all the different things 'hn' could mean and he was still unsure most day.

"Have you finished your homework redo?" Sai asked, looking up from his own paper where all the answers were written in perfectly neat handwriting that the teacher never complained about having to decider.

Naruto grumbled and returned the tip of his pencil to the crumpled paper, smoothing it out once more with the side of his fist before finishing a sentence about his personal ninja preference in regards to taijutsu.

He had to cite references from the last demonstration which wasn't hard, since it had been so memorable. He personally liked Sakura's style best because it was just really aggressive and powerful like he wanted to be. He didn't think he could be clever or quick like Sasuke's cousin. Also, Sakura had won. Naruto wanted to be a winner, not a loser.

"What did you say, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, leaning over to look over Sasuke's paper.

The Uchiha pulled up his paper and glared. "Not your business dobe."

"What are you being a brat for? We all know you're going to say you will do Uchiha stuff because you're a stupid Uchiha that does Uchiha things. I want to see how you do the citing." Naruto tried to lean over again but Sasuke kept his paper under his hand.

"Look at Sai's if you need help," Sasuke grumbled.

Upon hearing his name, Sai looked up and smiled at Naruto. "Would you like to see what I wrote, Naruto? I can help you cite your sources if you want, it's not as complex as you might think if you're using the demonstration like I am."

"You're using the demonstration too? What did you say?" Naruto asked with excitement coloring his voice. He scooted over and peered down at the perfectly neat paper before frowning. "Eh? Why did you have to say that? It's mean."

"I believe it is accurate."

"It's not. She won and Shisui lost, so how is that acc-ac- ugh! How is that right?" Naruto blushed at his inability to say the word accurate but glared nonetheless.

"Did you pick Shisui as your example?" Sasuke asked, looking up suddenly.

"Don't say you did too, Sasuke. I can't stand it if I'm the only one who thinks Sakura's fighting style is the best."

Sai cooly returned his eyes to his paper and finished scratching out marks in the answer box. "Her style suits her abilities in terms of chakra enhancement, but in that fight I think what decided her victory was both her extra years of experience and Shisui's distraction. He didn't take her as serious as he could have, especially at the end."

"That doesn't negate the end result. In real fights there are many such factors that can tip the scales in one's favor or the other. It shouldn't be the fault of a fighting style if other aspects are utilized in an encounter," Sasuke spoke up, purposefully using the fulness of his vocabulary to make himself sound older.

"But the assignment does not ask us to take in such elements into our assessments. We are judging their fighting styles, not their performance."

Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed further. "Her fighting style is not sub par to the Uchiha style."

"You really shouldn't be so dismissive of your clan," Sai said. "What of your pride."

"Sakura won that fight fair and square. My assessment is accurate, not biased because of my clan name. Someone like you wouldn't be able to understand what that means."

Something about his words made Sai twitch. "Someone like me?"

"Yeah, someone like you."

Naruto glanced between the two boys, feeling the tension he was normally so oblivious to. For once he felt touched by the static of animosity that sometimes surfaced between the two boys. Sasuke had found a sour spot for Sai, one of few, and he was poking it, much to Naruto's horror.

"He-hey guys, it doesn't have-"

"Shut up dobe," Sasuke snapped.

Naruto bent his head. "Sasuke, what's gotten into you?"

"Does something need to get into me if I have an issue with a little shit being a little shit fright in front of me?"

Sai made a dismissive sound and shook his head slightly. "Language. Sakura san hates to hear us curse."

Sasuke flinched and his ears turned red. A sly smile started to spread across Sai's lips and Sasuke cursed again under his breath. Naruto glanced back and forth, still missing something.

Sai's words came out like slow syrup. "I would know something like this since I live with her now."

Sasuke snapped and launched himself across the top of the table and caught Sai by the collar and tumbled with an iron grip into the dirt where they began to wrestle between park picnic tables. Naruto scrambled after them, shouting at both of them because Sasuke had already taken two good hits to the face but Sai was the one bleeding from the lips.

"Pariah!" Sasuke hissed with both eyes squeezed shut from the dirt Sai had thrown into his face.

"Pervert!" Sai bit, scratching at the ground to find his footing again. Sasuke wouldn't relent though and turned in blindness to jump on the boy's back and pin him to the ground.

"You-ack!"

"Naruto!" Sai cried, separating from Sasuke and scrambling up to his feet. Naruto had thrown himself in between the pair and gotten a harsh elbow to the nose that made it gush blood. Sasuke managed to crack a single eye open and scowled at what his misaimed elbow had done.

"Dobe, you shouldn't have gotten in the middle of that," Sasuke mumbled, climbing up to his feet after Sai.

The trio stood in a semi circle awkwardly watching Naruto's try to wipe the blood away with the heel of his palms. It almost made the red smear over more of his face. Both boys winced at the sight. It looked worse than it really was, but still, it had to have hurt.

"What is this? Not the sort of behavior I would have expected from my youthful student's precious wards!" a new voice boomed. All three boys turned as one to look up and see the man who's shadow stretched over all of them. He stood on the bench of two different picnic tables with his legs stretched into an almost split.

"Oi, who are you?" Sasuke huffed, scowling at having been caught in such a situation. Sai straightened behind him and pat out some of the dirt from his hair but didn't say anything.

Naruto's words came out semi muffled from pinching his nose, but were still easy enough to understand. "You have bushy brows."

"An excellent observation young one!" the man clad in green cheered with a thumbs up. "My brows are indeed very bushy, thank you for noticing. I always appreciate a compliment in the afternoon."

"I don't think that was a compliment," Sai murmured, but the man only laughed louder.

The green clan adult threw his whole head back into the laugh and then, before the two could even blink, his legs bunched and he was up in the air, winking overhead before reappearing behind them all in a pose so outlandish it was hard to believe. He looked like he was trying to be a crane that played shadow puppets with his hands.

"You may recognize my brilliance now before it dazzle you into maddening curiosity. I am the beautiful beast, Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, the one and only mighty, mighty Might Guy. Ho-ahh!" The pose changed with both hands above his head and one leg bent to make a perfect right angle. Then he hopped backwards and flashed out of sight.

Sasuke noticed it first, spinning suddenly to find Guy leaning over him from behind. 'So fast!' his brain screamed. He was almost as fast as his cousin Shisui. No, maybe even faster, it was impossible to tell.

"You-who are you here for?" Sasuke demanded.

"The three of you, of course. The youth is the might of tomorrow, how could I ignore such promising young ones especially when my precious young kohai."

"Who is your kohai?" Sai asked.

"Why, the wonderful ninja who took you and Naruto kun in, of course. How could you not recognize the similarities between our amazing styles?" he cried with real shock in his expression.

"Style?" Sasuke echoed in confusion.

"Indeed, I am also a master of the strong fist style of taijutsu she has so masterfully taken up. Alas, I am currently in my kohai's debt and find myself bound by honor to see her repaid." He looked up and smiled wide. The light caught in his teeth and winked like a star as suddenly his posture picked up. "A debt I am eager to repay indeed!"

"What are you talking about, bushy brow sensei?" Naruto murmured.

"I heard talk of the wonders of taijutsu, my favorite sort of jutsu. Indeed I see my skill most looked forward to in this moment. I will repay my debt to your sensei and instill a flame of youth in each of you! Yosh!" His eyes seemed to burn.

"What do you have to do with Iruka sensei? You don't look anything like him and he doesn't even have a style of jutsu, he's just as basic as bread," said Sasuke.

"Not you academy instructor, but your sensei. Sakura Haruno!"

"She is not our sensei," Sai answered first.

"We haven't even graduated," added Naruto.

"Time is only a measure of youth and I have ample youth to spare. See to it that I understand all this, and know that in spite of your age, it is still clear that my precious kohai has bonded her spirit to the three of you. Her will of fire has been stoked by the winds of youth! Ho!"

Sasuke glowered, ducking his head so his bangs cast a dark shadow over his eyes. "I think you are still mistaken. You're nothing like Sakura sensei and she hasn't taken all of us in, only those two." He finished by shoving his fists deep into his pockets and huffing.

"No, a cell is a three man unit and Sakura has leant her fire to each of you, abit in different way, even you young Sasuke kun." He leaned in closer and grinned wider. "I can see it clearly even if you can not."

Sasuke stammered. "You-you don't know what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I am saying. I have known Sakura Haruno for years and have taken her under my wings of youth to instill the style of the strong fist to her own two hands. She has bloomed splendidly with her own flavor to the style as I am sure you all know. I remember when she was your age and tripping over her own sandals to follow her seniors everywhere, haha!"

"I'm sure," Sai answered blandly.

Naruto's eyes were wide. "She tripped over her own sandals. I thought she was a part of the last war when she was just a kid. I heard someone talking about it and she has all those medals from it."

"The two facts are not mutually exclusive, Naruto kun. All of us are clumsy before we are graceful and there is no reason you can not grow to be as elegant as a crane with enough hard work and practice. Sakura had no clan to bolster her on, but she became as mighty as she is now because of her own efforts and the support of those who believed in her. Like her, each of you may indeed grow to smash whole boulders with your smallest finger!"

"Really?" Naruto exclaimed with stars in his eyes. "I can do that too!"

Guy shot him a big thumbs up. "Absolutely!" He then laughed a booming laugh. "Anything is possible if you work hard enough for it. If you understand this now you will only grow."

"What about a bloodline limit?" Guy turned to look at Sasuke who ducked his head and added a mumbled, "Hard work wouldn't be any match for my brother's sharingan."

"But it is," Naruto interjected. "Sakura kicked his butt even though he used it at the end of their fight."

"That doesn't count, he only used it a little and he didn't even use it for anything because the match was basically over, but it's still a fact that having the sharingan makes you automatically more powerful once you activate it. Even if you work hard, there are going to be others who are just better than you because that's how they were born."

"Is that what you believe?" Guy asked.

"It's-it's a fact."

"Indeed, there are those who seem to have developed greater skill because of their heritage, however, this is not a guarantee at success. While the Uchiha have thrived, the Senju are a shadow of their former might. I am not from a clan yet there is no one who can best me in taijutsu. Sakura had not bloodline limit to her name and even lost a limb in battle, but she survived when others who had such advantages succumbed." Guy's tone lost some of its volume and adapted a manner of gravitas. "Be wary of such logic, young Sasuke kun. Many who believe they are superior for their heritage often find that very thinking to be their downfall."

"Is that how Sakura really lost her arm then?"

Guy looked up and frowned at Sai's question. "I dare say it is not. What would make you consider such a belief?"

Sai shrugged. "She said it happened because she messed up. I just wanted to know what she meant by that."

"She told you that!" Sasuke hissed, ears red.

Naruto hummed, looking away. "I don't remember hearing that, but maybe it was when I wasn't paying attention..."

"If she told you she lost her arm because she messed up then 'messing up' has changed its meaning since I last learned it. Sakura sacrificed her arm to complete a very dangerous seal that almost cost the rest of her team their life. True, she had meant to clear the detonation site to avoid losing her arm, but when it came down to it, when faced with the choice of assuring her team's survival by staying an extra second and leaving early, she did as she always has done."

"So she wasn't fast enough to save herself and her teammates," Sai said.

Guy's demeanor darkened slightly. "Is that how you see it? If it had been you, what would you have done?"

"I would have been fast enough."

"But what if you weren't?"

"I would be, otherwise why else would I be on such a mission?"

"You believe all missions are exactly as they appear?"

He shrugged, looking away. "I believe I'll be capable of doing what needs to be done. I won't mess up."

Guy hummed to himself, studying Sai more thoughtfully. "I can see the fingerprints of his handiwork on you, like she feared. I'm sorry you've been tangled up in the mess that is our great village's most fearsome shame. The roots are dark and deep, are they not?"

Sai's expression didn't change. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"I'm sure you do." Guy clapped his hands once and it was deafening. In the time it took the three boys to cover their ears Guy's eager smile was back on his face. "But now it is time for my debt to be repaid. Homework can wait because when I am through with you, each of you will be writing the same thing: The Strong Fist Style is the best style there is and there is no equal to it's might! Hoah, straighten up, I am going to show you the basics!"

Each boy exchanged a look but then fell into line and waited to see if it would be worth it.

None of them were expecting what they got.

When Sakura found them, at the end of her duty shift, all three boys were drenched in sweat and grim and close to passed out on the ground, crawling for the shade. Guy stood amongst them with the brightest grin on his face.

"Do I want to ask?" Sakura groaned.

"I'm so glad to see you again, kohai. Look at how hard your youthful students have worked to better themselves. Their will of fire may be matched only by yours!"

"That's not much of a compliment these days," Sakura murmured while watching her pack go to each of the three boys and drag them more fully into the shade. Mop whined and licked at Naruto's face while Chainsaw scratched at Sai's ankles to wake him up. Souta stood over Sasuke, guarding him faithfully.

"Of course it is! Do not doubt your spirit or bear the burden of too much humility. All three are fine young students who will make you proud to call yourself sensei."

"You know they're not really my students, right?"

"Not yet, but could you see them going to any other teacher after graduation?" Guy grinned slyly. "Everyone is talking about it. You know what Genma called you the other day?"

"Another terrible nickname, no doubt. What?"

"The murderous mother bear. He saw how you thrashed poor those teenagers who were picking on Naruto after school."

Sakura groaned and rolled her eyes. "Great. Was he the only one?"

"He was the only one who saw, but he told everyone else."

"Well he tells tall tales enough for most people to take it with a grain of salt so I guess that's fine. Why did you feel the need to thrash the kids again?"

"To repay you for your efforts in helping my own team develop those survival instincts. Rock Lee especially appreciated the workout after you did your part to introduce them to the sensation of a sudden free fall. He and Tenten said they would buy treats for your pack in thanks, but I needed to show my appreciation in my own way."

"You didn't need to. It wasn't that big a deal." Sakura felt her ears burn. "I didn't do it to earn a favor, after all."

"I know. You have so much goodness in your heart that you do many things simply for the sake of making our great village even more great. I am overwhelmed with relief to see you growing back into yourself after a long recovery period." His heavy hand fell on her shoulder. "You do their memory a great deal of good. Don't ever let that will of fire dwindle again."

"You don't need to say that to me. What made you think my stupid will of fire dwindled, eh? I was just taking a break to rest like you said." Sakura scratched at her cheek and grumbled to herself.

Duke barked beside her. "We should probably take these kids back before they suffer further heatstroke. The Uchiha doesn't look too good and Naruto isn't used to such strain in spite of his energy levels."

"He'll sleep well tonight," Sakura sighed.

She stepped away and Guy's hand fell from her shoulder. She crouched down to pick up Sasuke and pour some healing chakra into his head where the heat made his whole face flush before doing the same with Sai and Naruto. Then she went back and lifted Sasuke onto her shoulder and heaved Naruto under one arm. In spite of his size, Mop managed to keep Sai on his back as they turned to leave.

"Thank you for taking care of these little ones today, senpai. I'll treat you to some good bar b que next time. Maybe we can bring all our tag alongs and make it a team event."

"I thought you said they weren't your students." Guy's smile was teasing.

"I didn't say when I would treat you. I hope you don't mind waiting until these munchkins graduate the academy."

"That's the sort of youthful reply I would expect from my greatest rival's star! Yosh, I will hold you to it, my youthful kohai!"

Sakura grinned to herself, more pleased with the fact that it didn't hurt to hear Guy refer to her as Kakashi's star anymore. References to her long past sensei used to pinch her with a vengeance, but now...for some reason...they didn't.

Halfway to the Uchiha compound she felt Sasuke stir on her shoulder.

"Where are we?" he mumbled, still sounding as bleary as he looked. She felt him yawn more than heard it.

"You're almost home. We'll be there soon."

Sasuke shifted on her shoulder and yawned again. "Sakura...sensei?"

"We're not in class and I'm not helping Iruka out right now, you don't need to call me sensei," she chuckled.

"Are you going to be our sensei when we graduate? Is that what that weird guy meant when he said we were as good as your students. Ugh, he's a monster! How do you know someone like him?"

"I thought I was brutal with my survival training. He's an old mentor of mine who I look up to. He taught me a lot and I'm glad you're alright, by the way. It's not unheard of for Guy to leave kids in less...shall we say, functional conditions."

"But..." Sasuke hesitated and then added, "what he said about you being our sensei wasn't wrong, was it?"

"No one knows for sure, but I might be. I've been told I'll have to take students on soon so it makes sense for it to be you three, right?"

Sasuke was quiet for a moment before replying. "It makes sense for those two, but they might not let the third person be me. I'm an Uchiha after all."

"You think I can't take care of you because you're an Uchiha?" Sakura snorted. "As if. I've looked after plenty of your clansmen before and your dad was one of my mentors back in the day. Yeah I get how clan heads want their heirs to be trained by others in the clan, but I'm practically extended family by this point."

Who else knew so much about their dirty laundry and washed it too? Sakura's unique relationship with the curse of hatred had earned her more than just a steady stream of medical work. She was one of the few outsiders trusted within the compound.

"...I'm not an heir, Itachi is."

"Same difference."

Sasuke squirmed on her shoulder, trying to turn around and failing. "No it isn't! He's the heir, not me. He's the important one. I'm the backup in case something happens to him so it doesn't matter that much if I'm home or not. No one cares."

"I know your mom enough to know she cares, and your dad is busy and worried a lot but he cares too. You are loved by your parents, Sasuke. Don't doubt that."

"St-still, I'm not the heir so it's not important if I'm home all the time or not."

Sakura hummed, spotting the Uchiha district in the distance. She had a feeling she knew what Sasuke was trying to say without saying. It was normal for kids his age to get jealous of things their friends had, like a house full of dogs.

"You know," Sakura began with a conspiratorial tone, "I promised Naruto a treat if he got a good grade on this homework assignment. If he does well he can have a sleepover. Would you be willing to come over if Naruto does well?"

Sasuke was quiet for a while before finally speaking up. "Y-yeah. Yes please."

She felt his hand on her back, grab the fabric as he hid his face in her shoulder. It made her grin to herself and Dango didn't miss it.

"You look good as a sensei," he commented with a wag to his tail.

"Shut up," Sakura laughed, somehow too giddy to be angry. She liked the sound of Sakura sensei, after all.


They were invited to Sasuke's house for a family dinner when Itachi came back home. Mikoto was adamant when Sakura dropped Sasuke off that the Uchiha repay her for her kindess to their son. Shisui invited himself as a plus one to the evening meal.

The kids played while Shisui and Itachi supervise. Fugaku asked Sakura for her help in the back where one of their clansmen is 'sick.' She removed his curse of hatred just in time for diner.

"How have things been?" Sakura asked in the hallway, just outside of the dining room. She was watching to make sure the kids were all out of earshot.

"Not terrible, not great. Barely any difference." Fugaku huffed in irritation. "More budget cuts were approved, forcing more and more of the police force to take out of village jobs. We've lost several young members that way. There is a skeleton crew now because the Hokage wants more Jonin and chunin to run security inside the village."

"That's what he is having me do," Sakura hummed in agreement.

"I think he wants to do away with the police force and unify all village security under his direct control."

Sakura felt her lip curl. "That's a lot for just one man, one seat of power to control. The whole point of diversifying these components in the village is so that the Hokage doesn't rival the daimyo."

"The Daimyo loves us though, there's not much threat there," He sarcastically quipped. "It's why Danzo is pushing for more centralized power."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's exactly why he's not growing a paramilitary group in the shadows. He's tried to kill me a couple times, you know, since I took in the boys. I've sent several of his men back missing limbs. I hope he's got the message."

Fugaku's eyes flashed red. "I'm not comfortable with you living so far away on your own with just those two boys. If something were to happen to you-do you think he knows about your treatments here?"

What would the Uchiha be if they had been left to rot inside their curse of hatred? Sakura knew it was a resilient thing, hungry to taint and spread. Those with it worse were short with their friends and family and saw reality through a broken filter. They thought the worst of everyone and seemed to devolve to their most base thinking.

Without her treatments the Uchiha people, including the entirety of the council of elders, would be of the same antagonistic, egotistical worldview that drove Madara Uchiha to his own blend of madness. And everyone knew how that went for Madara.

Sakura felt her stomach turn. "I hope not, but if he did I think he would be a bit more aggressive than the occasional assassin in the night. My pack is enough of a support to keep me protected. I'm mostly safe up there."

"Still…." He glanced past her into the dining room and the returned his gaze. "It would be improper for an unmarried woman and man to share the same roof, but if Itachi or even Shisui were to go under the guise of chaperoning a sleep over function with Sasuke, I would feel better."

Sakura chuckled. "If the kids want to have a sleepover that's fine, but don't think I don't recognize Mikoto's scheming. Both boys are too young."

"You could take up a home inside the compound. It would be safer."

"Now I know you've been plotting things with your wife."

"Consider it, that's all I ask."

Sakura shot him a look but he ignored her and brushed past, stoic as ever for an Uchiha. He met his wife in the kitchen and helped her bring their food to the table. Sakura watched him kiss her ear and thank her for the meal. She blushed and kissed him back and he warmed.

What would the Uchiha be without her there to clear out their curse of hatred? She didn't want to ever have to find out.

"Honey, call the boys in, the food is ready." Mikoto then looked to where Sakura was standing and reached for her. "Come here dear and take a seat."

"You didn't have to send the head of the household out for such a simple task. You know those boys can be a handful to wrangle. It'll take him a few minutes to get them to listen to him." Sakura had heard them sparring and knew it would have only escalated since then.

Mikoto smiled as she settled into her seat beside Sakura at the head's right side. "Don't doubt my husband. He may be the head of this household, but I'm the neck, and he's really just buying me some alone time with you."

Sakura groaned, recognizing her smirk. Mikoto was a sweet mother, but she was still a crafty Uchiha. "Oh no, what is it now?"

"Something is different between you and my nephew. What happened? Itachi is even aware of it."

"Retirement hasn't doesn't you any favors. You're desperate for the most pathetic morsels of news. There's nothing to tell. I told him off once for flirting too much. There's nothing more to it than that."

"He looks really crushed."

Sakura poured for herself a cup of warm water to drink before the meal without meeting Mikoto's gaze. "He'll get over it."

Mikoto hummed, leaning her elbow on the table and settling her chin in her palm. "Maybe, but it's hard to watch him like this. I won't claim he didn't deserve it, I don't know enough to offer such an opinion, but I wish you'd consider something."

Sakura swirled the warm water in her cup, watching it shift and splash against the sides."You'd like to tie me to your clan because I've seen your dirty laundry and cleaned it one too many times. It'd be good for the public image if you had someone marry an outsider. You want someone strong to breed good children. There are any number of reasons for you to be here right now saying these things."

"True, all good points. But consider this, you haven't judged us for what others would have crucified us for. You've had compassion on us when we were at our worst towards you. You've seen the horrors of war and understand things those boys don't even get. You're kind, you're lovely, and you are one of the few people we trust explicitly."

Sakura stared into her cup, watching the water settle. "I'd make a terrible wife, and I don't think I can have children the way I am. You should bark up a different tree."

"You're a pretty decent mentor to those boys. They seem to adore you."

"The one has tried to kill me like four times!"

"That's better than nine."

Sakura just made a face that caused the older woman to laugh.

"It's pretty impossible to win over a ROOT operative and yet here you are, doing it." Mikoto settled her hands in her lap and smiled to herself, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry for being the nagging mother, but believe me when I say I worry for more than just the sake of our boys. I also worry about you, closing your heart off. If you don't want that sort of life that's fine, but don't think you're not worth it. It's up to you and what you want."

"Will you drop it if I tell you I don't want that sort of life?"

She smirked. "You haven't. Out of all the times you've complained you haven't said that once."

"Well at least quit pestering me about the minors. It makes me feel like a cradle robber when you even mention it."

"Yes, but you see, Itachi isn't a minor in the eyes of the village. He's sixteen, he's practically marrying age."

Sakura shot the Uchiha woman a look and Mikoto chuckled. "Alright, alright, I'll wait until Itachi is a little older before helping him out any more than this. He'll be cross with me but that's normal."

"Don't give him false hope."

"We are Uchiha, my dear, we don't bank on false hope."

"Scheming woman."

They both looked up when they heard the commotion outside. Fugaku came in first followed by a bruised looking Naruto and Sasuke. Sai trailed in after them. The last two to come in came in together, talking to one another in hushed voices that cut off as soon as they stepped over the threshold.

"Time for dinner, take your seats," Fugaku instructed. He pulled out the head seat for himself and eyed Sasuke in a meaningful way.

Itachi sat across from Mikoto at his father's other side, and Shisui sat next to Itachi, across from Sakura. Then sat Sasuke, across the way from Naruto and Sai. Shisui wouldn't meet her eyes, but he had kept his head down and eyes averted the whole time.

Mikoto was a pro when it came to coaxing meaningful conversation out of her guests without making it feel forced or akward. In no time at all they were all having a good time and going through most of the meal.

Sakura made sure Naruto took his vegetables and flicked his nose when he complained about the taste.

"You got a lot of guts to say that about someone else's cooking. You're a guest here so be a bit more respectful and eat what's good for you, brat."

Sasuke snickered from across the table but his mother cut him a look that had him cowering before Naruto could catch it. Sai simply shook his head and sighed, already used to the whole scene.

The meal was mostly finished when chakra spiked outside, followed by a knock at the door. Itachi stood to get it, insisting the rest of the family stay seated while he went to see who it was. Fugaku and Mikoto shared a look between them.

"It's for you Shisui," Itachi said as he entered the room. "You've been summoned to the Hokage's manor."

"Eh, not the tower? What for?" Shisui glanced outside. "It's late."

"You can ask when you get there," Itachi said as he retook his seat at the table.

Shisui grumbled but excused himself from the table, thanking Itachi's parents for the meal before turning and leaving. He waited until he was outside before flashing his chakra in a way Sakura recognized, making his body into a flicker that sped away.

"Is something still bothering you?" Mikoto asked, taking note of a frown on her son's face when Itachi continued to stare at his food instead of eat it.

"I am trying to remember something." Itachi shook his head and reached for his chopsticks again. "I just can't recall any other shinobi employed in ANBU that would be missing an arm. Usually such a disability would make-Sakura?"

"Idiot," his father muttered darkly at his son. "Your words-"

"What did you say?" Sakura asked, interrupting the clan head as she leaned over the table. "The arm he was missing, which one was it, which side?"

Behind them, Itachi's parents exchanged puzzled looks. Sakura didn't seem upset about her disability being mentioned in such a way. If anything, she seemed anxious.

"His left side, I believe. Is there something wrong with that?" he asked, looking to her left arm that was completely clothed from glove tip to sleeve.

But Sakura was already up and racing out of the house, yelling at Souta and Chainsaw to track Shisui down. She knew the direction Shisui had been heading in, but she doubted he would have actually made it there.

Aside from her, how many other people with ANBU level status were missing their left arm? The only ones she could think of were the ROOT operatives she mutilated for trying to assassinate her.

She prayed she was wrong.


AN: One more to go.

Please don't be angry with me.