Yay! The chapter everyone has been waiting for. This entire chapter is nothing but Sakura and Itachi. Hope you enjoy :)
Chapter Eight: The Experiment
"Itachi Uchiha," she greeted him. Her exhaustion had faded briefly due to her excitement at her success. She had just revived somebody without the use of a sacrifice! It took him a few seconds to register his surroundings, and she saw him blinking, trying to remember.
"What's going on?" he finally asked. "I know you... We've met before." She nodded, recalling the time she, Kakashi, Naruto, and Chiyo had come across him before they had rescued Gaara. That was over six years ago.
"We have. My name is Sakura Haru-"
"Haruno," he finished, nodding. "You're Naruto-kun's teammate. The Fifth Hokage's pupil." He closed his eyes. "What is going on?"
"What is the last thing you remember?" she asked him in response. He opened his eyes, looking at her. Studying her. He had to realize that she was considerably older from the last time he saw her. Her hair was slightly longer, her face more mature, her body aged. He had to be able to tell that years had gone by. He also probably picked up on the signs of her exhaustion- the sweat, the sagging posture, the tired eyes, the dark bags underneath her eyes, the worn smile.
"I remember fighting Sasuke. I remember touching his forehead. I remember thinking that it was finally the end; that everything was over." His eyes had closed again. "I was dead," he told her. She agreed, nodding.
"You were." She placed a hand on his shoulder, making his eyes glance wearily at her. "It's been over five years since your death, Itachi-san. I can fill you in on as much as you want. Where do you want me to start?"
"How am I alive?" She nodded.
"In these past five years, I've trained considerably. As you said, I am the Fifth Hokage's pupil. I'm considered one of the best, if not the best, medical ninja in the world. I've made more revolutionary medical jutsus than anyone else, besides Tsunade. I've honed my skills to the top. Due to this, I have pursued a great dream of mine: to revive the dead without the use of sacrifices. I worked for three years on the jutsu, and through incredibly lucky circumstances, I stumbled upon your body. Your body had been preserved in death, thanks to Madara Uchiha, and so I took you back home with me, without anyone knowing. I've been healing you and restoring your body to perfect condition for the last five months."
"You revived me from the dead? You revived the dead?" She nodded, biting her lip.
"In all truthfulness, I'm not sure how practical the jutsu is. It took me five months to restore you, as well as the fact that it took four chakra-storing-seals to revive you, five scrolls, and a giant seal. But yes, in all terms, I did indeed revive you from the dead." He nodded, thinking about her words. She was expecting his next question, and was not disappointed when he said the three letter word.
"Why?"
"Why you? Why did I choose to revive an S-ranked criminal, who massacred his entire clan, ruined his brother's life, and is a hated enemy of Konoha? The same man who targeted my best friend in hopes of removing the Nine-Tailed fox from within him, ultimately meaning that he would die? The same man who put my sensei in a coma after he used his feared Mangekyo Sharingan on him? Why did I bother to restore life to someone that I should despise and want dead?" Itachi nodded. "Because I know the truth, Itachi-san. Because I found something a little over seven months ago that completely warped every image of you in my head. I found the truth about the Uchiha Massacre. I know that you were ordered to do it, to kill your clan. I know that you... you were only doing your duty to protect the village." She looked down, her hand gently brushing over his. His eyes flickered to her hand, watching her movements carefully, finding the appendage harmless as it dropped to the side of her leg. "You... you are incredible," she whispered, looking up at him. "I've thought about that for the past seven months. Thought about how much you shouldered, everything you went through. You are the ultimate shinobi, but you never got the credit you deserved. The honor you deserved. I revived you to offer you a second chance." Itachi listened to her story silently, finally nodding at the end of it.
"I appreciate your hard work, Sakura-san. I also appreciate your kind words. However, there is more than... I am not such the hero you view me as." Sakura gave a half-smile, nodding.
"I know that. I know that there is much more involved than what I've found out. But I know that you're not a bad person. You did everything to save your brother, and I respect that."
"Thank you."
"How about this, Itachi-san? It's rather late, and your body needs to rest. Before we talk more, how about if we go to sleep? I know you're probably still in shock about being alive again- in reality, this experience is rather surreal for me too. But I think with a clear head, we'll be able to discuss what happens next and what you wish to do." Itachi nodded, knowing that Sakura was more exhausted than he was. "Here, if you take my arm, I'll help you upstairs. I would hate for you to sleep on the hard ground. I have a guest room with a much nicer bed you can sleep on." Itachi started to get up, Sakura watching him with a critical eye.
"You're going to be stiff," she told him, watching as he moved slowly. "You have, after all, been in the ground for five years, motionless." He finally rose into a sitting position, bending his knees and letting his hands brace his body to keep him upright. "Is everything feeling okay?" He nodded. "You can see fine?"
"Perfectly," he responded. She nodded. "I feel much better than I have for years. Besides the stiffness."
"That's a good sign, then," she told him, sighing contentedly. "I'm just glad it all worked. You were quite ill before you died, yes?" He nodded. "Do you feel any signs of the illness anymore? Tightness of chest, hard to breathe, anything of the sort?"
"No. I feel... fine."
"That's a good sign!" Sakura grinned. "I tried my best to cure your disease. As well as give you new lungs. I'll explain everything more in-depth tomorrow. But it's a good sign that you're up and talking coherently. A very good sign." Sakura stood up from the ground, surprising herself when her knees buckled and she fell forward. She was certainly more exhausted than what she believed. It was never a good sign when she couldn't even walk. Her chakra must have been depleted completely- or close to it.
Itachi reached out instinctively to steady her. He stood up slowly, bracing the weakened kunoichi against him. Her legs quivered and Sakura slumped against him.
"I'm so sorry. This is quite pathetic. I'm really sorry, Itachi-san. I... I must have used up more chakra than I thought. I... Thank you... I just..." Sakura fumbled over her words, thoroughly embarrassed. She had wanted to appear strong and graceful in front of one of the strongest men in the world, but had completely failed at it.
"Sakura-san, for how long did you heal me?" They began to walk slowly, Sakura directing him through her house.
"The entire revival process took about twenty-five hours straight." He nodded, showing no emotion to her.
"And you were the only one performing the jutsu?" She nodded, embarrassed again.
"I know; it's not intelligent to try a new jutsu alone. Especially one that requires such enormous amounts of chakra, but due to the sensitive nature of the jutsu, I decided to risk it. No matter what the cost was to me, I told myself. It's pretty dumb thinking about it now, but I-"
"Sakura-san, you're correct. It is rather dumb to do something of this nature completely alone. However, I must express how impressed I am. You single-handedly revived the dead, healing a corpse for twenty-five hours straight, no breaks, no other healers to help you, and came out with a double success rate. Yourself and your patient." He gave a small smirk. "I don't mind helping you. Any person would be in the same state you're in. Actually, I believe most would be collapsed by this point." She stayed silent, not sure how to feel. Itachi had complimented her, but his words still made her feel small. Something about his entire presence made her feel weak.
"Ah, this room." He opened the door, taking in the cream colored walls and navy-blue bed and wall trimming. Everything was neat and precise, and very tidy. "Itachi-san, I have one more request of you." She was leaning against the dresser, while he went to sit on the bed. "As any doctor knows, the first night for their patient is critical. I fear leaving you alone, to be quite blunt. I would like to sleep in here with you tonight, if that is okay." Though Sakura's words were asking him permission, both knew that it was more of a polite demand. Itachi nodded. "You sleep on the bed," she told him. "I'll take the floor." He nodded, watching as she used to walls, leaning against them to brace herself, to walk out of the room. A few moments later, she returned with some pillows and blankets for herself. She laid them on the ground, but before she laid down, Sakura approached Itachi. He regarded her almost suspiciously, an old habit that would likely not die out easily.
Sakura touched his arm, her fingers glowing with the last remnants of her chakra. "I'm placing a chakra string between the two of us. If anything happens during the night that disrupts your chakra, it'll jar my string, and thus wake me."
"You have no chakra left," he told her as she laid down beside the bed. "What can you do even if something does happen?" Sakura closed her eyes, beginning to drift off asleep.
"I have a bit of chakra left in my Yin-Seal. If worse comes to worst, I'll use that." She heard Itachi murmur an "ah" and the two lapsed into silence. Soon enough, her exhaustion sent her spiraling into a heavy sleep.
At the slightest movement, Sakura awoke, briefly forgetting that she had another person living with her. Though still tired, she saw Itachi sitting up in the bed. It was well into the next day, likely around ten o'clock in the morning, meaning she had slept for over twelve hours (Sakura was rather sure she had went to bed around nine o'clock).
"I apologize for waking you," he told her. She shook her head, sitting up.
"No, no, I need to wake up. I can rest more later. If you're feeling up to it, may I examine you?" Sakura stood up off the floor, brushing down her wrinkled clothes. She would have to take a shower soon, but she was in no hurry just yet. First she would talk to Itachi and get him taken care of before she even began to think about what she needed to do to herself.
Itachi nodded to her request, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, so she could better access him. Sakura slipped into her medical mode, her hands light as they gently touched his torso and face. He could feel her chakra probe his body, checking and rechecking every little part of him. He could tell how great a medic she was, though, through her serious demeanor and her gentle chakra. He had rarely been healed by medical ninjas, but the few times he had, none were as careful as she was, nor as thorough. He remembered medical ninja chakra as being invasive to his body, hurting him and pulling at his chakra and body to make it heal. But Sakura's chakra was different. It was light and airy, coaxing his body to heal and work.
Not only that, but she was extremely professional. Itachi knew he was an attractive man. He knew most women fell for his pretty face and lean torso. This, of course, caused most female nurses, or female anything, to be slightly molestful when they touched him. The last female that had bandaged his body had let her hands travel a bit too much for his liking. But Sakura's hands had a purpose, and never lingered too long in one spot, nor did they touch him in any sexual way. She was definitely a doctor, through and through.
"Okay, Itachi-san, I need you to stand, please." He did as she requested, watching as her hands continued to glow pale green, pressed to his chest. Her eyes were closed in concentration, following his every movement inside his body. "Please take a deep breath." Her chakra must be able to take the place of a stethoscope, he thought, doing as she requested. She slid around to his back, pressing her hands against his back, as she repeated her earlier request.
A few seconds later, she withdrew her hands, asking, "Will you bend down and touch your toes, please?" Her tone of voice was formal, as if this was another routine check-up at her hospital. He did as she requested, feeling her hands on his spinal column. "Okay, please stand." She removed her hands from him, looking him over with a critical eye.
"Everything seems to be functioning properly. There are only a few more things I wish to test. For one, can you do a simple jutsu? Anything will do- something basic. Shadow Clones, Substitution... anything academy level, really." He made the hand signs, making an identical copy of himself. Sakura pressed her hands back on Itachi's chest, checking his chakra pathways again. "It looks good. Go ahead and dispel him." The clone poofed away. "Next, something a bit rougher. Can you make a light fireball jutsu? I need to check your lungs, to make sure they can handle the flames." He nodded, placing his hand in front of his mouth, gently blowing the flames out. Sakura moved behind him, placing her hands on his back. She stood there for some time, even after Itachi let his jutsu die out.
"It seems to be okay. I don't see any real damage done to the lungs, but we'll have to check out a large-scale version of the jutsu to be sure. That won't be for some time, though." She took a deep breath, taking a step away from him. "I'm assuming that your reflexes are working fine, considering how fast you reacted last night to steady me. So I'm going to skip over that part of the examination. I've checked all your vitals using my chakra, but if you'd like, I can check them using actual medical tools. I'll leave that up to you."
"I trust you," he replied. He figured the woman that had just revived him from the dead could easily tell whether or not his heart was beating irregularly with the use of her chakra. Sakura nodded, continuing to study him.
"From everything I gathered," she spoke up, looking back up at his face, "you seem to be a healthy man. All your vitals are in order, as well as your chakra pathways. We'll have to do an actual physical test later, where I can get you outside on the training grounds so you can move around, but that has to wait, considering I can't allow anyone to see you right now." He nodded. "Now, there is one more thing I need to check. For this, let me explain before-hand, because you're going to need my help." Sakura gestured for Itachi to sit on the bed, which he obliged, and she followed suit, sitting opposite of him. "When I found your body, your eyes had been removed. The only thing I could find was Madara Uchiha's chakra signature around the torn chakra paths to your eyes. Let me tell you, he did a number on your eyes. It was obvious that he was not a medical ninja with how brutal the chakra pathway severings were. Anyways, I wasn't sure what to do, but eventually, I came by a lead that led back to Sasuke. After visiting him, I confirmed that your eyes had been transplanted into his." Itachi remained emotionless through her retelling, much to her annoyance. It was almost as if he expected Sasuke to have taken his eyes.
"Well, I took some of his eye cells and replicated your eyes, transplanting them back into your eye sockets and healing your chakra pathways. Because of this, I'm not sure if you can still access your Sharingan. I know for a fact that the first you try to activate them, it will hurt, due to the chakra flowing through such scarred pathways. I'm not sure if you'll have the same abilities as before or anything else of the sort. Are you willing to try it, though?" Itachi nodded. Sakura crawled over to him, placing her hands on his temples. "Now, when you activate them, I'll try to heal the pathways. I'm almost positive they will break or fray. It will hurt. Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Activate it now." Sakura was right- it hurt. Activating the Sharingan felt like lighting a spark and making a blazing inferno behind his eyes. He couldn't help himself when he felt the sudden pain- it was so searing and intense!- he flinched and let out a small groan, instantly trying to turn them off to stop the burning sensation. But Sakura's chakra was already at his pathways, stopping him from turning off the eye jutsu. If turning on the Sharingan was like fire, then Sakura's chakra was like water- cooling and easing the pain. Her chakra smoothed over his pathways, mending and reconnecting the frayed ends. She even sent the cooling chakra towards his eyes, easing the burning sensation considerably.
He wasn't sure how long she worked on his eyes, though he knew it was long enough for the pain to subside. Finally, she removed her hands, taking a deep breath. "Look around," she commanded. "Does it feel the same as before?" She was crossing her fingers, hoping the eye transplant had worked.
"It does. Even clearer." Sakura released her held breath, smiling.
"One more thing left to test then? Your Mangekyo Sharingan. If possible, I'd also like to see you use your Tsukuyomi, only if you're feeling up to it. I'd like to know that some of the Sharingan abilities still work. Judging by your three tomoes, I assume you can still access the Mangekyo."
"I'll do it. However, about the Tsukuyomi... it's a powerful genjutsu." She understood what he meant, that the jutsu might be too much for her considering that she was still tired, but Sakura shook her head, smiling.
"I'll be honest with you, Itachi-san. I've never been good at taijutsu, and the only ninjutsu I'm good at is medical ninjutsu. However, I've always had an affinity for genjutsu. As long as you don't torture me like you did Kakashi-sensei, nor harm me, I should be fine. Probably a little dizzy, but fine nonetheless."
"If you're sure, then." She placed her hands back on his temples, waiting for him to switch to the Mangekyo. This time, when he switched, it wasn't nearly as painful, nor did it take long for her to heal. After a few minutes of her chakra probing around in his chakra pathways, she withdrew her hands, looking at him.
"Before you cast the genjutsu, I need to know all the typical aftermaths of using the jutsu. From what I've learned, it stresses the eyes, though to what extent, I have never found out. We disabled Sasuke's Sharingan before he could ever use any of the techniques on us. Therefore, I'm not too familiar with what happens. Will you go through a quick list?" Itachi sighed, nodding. "I know you're not comfortable speaking about your jutsu, or anything about yourself." Sakura had lowered her voice into a gentle tone. "But, please, may I make one very big point? To the world, you are dead. They will no longer go and try to kill you or hunt you or use you to find your brother. I am the only one that knows and cares that you're alive. I've spent the last five months immersed in your body- I know your cells, your chakra pathways, your nerves, the way your body functions, and how your body heals. I'd say that I likely know your internal body better than you do. I've placed my own chakra and my own work inside your body to give you another chance. This isn't some ploy to kill you, because like I mentioned, you already died. You have nothing left to prove or to do. I'm not going to do anything with your jutsus, your secrets, anything of the sort. I'm your doctor. I need to know what I can to help you." She saw his jaw tighten, though it wasn't in anger.
"I know you're right. I know you're words are truthful. However... it is not easy to speak so freely, given my past."
"I understand. But please try." He nodded.
"Usually there is a difficulty seeing. Temporary fatigue. With extreme usage, I have to stop using my Sharingan. Occasionally, I have lost my sight in the eye." Sakura nodded, making mental notes.
"And the genjutsu? Are you free to control it and shape it as you wish? Or is there a specific way it functions? Like a set pattern?"
"I am free to manipulate the Tsukuyomi as I see fit. I can change time and reality, as well as how the victim feels. I can manipulate memories from the victim and alter what the victim sees. Typically, though, I go with one set pattern, since the genjutsu is used to torture a victim. It does not have to be painful, however. If you wish, I could put you in a deep sleep, or at least make you feel that way. It may make you feel more rested." Sakura smiled dreamily at the suggestion.
"Go ahead," she told him. "That sounds perfectly fine." His eyes were still the blood red, the black Mangekyo pattern bold against the crimson. Even though she knew Itachi would not harm her with the jutsu, her heart still skipped a beat in fear when she looked into his eyes. Years of training and the warning of never looking a Sharingan user in the eye had been engraved in her, and despite her logical side telling her nothing would happen, she still felt vulnerable at being sent into a world that was created and controlled by another person.
"Tsukuyomi," his smooth voice said, and she watched the eye pattern spin, sending her far away from reality.
The sky was red, though the longer she stood there, the more it faded to pink. A light, pale pink, reminding her of the color of her namesake- cherry blossoms. As if emphasizing her comparison, small pink petals fell from the sky, covering the black lands (which, too, seemed to fade to a white, as if snow). She wasn't cold, instead feeling relaxed and tired.
All the late nights from the past months, the extreme healing sessions at the hospital and at home, and the emotional exhaustion she had been feeling came rushing through her at full force. Sakura felt her legs wobble so she slowly lowered herself onto the cotton-like ground, laying her head down on something soft.
Through her half-lidded eyes, she could make out the face of Itachi. It was his gentle hands stroking her head that sent her to sleep in his lap. Over and over, she could hear the words, "Thank you for everything," repeated in her ear.
She smiled in her sleep, never wishing to wake up. Everything was too nice and... peaceful.
"Sakura-san," his cool voice snapped her out of the genjutsu. Sakura felt herself reeling, severely disoriented from the Tsukuyomi. She teetered to one side, losing her balance, beginning to fall off the bed. Itachi reached out, steadying her. It took her a few more seconds to gather her bearings, finally making coherent thoughts.
"That is more powerful than I expected. But I do feel more rested, thank you." He nodded, remaining silent. "Um... how do you feel?"
"More tired than usual." She nodded. "And my eye is burning a little more than normal." Her lips twitched into a frown, as she lifted her hand to his face.
"Eye?" she remarked.
"My left eye. It is the one that casts the Tsukuyomi. My right eye casts the Amaterasu."
"Oh," Sakura murmured, nodding. "Okay, then I'll focus more on your left eye at the moment. I would say you could cast Amaterasu, but we're not going to do that in my home," she joked, smiling. Itachi nodded, not offering his own smile back. Sakura sighed, noting more and more how serious the elder Uchiha was. He was as stiff as his younger brother. She had hoped that Itachi would be a little more social, but to no luck. "I'm going to check your eye. I can only assume that the extreme use of chakra at such a small and focused point is what is causing the pain." He closed his eyes, feeling her fingers lightly spread out around his eye. Her chakra filtered in, but soon, she removed her hand, shaking her head.
"I'm going to have to actually touch your eye, Itachi-san. This will be uncomfortable, but bear with me a moment." As gently as she could, her middle finger slowly touched his eyeball, the green glow from her chakra blinding him temporarily. However, with the direct contact to his eye and chakra pathways, she worked much quicker. It took her less than thirty seconds to understand the problem, and she quickly removed her finger. "Ah, I understand. The good news is that your eyes will eventually lose that feeling. I'm sure you'll experience the same burning sensation when you cast your Amaterasu. It's due to your damaged chakra pathways, thanks to Madara. Like I've said, I've tried to heal them the best I could, but it's hard to make something perfect once it's been so severed. The chakra pathways around your eyes are still scarred where I resealed them together. Because of the scarring, it hurts more when you have such intense chakra flowing through them." Itachi nodded.
"But," she smiled, "with continued use, your chakra pathways will adapt and build up, almost like a callus. I may have to strengthen your chakra pathways, though, if you use both techniques in the same time period, or whatnot. That is the bad news part. Oh, and the added fatigue! The best explanation for that is that since you were dead for five years, you haven't exerted any energy or chakra lately. Same reason you're still stiff. Your body just has to warm up to the use of chakra and exercising again. So the added fatigue should go away after you get used to... well... being alive and doing normal daily activities." Sakura stood up, running a hand through her hair.
"How about we go down and eat something?" she asked him. "You haven't eaten in over five years after all," her smile was contagious, and knowing that she was trying her best to make him feel welcomed, he offered his own half-smile back. It was a simple tugging of his lips, but it was encouraging nonetheless. He nodded, standing up. "Do you have any favorite foods?" Sakura asked, leading him downstairs.
"I do like cabbage and onigiri with seaweed." Sakura nodded, smiling, realizing that the Uchiha brothers really did have similar tastes. Both liked rice balls, even if it was with different ingredients stuffed within them.
"I can make us some onigiri," she told him, smiling. "And while we eat, how about if we talk? I feel like I haven't told you anything about what has happened since you've been dead, nor have I spoken to you about what you'd like to do with your life."
"That's fine," he agreed. They entered Sakura's kitchen. Sakura immediately began preparing the rice ball meal, making a few other sides along with it. She also made some green tea for the two of them, even if her typical drink preference was hot chocolate.
"Oh, yeah, do you care if I let in my dog? Like, if you hate dogs or anything, I'll keep him outside. It's no problem to me, but I know he's begging to come in."
"It's fine," Itachi responded, sitting at her table. Sakura nodded, opening her back door to let in Heiwa. She smiled, leaning down to pet her dog.
"Heiwa," Sakura noticed that Itachi smiled at the name, "meet our new friend! This is Itachi-san; he's going to be staying with us for awhile!" Sakura scratched her pet's ears, finally getting up to continue cooking. Heiwa walked over to Itachi, sniffing him curiously. Sakura was surprised to see Itachi reach down and pet the dog. She had figured he would ignore the pup, but was glad that Itachi did have some human-like personality traits still left in him. "Heiwa was my first major success with reviving. He had been dead in the road for... I don't know how long. It was the first time, though, that I took something out from the world and revived it. I mean, I had revived dogs, cats, fish, rats, and mice before Heiwa, but they were all laboratory specimens that I killed immediately before reviving them. I never wanted a pet. But I couldn't bear to let my first success go out and die again. I mean... my chakra is flowing through him. He's... it's like he has a part of me within him."
"I understand," Itachi told her quietly. They lapsed back into silence as Sakura finished cooking their meal and Itachi continued to play with Heiwa. Soon enough, she placed the food in front of them, as well as the cups of tea. She sat across from him, both continuing the silence as they ate. Itachi was, surprisingly, the first one to break the silence.
"What has happened? To Madara... to my brother... Naruto-kun?" Sakura looked up, surprised at hearing his voice. She swallowed her bite of rice ball, frowning.
"A lot has happened. I'll start from around the time after you died." Her tale began, explaining Sasuke's entrance into Akatsuki and Taka, Pain's invasion on Konoha, the Kage Summit, Danzo's defeat, Team 7 clashing with Sasuke again, Madara's declaration of war, the Fourth Shinobi World War, Itachi's puppet body, and anything else she could think of.
"...at the end, Naruto killed Madara in a cataclysmic battle. The Fourth Shinobi World War ended and then began the tedious time period of treaties and rebuilding. While Konoha was entering into peaceful negotiations with Cloud, Naruto deemed that he had one more duty to accomplish. He, Kakashi-sensei, and I all went off to find Sasuke. I... I won't lie. Sasuke wasn't a pretty sight. His hatred had warped him beyond belief. It came down to Naruto vs. Sasuke. In the end, Naruto won. We took Sasuke back to the village and he's been in prison ever since. They offered him a position back in the village but he refused, spitting on Konoha's name, vowing never to work for the village. Naruto still visits him. He tries his best to make Sasuke see differently. But Sasuke's still the same. Well... almost the same. He's not nearly as warped as before. He's regained some of his sanity. Other than that... I'm not sure what else has happened."
"...Sasuke hates Konoha?" Sakura nodded, taking a bite of her rice ball. She almost felt like Itachi's tone was sad at the facts she had presented him.
"I can... I can make a speculation as to why," she told him. Itachi looked up at her, willing her to go on. "I believe it has to do with your treatment, Itachi-san. Your mission. How they framed you as a horrible criminal and made you kill your own clan. I'm not sure how he found out, but he did." Itachi nodded, though Sakura could tell by the way his jaw clenched he was angry. She waited for an explanation, as she could tell Itachi had figured out exactly what had happened with Sasuke, but he offered none. She almost asked, but in the end, bit her tongue to stop her curiosity. Some things, she figured, did not need prying so soon.
Silence rang through the room again, and neither was in any hurry to break it. Sakura wanted to give Itachi time to regain his emotionless composure, while Itachi was still turning over everything she had told him in his mind. Sakura took a sip of tea, reaching down to pet Heiwa. Both had finished their food, the plates pushed to the middle of the table.
"You never explained how you found out about the mission." Sakura raised her head, looking at him. She had expected the question at one point or another, and was fully prepared to answer it, having decided long ago she would not lie to Itachi in any way. His life would not be marred with lies, not again. At least, not from her.
"I have access to, what I thought, were all the records of Konoha. Since I'm the Hokage's pupil, as well as the director of the hospital and lead medical nin, I can access any person's file. So one night, I was sorting documents for Tsunade-sama in the Archives area at the Konoha Library. Because I was the one to disable Sasuke's Sharingan, I wrote most of the reports about it. Well, this certain night, I happened to be looking through Sasuke's file, and I realized that much of the information I had written was missing. Since this part of the archives was supposed to be the most heavily guarded and had less than ten people allowed to access it, I couldn't understand why my information wasn't present. From there, I started to realize that a lot of delicate, and I mean really delicate, information was missing. I've always had an affinity for genjutsu, not so much of casting it, but as in seeing through it, and I found a heavy genjutsu covering part of the archive room. It was a secret room and there is where I found the missing information about Sasuke's Sharingan, as well as a scroll detailing the mission of assassinating the Uchiha Clan." Sakura looked down at the table, sighing.
"I never meant to find it. Sometimes, I wonder if I would have been better off not finding it. Ignorance really is bliss, and reading something so dark and twisted about the village you hold near and dear really puts a strain on you. But more than anything, it gave you a much different light in my mind. I went to Sasuke a little later to confirm what I had seen, and he did confirm it, telling me how you died. I think it was more the shock of hearing someone mention you in such a tone that made him explain your final moments. After that... I... well, I detested what had happened to you."
"How did you find my body?"
"Sheer luck. I was traveling back from Sand and taking a route I normally wouldn't take to collect some herbs and see some different scenery. I've never been a big believer in fate, but all I can think is that it was truly fate that led me to your burial grounds. When I realized I had found your body, I made the choice to at least try and revive you. I was even luckier that Madara had given your eyes to Sasuke, because he preserved your body in death. It was perfect. You weren't decomposed and became the perfect test subject for my jutsu." Sakura placed a hand over her mouth. "I apologize, that was so rude!" She shook her head, removing her hand. "It wasn't like I only viewed you as a test subject. I mean, I did in some ways, but I... I did have a long debate whether or not you would want to come back to life."
"I'm not sure if I wanted to," he admitted. "I was finally free with death." She nodded.
"I figured that. But I... I thought if I had the chance to offer you another attempt at life where you wouldn't be tied down by clan names and expectations, wars, little brothers, or having to achieve any certain thing, that you might enjoy life." Sakura looked down at her hand, clenching her fist in thought. "I mean, I can't take away anything that has happened to you. I can't do anything to change the past, and I'm not going to try to. All I want to do is offer you a chance to change your future- one where you determine what you want to do. You don't have to be a ninja, if you don't want. You could be a civilian for all I care. I just want you to be happy. But..." Sakura took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, looking him in the eyes. "I'm not a cruel person, Itachi-san. I know it may sound like I revived you only for my own benefit at testing my jutsu, but I really do want your happiness above all else. That is why, if you wish it, I will remove my chakra from you- reverse the jutsu, if you will- and you may go back to... to rest eternally." Itachi did seem to think hard about it for a few minutes. Sakura could only close her eyes and pray that he wouldn't do that to her. She had worked so long and hard trying to revive him. All that work, all those notes, everything would be wasted. She would have a jutsu that was a success, but no proof for anyone to believe her. She would have to do everything all over again. Get another dead body. Restore her chakra. Five months of wasted time, repeated... All that time... wasted...
"...No, Sakura-san." Sakura's eyes snapped up, disbelief written on her face. "No, I will take this chance you have offered me and I will try to use it to the fullest. There are no shinobi that ever get a second chance like the one you are offering me. To deny the months of work you have personally went through to give me another chance, when so many others would give anything for this chance, would be the most selfish and ungrateful thing I could ever do." Sakura felt tears of relief gather in her eyes. She let out a sigh of happiness, bowing her head in thanks.
"Itachi-san, thank you. Thank you." Sakura took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "But we still have much to discuss. I have not explained fully the effects of my jutsu on you."
"There are added effects?" She nodded.
"Let me begin by explaining how I revived you." She took a deep breath, and launched into an explanation about reviving his dead cells, making new organs, curing his disease, and finally getting to her first failure, and then to her breakthrough about the life-force chakra, ending with her success. "Due to the life-force chakra and all the chakra I have in your cells that still stimulate them, I can sense you. Well, let me rephrase, we can sense one another. My chakra reacts to my chakra and life-force chakra within you, allowing me to sense when you are injured or even your location. But my chakra within you can sense my chakra in my body, meaning that you can feel me, too. This is just an added side-effect, though. The more pressing concern is that your life is directly tied to mine. Because I have used my chakra as a life-force for you, when I die, my chakra will fade away from your body. The jutsu, then, will be released, and you will die. This is, of course, if I don't find a way around that. But at this current moment, if I die, so do you."
"Does it work in the reverse way? If I die, will it affect you?" Sakura shook her head.
"No, instead my chakra will just fade away from your body, leaving only traces of it behind. I'll likely feel your death, but there shouldn't be any adverse side-effects. In this same way, I also have a suspicion that if I were to be injured, you would be able to sense it, as if you were injured, I could also sense it. I'm pretty sure that I will be able to sense the effects of your chakra and body better than you will mine, since it is my chakra inside of you." Sakura placed a finger on her chin, thinking for a few seconds. "Well... considering that my body has the whole of my chakra, while your body only has tendrils of it, it may be possible that you can sense me just as well as I'll sense you, since I have a larger source for you to identify with. Anyways, those are, to the extent of my knowledge, the most pressing issues with the jutsu and any side-effects it might have on you. But since you are, well in a sense, my test subject, and sort of an experiment, I'd like to request that you live with me for an extended period of time. That way, I can monitor you every day and watch how you are reacting to the jutsu."
"Are you sure you want me to live with you?" Sakura gave a small laugh, nodding. "Sakura-san, I pose a grave danger to you. If your friends were to see me here... you would be in a lot of trouble. Even if you know the truth, I hope you don't think you can get off with reviving an S-class criminal." Sakura gave a mirthless laugh, shaking her head.
"Itachi-san, you're just an added offense to my list of criminal activities, should I be found out. I read highly classified and dangerous information, that I know has to be illegal; I'm pretty sure even attempting such a jutsu as I have is considered kinjutsu and is very much so forbidden in Konoha (doesn't this jutsu vaguely resemble something Orochimaru would have done?); and not only did I grave rob (an offense all to itself) but I have revived an S-class criminal. Granted, none of these said criminal activities were conducted purposely, but since I've already dug myself so far deep, why stop now?" Her grin was mischievous. "If we do get caught, I should have enough influence to keep us both out of trouble. And it's not like you're a pushover or anything- if we have to, we will escape the village. But, I am the Fifth Hokage's most prized pupil, even more so than Shizune (at least, medically and training-wise, I'm Tsunade's prized pupil) and the director of the Konoha Hospital, as well as the leader of the medical ninja corps for the entire village. I'm a high-ranking jounin and my best friend is the most respected ninja in the world: Naruto. Not only that, but Naruto is to be the next Hokage. His council will comprise of my old sensei, Kakashi-sensei, and a decently good friend of mine, Shikamaru Nara. Should we ever be put to trial, I'll just tell them the truth. If that's not enough... well, you've got quite a lot of experience being a hunted nin, yes?" He shook his head with slight mirth, though he realized that she had thought out the entire situation and had a very valid point.
"Besides, Itachi-san, we're not going to get caught." Her grin had changed from mischievous to nearly deviant. "I did plan for you to be revived, and if you're willing, I'd like to give you a whole new identity. A new persona, where you can discard all your attachments to the name 'Itachi Uchiha' and everything attached to that name. We'll make up a new name for you, a new history, change your appearance... You can be a civilian if you'd like, or stay a ninja. Whatever you'd like." She stopped for a few seconds, standing up at the table. Sakura collected their dishes, continuing to speak, though she no longer faced him.
"By the way, do you want to be a ninja again?" He didn't respond immediately. Sakura figured he was thinking about it, and everything it would entail to give up being a ninja, or to continue being one.
"I'm not sure I know how to not be a ninja," he told her. "To let my body and chakra and talent go to waste... I don't think I could do that." Sakura threw a bright grin over her shoulder while she rinsed the dishes.
"I was hoping you'd say that!" she told him. "I thought it would be a waste, too. I mean, you just happened to be one of the strongest shinobi in the world... how could you give up all that power?" Itachi gave a small laugh, shaking his head. Sakura turned around, her hands covered in soapy water. "All right, Itachi-san! If you're sure you want to be... well... sort of like my experiment... then we'll work on your new identity and everything else! Are you ready?" Her fist was pumped and she was grinning widely. Itachi couldn't help but wonder about the woman in front of him- this kunoichi who, in one second, could be the most serious and professional medic in the world, and then in the next second, be bursting with excitement and bubbly smiles. She was... different from anyone he had ever met.
"Yes, Sakura-san. I'm ready and willing to embark on this insane experiment of yours." At the word insane, Sakura's grin merely grew wider.
"Insane, Itachi-san, is an understatement."
XxX
Yo! It's funny because I don't care too much for this chapter anymore. I like the next chapter more.
1. Sakura mentions something about Itachi's three tomoes and why that means he should be able to access his Sharingan; she's referring to the three comma things in his eyes and how Uchihas develop them over a period of time. Since Itachi immediately started out with the three tomoes, she assumed that he could access the rest of his eye jutsus. Which, in case you're curious, he can ;) And since we're speaking about the Sharingan, just to clear up, I don't think Itachi will be losing his sight anytime soon or going blind. He did just get brand new eyes, and it was sort of a transplant from his brother; still, it didn't awaken the Eternal Sharingan like Sasuke has. But it should have cured his eye blindness.
2. Itachi's Tsukuyomi was simply what Sakura wanted to hear. It wasn't necessarily what Itachi's true opinion about the entire situation was; as he explains later on, he's sorta half-thankful and half-resentful that she revived him. But, for the genjutsu sake, he was doing what she wanted to hear to go to sleep.
3. Sakura briefly mentions Itachi being a puppet. Itachi, as far as she knows, has no recollection of this event. There will be more elaboration on this, though, in later chapters :)
4. Sakura's listed effects: she's simply assuming all of these effects her jutsu has on him. Considering the experimental nature of her jutsu, there could be more or less effects than what she's aware of.
Next Chapter:
Sakura must create a new persona for Itachi if he is to live in the village and become a Konoha ninja again. But what can she tell Tsunade and all her friends about this man who looks nearly identical to Itachi Uchiha? Everyone is suspicious; but they can't deny the facts. Itachi Uchiha is dead, so there is no way that another man could be him!
Next Chapter: Arata Genji
The plot has revved up...!
I really want to thank everyone for their feedback on the sequel idea. All in all, I realized that everyone was right and it was probably too early to ask. My bad! But, it did spark a wonderful idea that I would start planning for a sequel now and see if I like it; and once I got to Chapter Twenty-five, I would write two different versions to see which I liked better. Still, I'm going to leave my poll up for a few months and I'd still love to see your opinion on the matter! Thanks for reading and everything else! :D
(Btw, the next Naruto manga chapter looks epic. I am so psyched for the Five Kage team up. It looks so freaking cool!)
