Chapter ten

"Sukura...please wake up" sobbed itachi as he cradled the small pink haired woman to his chest

"You killed her!" screamed sasuke moving involuntarily towards his brother, his rage at what he was seeing was consuming him. He couldn't see that itachi was equally as devastated as he was, that he was crying and distraught, all sasuke could see was that sakura was lying there covered in blood with a kunai plunged into her chest.

At the sound of his brothers voice itachi seem to finally gain some control and gather his thoughts, lowing sakura to the ground he began inspecting her vital signs. Putting his fingers gently to her throat he waited to feel the soft thrum thrum of her blood pulsing, his whole body tensed as he waited for what seemed a life time before he finally felt a slight flicker ,it was only faint but sakura was still holding on, sighing with relief itachi could have almost wept for joy. Standing up slowly he turned to move toward the house to call for kisame when he was suddenly thrown to the ground by a tremendous force.

Sasuke had watched as his brother had checked to see if sakura was showing any signs of life, his smile at finding her dead had been too much, itachi had killed her and now he was smiling about it. Before he knew what he was doing he had charged at his brother hitting him with full force, he grabbed him around the stomach and threw him to the ground. Kneeling over his brother he placed his hand around his neck holding him and with his free hand he smashed his fist into itachi's face, the force of his punch breaking itachi's nose. With the speed of a viper he readied his second strike clenching his fist and bringing it down demolishing itachi's jaw. He couldn't stop himself he wanted to just keep pounding and pounding his brother.

Itachi had been so shocked by his brother's speed that he hadn't even had time to react let alone defend himself, by the time he raised his defences sasuke had already managed to hit him twice, his bleeding nose and throbbing jaw the consequence. Looking up he could see his brother getting ready to thump him again, moving his head quickly to the side at the last minute he narrowly avoided being hit for a third time.

"Sasuke now is not the time for this we... need to help sakura" grunted itachi as he tried to struggle out from under his brother

But sasuke wasn't listening his rage had consumed him to such an extent that all he could hear was his blood pounding in his ears.

Copping another smash to the face itachi winced as his brothers fist collided with his face, if he didn't do something soon it would be too late for sakura. At the thought of her name itachi was suddenly filled with frustration, he didn't have time for this. Wrenching his arm free he grabbed sasuke's fist stopping his blow inches above his face.

"I don't have time to be dealing with you right now sasuke" he calmly "now get off me!"

Using all his strength he smashed his free hand into sasuke's chest, his force was so incredible that it not only moved sasuke off of him but threw him metres across the lawn. Sasuke felt his body flying through the air, landing with a loud thud he heard one of his ribs crack.

Moving quickly, itachi got to his feet, using his fingers his pinched his nose to stop the stream of blood flowing out of it and looked towards the house.

"Kisame!" he yelled looking for his friend

"I'm over here" he heard his friend's surly voice

Looking around itachi found kisame standing next to sakura "it's not good itachi" he said looking down at the pink haired girl

"I know!" itachi spat out angrily "is there anything you can do?"

"Why would I want to save her, she is nothing to me and she is already half dead, it seems that this girl is more trouble than she is worth itachi" said kisame as he lent against his sword

"If you don't help her kisame I will not hesitate in slitting your throat" said itachi dangerously

"Alright alright no need to get so dramatic itachi geez"

Putting his sword to one side and kneeling down beside the girl, kisame rested his fingers over her chest, slowly sending out his chakra he sealed all the ripped flesh and torn veins surrounding the kunai. Itachi looked over to his brother, who was now recovered from his fall and standing up, "stay where you are sasuke" he indicated slowly

Sasuke looked towards were his brother was staring and noticed for the first time that kisame was now with them, looking closely he could see that he was bent over sakura and concentrating hard "what is he doing to her?" he asked anxiously as he made to move towards kisame and stop him

Itachi, not knowing what to say just turned towards sakura and silently prayed for the first time in a long time that she was going to be ok. Sasuke could now see a faint green glow enclosed around sakura's wound; confused he frowned at what was going on, were they actually healing her?

Continuing to focus all his energy and chakra on the wound kisame motioned towards itachi to come and pull out the kunai. Lowering himself onto his knees itachi gently took hold of the hilt of the blade waiting for kisame's signal "ok itachi pull it out slowly" gripping the knife tighter itachi began lifting it out of sakura's chest, with a final soft squelchy popping sound itachi through the kunai to the ground. He watched as fresh blood began to pool into the wound "kisame...?" he questioned worried

"It's ok, I've got it" answered his friend and before itachi's eyes he watched as the gaping hole in sakura's chest began to close. When the last strip of skin had mended itself kisame slowly let the chakra fall from his palms exhausted he looked at itachi. "I've done all I can" he stated

Sighing with relief itachi looked down at sakura her breathing seemed to be coming more regularly now but she was still very pale and very cold.

"You need to move her inside itachi" kisame informed him "I have healed the wound but the kunai was deep and well placed, she lost a lot of blood before I got to her, and well...I'm not a medical ninja my expertise is in fighting not healing, I'm afraid that what I have done her may be to crude, the only thing we can do now is wait."

Nodding to his friend he moved to pick sakura up "wait, let me. Sakura is only here because of me" said sasuke as he stepped along side of his brother. Looking at sasuke itachi took a step back and allowed his brother to take sakura into his arms.

Lowering himself down sasuke gently pushed his hands beneath sakura's body and lifted her into his arms. Standing up he cradled her soft body against his chest and made his way towards the house. As he followed the exhausted kisame into the house sasuke never took his eyes of his brother as they walked side by side.

"Where do you want to put her itachi?" asked kisame as they entered the house

"We'll put her in my room, that way when she finally wakes up she will be some place familiar" answer itachi

Sasuke wanted to argue, to tell his brother that there was no way he was going to let sakura lie in that bed ever again, but what right did he have to demand those things? After the way he had treated her he didn't even have the right to even be here. It was all his fault that sakura was almost dead. Walking into the brightly light room that must belong to his brother sasuke slowly lowered sakura to the bed. Resting her head to the pillow he watched with dismay as it limply lolled to one side, this wasn't looking good.

Itachi stood in the door way watching his brother "sasuke she needs to rest" he said quietly

At the sound of itachi's voice sasuke's head snapped up breaking his thoughts, as sasuke looked into the eyes of the man that had haunted his dreams for most of his life he was shocked to find that itachi looked almost as devastated by the day's events as he did, but why surly he had done this?

"Why did you do this itachi? Why try and kill sakura only to then turn around and save her it doesn't make any sense?" he asked trying to keep his voice under control

"Ah" sighed itachi looking tired "still the same as always little brother, always asking questions"

"Answer me itachi!" said sasuke his voice raised in angry

"This isn't the time or the place" said itachi indicating the unconscious sakura

Sasuke's anger rose he suddenly wanted to continue what he had started outside; this was so like his brother always fobbing him off never answering his questions. Taking a step towards him he couldn't help but wince as he felt the sting of his broken rib, he hadn't come out of their earlier battle completely unscathed but it helped to see the dried blood smeared across itachi's face, his brother certainly looked the worse of the two. But he knew that itachi was right now wasn't the time or the place to pick up where they left off, as much as it surprised him sasuke had a more pressing emotion than revenge to deal with, his concern for sakura far outweighed any other that he might have. Everything else, all his questions, would have to wait.

"When sakura wakes up and is better I am going to finish what I started" he warned itachi

"I wouldn't have it any other way" said itachi as he smiled grimly and left his brother to watch over sakura. 'If this doesn't make you realise how much you love her sasuke then nothing will' him mutter under his breath as he walked down the hall.

Hello to everybody thankyou so much to everyone that is reading this story i hope you are all still enjoying it and that you liked this chapter, please feel free to review, all comments and thoughts welcome.
Untill the next chappie xoxoxox