Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.
A/N: Thanks for all your wonderful reviews for the previous chapter. Here's the next instalment… Enjoy!
The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 10
Ryo's eyes were wide with curiosity as he stared at Itachi.
Her unease growing by the second, Sakura watched with bated breath as Itachi stared back. She could not help but wonder what the ANBU Captain was thinking. It was hard to tell with the stoic mask he was wearing.
What she knew for sure was that she growing increasingly edgy as he continued to study her son intently. She had to consciously stop herself from fidgeting on the dry sand under her sandaled feet. This little wooden stall that was currently shading them from the heat of the sun seemed far too small suddenly.
The silence dragged on.
Being the affectionate and friendly boy he was, Ryo was generally greeted with at least a smile. So, when the staring match persisted, Sakura was unsurprised to see the gradual replacement of her son's curiosity with suspicion when the Uchiha did not respond in any way. In fact, an irritated scowl was beginning to make its way to his little face.
The temperature around them seemed to plummet, even though she knew that it was probably just her imagination. It was in the middle of the day in a desert, after all.
Deciding that the unnerving silence needed to be broken before Ryo said something he shouldn't, she introduced properly, "Ryo, this is Uchiha Itachi."
His unwavering scowl telling her that he was unimpressed, Ryo asked, "Are you here to see Okaa-san?"
Itachi removed his gaze from Ryo to settle on her, much to her relief. "Aa. I wish to speak to you. Is that possible?"
Not particularly keen on the idea, she gestured to Ryo. "We're in the middle of something here."
"Training?"
"Yes," she replied shortly, a little impatient for him to leave.
The longer he remained there with them, the more nervous she got and eventually, her reaction would tip the ANBU captain off that something was wrong. That was the last thing she needed. Whatever he had to say to her could wait till later, preferably without Ryo in attendance.
Besides, Ryo did not seem overly fond of him at this very moment. And somehow, this made her feel really bad. Despite everything, she did not want Ryo to dislike Itachi. It seemed… wrong.
"I will wait," he told her evenly.
Her heart sank.
"Okaa-san, does he have to watch?" Ryo asked with a touch of petulance in his voice.
"Don't be rude, Ryo-chan," she chastised automatically, even though inwardly, she agreed with her son. This was really an awkward time for Itachi to be here.
"Perhaps I can be of assistance," Itachi asked, the corner of his lips quirking slightly in what she recognized as amusement.
Her eyes narrowed. He thought this was funny, did he? Well, she did not think so. "Really, it's too much of a bother," she forced out.
"No. I will remain." His eyes darted to the sulking boy. "Is that a problem?" he asked smoothly.
"I don't care," Ryo muttered reluctantly.
Sakura decided that she should have a word with Ryo about being a little more subtle. But then again, he was not even six-years-old yet. Perhaps it was a little too much to expect him understand certain social skills.
Resigned to the fact that Itachi was staying put, she gestured to her son to come closer. "Come, Ryo-chan. Let's go through the technique."
Ryo nodded, but she did not miss the suspicious look he darted at Itachi before focusing his attention on her. "Is it like Bunshin-no-jutsu?" the boy asked.
"Somewhat," she replied. "The Bunshin-no-jutsu you learnt in the Academy creates illusionary clones. So they disintegrate very easily if they're disrupted. This one is a little different. Kage-Bunshin-no-jutsu uses chakra to make essentially a copy of the user."
Emerald eyes so much like hers widened in fascination. "So, Naruto-Ojii-san was creating hundreds of copies of himself?"
"Yes."
Sakura watched with twitching lips as her son digested the information. Completely forgetting his dislike of the ANBU captain while his mind whirred with the possibility of mischief, Ryo exclaimed enthusiastically, "So I can do the same as well? Hundreds of clones?"
She chuckled out loud, shaking her head. "No." She blinked thoughtfully. "At least I don't think so." She hoped not. It was the making of nightmares, trying to keep track of hundreds of mischievous Ryo clones.
"If he's able to create one now, he should be able to create a greater number as he grows older."
Itachi's words made both of them spin towards him. She was surprised by his participation, and did not know what to make of it.
"That's true, Okaa-san?" Ryo asked.
"Yes, Ryo-chan."
Ryo's brows furrowed as he stared at Itachi. "How many can you make?"
Sakura almost groaned out loud at the blatant challenge in her son's tone. It seemed that Itachi realized the same thing as well, for he raised an amused brow at her before returning his eyes to the boy.
"About fifteen on average."
"That's not much," Ryo condescended, wrinkling his nose in a show of distaste.
"Ryokumori," Sakura warned. "That's not nice."
The boy flinched slightly, giving her an apologetic look. "But Naruto-"
"Naruto-Ojii-san has a bigger chakra reserve than others. I can only create five shadow clones at the most," she interjected firmly.
Ryo's brows scrunched. "So fifteen is a lot?" He flicked a contemplative look at Itachi. "So you're strong?" he asked curiously.
"He's the ANBU captain in Konoha," Sakura supplied.
Ryo's distrust immediately evaporated, the way only a small child's could at the presence of someone like that. A bright beam stretched across his face as he declared, "I'll be an ANBU by the time I'm fifteen!"
Itachi blinked once, and then raised a questioning brow at her.
Somewhat discomfited by his regard, Sakura explained, "He's trying to outdo Kakashi. So far, Ryo has managed to become a genin around the same time Kakashi graduated from the Academy."
"I'll be a chuunin next year. And then jounin by thirteen. And then I'll beat Kakashi-Ojii-san and be the youngest ANBU graduate ever!" Ryo announced enthusiastically.
Sakura almost winced at his exuberance. Giving the still-silent, and probably overwhelmed Itachi an apologetic look, she said a little sheepishly, "He gets a little carried away sometimes."
To her surprise, Itachi turned his full attention to Ryo and asked seriously, "In comparison with which village?"
Ryo's grin melted away to be replaced by confusion. "Which village?" he echoed.
"You wish to be the youngest compared to the graduates in which village?"
Ryo gave him an incredulous look, like he could not believe Itachi had the nerve to be ignorant of such information. "Konoha, of course. Kakashi-san is the youngest ANBU ever! Suna's youngest ANBU was already eighteen when he graduated."
When Itachi only nodded in agreement, Sakura's eyes rounded. Was Itachi just humoring Ryo or what? He did not strike her as someone who would pander to the whims of a kid. Wait… Now that she thought about it, he had been quite good with Kana back in Spring Country. Itsuki had been quite tolerant of children, as far as she could remember. Kana practically worshipped the ground he walked on. But that was his civilian persona, was it not?
Was Itachi the same?
"So I'll be ANBU by fifteen," Ryo continued.
"You wouldn't be the youngest ANBU graduate, then," Itachi told him sagely.
Ryo's eyes widened in disbelief. "Someone made it into ANBU earlier?"
Knowing exactly what Itachi was getting at, Sakura supplied, "Uchiha-san was thirteen years old when he was made an ANBU squad captain."
She had never seen Ryo's eyes grow so wide. His earlier distrust of Itachi was nonexistent now, killed by the bright light of hero-worship. Almost jumping out of his own skin, her little boy exclaimed, "Wow! That's so cool!"
"Calm down, Ryo-chan."
Admiration practically shining out of his chubby face, Ryo beamed up at the stoic Uchiha. "So, how old were you when you passed the ANBU exams?" he asked, being as guilelessly intrusive as only a child could be.
"Twelve."
"Wow!" Ryo's eyes sparked with determination. "I'll do better!"
Sakura sighed. "Really, Ryo-chan. There's no need to be so competitive."
"But that's what I have to do if I want to be the best?" Ryo defended.
"And who told you that?"
Ryo's brows furrowed. "I cannot remember. Maybe Neji-san."
Sakura almost groaned out loud. Trust Neji to impart such an advice on a young child. Circling Ryo's arm to pull him some distance away from the Uchiha, she said to her son, "I think I need to have a word with you, young man."
Clearly understanding that he was in for a lecture, Ryo groaned, "Okaa-san…"
Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Itachi observing them silently. He looked thoughtful. She could not help but wonder what he was thinking. If she had to guess, she would say that he was amused by what he was seeing, but she could not be sure. She also wasn't sure what to make of his presence here.
There was a lot of things she was not sure of these days, it seemed.
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It was rather… endearing.
There was a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he watched a mildly exasperated Sakura patiently explain to her excitable son that all shinobi developed at different rates, and he should not keep comparing himself to others. And that the search for power was not everything.
To which Ryo replied, "But Naruto-Ojii-san also said that it's good to aim high! He aims to be the Hokage!"
Sakura looked amused. "Ah, so you're aiming to be the Hokage… or the Kazekage, then?"
Ryo blinked as he gave it some serious consideration. "Maybe not yet," he finally said seriously. "Gaara-sama will not have a job if I become the Kazekage."
At that point, Sakura slid a glance at him, and they exchanged amused looks, almost like they were sharing a private joke. It reminded him of their relationship all those years ago. But the moment was over quickly, as if she had realized that she should not be sharing such things with him anymore.
Their gaze broke and she continued her debate with her son, while he watched.
He had not come upon them by accident. He had been searching for them for the past hour, his inability to recognize specific chakra signatures making the usually swift process tedious because he had to manually look for her. It was irksome, but there was nothing much he could do to remedy his situation unless he told Sakura about it. Even so, she might not be able to fix it, seeing that she had inflicted the block on him unconsciously all those years ago.
Besides, that was not why he was here. He came because he wished to gauge her reaction to what he had discovered this morning.
Disguised with a simple henge-no-jutsu, he had been able to glean some information about the relationship between the Kazekage, the boy and Sakura. The unconfirmed information was more like rumors and was by no means vicious, but it was clear that at least a handful of citizens wondered why there were no formal ties between the Kazekage and the boy. Like him, many were of the impression that Ryo was Gaara's son.
He wanted to know Sakura's view on it.
But now, standing facing an exasperated Sakura and a stubborn-looking Ryo, Itachi found himself delaying his own agenda. Instead, he was more interested in seeing how this child performed with such an advanced technique. Perhaps his interest stemmed to his own experiences as a child prodigy in the shinobi arts. Or perhaps he was simply curious.
The moment the debate between Sakura and her son drew to a close, the boy bounded up to him. His mother's chastisement did not seem to affect his exuberance at all.
"So, Uchiha-san. Do you think Kage-Bunshin-no-jutsu is a good technique?" the boy asked eagerly.
"It is a useful technique," he confirmed neutrally, his tone not betraying even a hint of his amusement at the fact that Sakura was teaching the boy a technique that could be potentially bring her a lot of anxiety.
"You'll need to use the technique soon, if you can master it in time, of course," Sakura told the child as she joined them.
Itachi wondered why was it necessary for the boy to perform the technique in the first place.
"Of course I can!" Ryo exclaimed, seemingly offended at his mother's words. Then the boy flicked an excited look at him before giving his mother a beseeching look. "Uchiha-san can help me, right?"
Itachi hid his surprise at the boy's request. A few minutes ago, he had been the recipient of the boy's suspicion and distrust, but Ryo had obviously changed his mind since then. Specifically at the point when Ryo had found out about his progress in ANBU. He smiled inwardly at the thought. In some ways, it was nice to know that Ryo was still so capricious. It meant that his childhood was still intact, that his role as a shinobi had not damaged him.
Clearly hesitant, Sakura darted a quick look at him before telling Ryo, "He's probably busy, Ryo-chan."
Itachi's lips quirked when he realized what she was attempting to do. However, he knew that this time, he could leave the persuading to someone else. Namely, a little red-headed boy.
"But he offered to help earlier," Ryo pointed out bluntly.
Sakura grimaced slightly. "I suppose you'd better ask him first."
Ryo immediately bestowed a wide-eyed look on him, one that reminded Itachi strangely of a puppy he had rescued from a dry well on a D-rank mission.
He also remembered how the puppy had promptly gnawed on his hand the moment they were out of the well.
"Can you teach me the jutsu? Please?" Ryo asked sweetly.
Itachi slanted a glance at Sakura, not missing the warning light in her eyes. A chuckle threatened to escape his lips at her transparency.
Without removing his gaze from the boy's mother, he responded, "Aa." He could not really disappoint a small child now, could he? Besides, if he wished to get close to Sakura, he would most likely require Ryo's support in the long run.
The narrowing of Sakura's eyes told him that she knew exactly what he was doing. "Are you certain, Taichou?" she asked tightly.
He smirked this time. "Yes."
"Can we start now?" Ryo asked, his green eyes shining excitedly as he ran backwards out of the shaded area.
"Certainly," he agreed amiably, joining the redhead in the training ground.
As he turned to face the boy fully, Itachi could clearly feel the pressure of Sakura's gaze boring into his back. Amused by her clear hostility, he had to once again suppress the urge to chuckle. No, chuckling would only infuriate her further.
Instead, he began to impart the necessary seals for the jutsu to the eager boy in front of him. He demonstrated them slowly while Ryo concentrated on the motions his hands made. The jutsu was easy enough that he could execute the seals blindfolded, so he kept his eyes on the boy.
It struck him that there was something familiar about the set of Ryo's chin, but he could not quite place it.
Idly, Itachi wondered if this was what it would have been like if he had spent more time with Sasuke when they were kids. He simply had no time then, weighed down with all the expectations others had of him. At times, he regretted the loss of connection between him and Sasuke. There had also been times that he wondered if he had spent more time with Sasuke, his younger brother would turn out differently. Perhaps Sasuke would have been less vulnerable to manipulation if he had the additional support when he was younger.
But this had all happened long ago in the past, so long ago that it was pointless to even think about it.
There was a more recent set of issues for him to resolve now.
Completing the seals for the third time, Itachi instructed, "Attempt the seals first. No chakra just yet."
Ryo nodded, his face scrunched up in determination. A series of quick, clumsily executed seals followed. And then the boy looked up at him with wide eyes.
"Like this?" Ryo asked hopefully.
It was too much to expect perfection on the first try, especially on a B-ranked technique like this from a genin. Ryo had done better than he had expected, but the boy was in too much of a rush.
"It is adequate as a first attempt, but it could be better. The technique is more likely to succeed when your seals are more accurate. The speed can be improved later."
Ryo nodded once. "I understand."
A quick glance over his shoulder told him that Sakura was still in the shade, seated on the bench, watching them wordlessly. Turning his attention back to Ryo, Itachi said, "Continue to practice. After one hundred correctly executed series of seals, you may use your chakra. I will join your mother to observe your progress."
"Yes, Uchiha-san! Thank you for the lesson," Ryo chirped happily as he went back to his technique.
Sakura was clearly uncomfortable, judging by the rigid lines of her body, when he joined her back at the shade where both of them had a clear view of the boy. She said nothing when he sat down beside her, but it was clear that she was not comfortable with his proximity even though he was seated an arm's length away from her.
Not saying a word to each other, they simply watched as the boy practiced diligently.
A hundred times of perfectly executed seals later, Ryo turned in his direction, yelling, "Can I try it with chakra now?"
Itachi nodded his permission, much to the boy's glee.
Perhaps it was now a good time to speak to Sakura. Ryo was far enough that they could have a private conversation, as Itachi doubted that the boy had learnt the skill of chakra-enhanced spying. Besides, Ryo was too busy concentrating on the technique right at that moment.
Yes, this was a good time to speak to Sakura about what he had heard this morning.
"I assume you're aware of the rumors surrounding him," he began without preamble, slanting a sideway glance at her, to find her tensing at his words.
"What rumors?" she returned flatly.
"About the Kazekage shirking his responsibilities," he told her frankly.
She swung towards him, her eyes blazing indignantly. "The Kazekage does not shirk his responsibilities," she defended in a rush. "Where did you hear this nonsense from?"
"I overheard certain conversations in the streets," he fabricated evenly. There was no need to mention that he had encouraged the topic of conversation in that particular direction.
"Well, you should know better than to listen to rumors."
Clearly displeased, she turned back to watch Ryo silently. She did not comment further, but it was clear that this was a sore topic for her.
Her reaction was not encouraging. She was defensive of the Kazekage, which suggested that their bond was still strong. Furthermore, she did not deny that the Kazekage was responsible to a certain extent; she had only insisted that he was not shirking his responsibility.
Did that mean that Sakura and the Kazekage had arrived at some mutual agreement that no one knew about? It could be that they were simply keeping things quiet, avoiding the intrusive interest others would take in the affairs of such high profile personalities.
The fact that Ryo seemed to accept him so far meant nothing if there was still a relationship between Sakura and the Kazekage.
Itachi sighed out loud, weary of all the secrets. Without a moment's hesitation, he asked directly, "Sakura. What is your relationship with the Kazekage?"
She turned sharply towards him, her posture clearly defensive. "That is personal, Taichou."
Her continual use of his title did not escape his notice, and it was beginning to truly grate on his nerves. He also did not miss the taut posture that she had been wearing since he had joined her, and he wished that she could be more relaxed around him.
The tension between was suffocating, and he wondered how they had been able to get along so well in the past. That period of his life seemed almost surreal, now that he thought about it.
Seeing her in such discomfort was displeasing to him, so he averted his eyes to stare at a non-specific point in the horizon.
And then suddenly, very uncharacteristically, he experienced a sinking feeling of despair that all his efforts would lead to nowhere. How much longer was she going resist his attempts to court her?
Leaning against the back of the bench, he raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, too weary of this issue to care that his emotions were displayed openly for all to see.
"Why are you so against us, Sakura?" he asked quietly, half to himself.
She sucked in a sharp breath, but that was the only response he received.
In the distance, Ryo let out a whoop of joy when his first, perfectly formed bunshin appeared. Itachi activated his Sharingan, studying the bunshin, noting with approval that the chakra distribution was even and strong. The actual level of chakra was rather low, though, which meant that the bunshin would not last very long.
Still, it was an exceptional achievement for someone so young.
And somehow, to Itachi's own surprise, the despair that he had felt just a moment ago melted away at the boy's accomplishment.
Then both the boy and his shadow clone came running towards him, red hair bouncing wildly around their chubby faces, Itachi allowed a smile to escape. Ryo was clearly excited at his success.
"Did you see that, Uchiha-san? Okaa-san?" Eyes shining brightly, he hollered, "I did it!"
"Indeed," he murmured. "It is well-executed."
Sakura chuckled and went to her son. "Well done, Ryo-chan."
And when Sakura hugged the boy tight, Itachi could not help but wish that he could share some part of their little family.
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Her appetite non-existent, Sakura merely poked at the food in her bowl as the conversation around her rang out.
Dinner had commenced twenty minutes ago, and since then, Ryo had been going on and on about a certain ANBU captain. It despaired her, his sudden shift in hero-worship from Kakashi to Itachi. Really, could Ryo not pick someone else to look up to? Was he really trying to make life more difficult for her?
But there was no denying the bittersweet wrenching of her heart at the sight of the two of them practicing together. It was almost like the final pieces of a puzzle locking together to form a complete picture. It almost like the two of them… belonged.
She stabbed morosely at a lump of rice, breaking it apart.
It was bad enough that she had gotten to see the undisguised effect of her continual rejection of Itachi this afternoon. The man was clearly hurt by her actions, and it was making her feel guilty in turn. Worse still, even though she would not admit it out loud, she knew that she did not hate him, even though she probably should. In fact, she was still horribly attracted to Itachi.
But she was terrified because she was simply so unsure about everything related to him.
She was mostly scared of his past, the immovable obstacle that stood between her and Itachi. There were so many things about him that confused her. Like what she had seen today did not tie up with the monster that she had in her mind. How could Itachi be so gentle and patient with Ryo, and be the same man who massacred his clan and tortured his younger brother? It did not make sense.
"…And I will be an ANBU before twelve! Then I will be youngest ANBU graduate ever!"
Drawn from her gloomy thoughts by Ryo's excitable voice, Sakura rolled her eyes, while Kankurou laughed loudly over his mouthful of food.
"For goodness's sakes! Swallow before you start spewing food all over the table," Temari snapped irritably at her brother. "Don't let Ryokumori pick up all your bad habits."
Swallowing exaggeratedly, Kankurou grinned at his sister before turning to the redheaded boy. "So, sounds like you like the man, huh?"
Ryo nodded vigorously. "Uchiha-san is great!"
Sakura winced inwardly, not entirely comfortable with the way Ryo was practically worshipping the ground the Uchiha walked on, especially in front of another redhead at this table. A quick glance across the dinner table at Gaara confirmed that he was far from pleased. The corners of his lips were tight with irritation. One would never think that the Kazekage was a possessive person, but Sakura had learnt enough about his background over the years to understand where it came from.
Like Naruto, he had been a lonely child, shunned by all that he had known. It had led to aggression and violence, before Naruto dragged him back to sanity twelve years or so ago. That was when Gaara had begun to appreciate and care for the people around him.
When Ryo had joined their little family, Gaara had been a little wary of him. But it had not taken long for him to warm up to the little baby. Perhaps it had been Ryo's helplessness at that age that had ignited Gaara's instincts, but since then, Gaara had been very protective of the boy. It helped that everyone knew that Ryo looked up most to Gaara.
And now, with the emergence of another male on the scene, Gaara might be feeling a little threatened, even though he would probably never admit to such a thing.
"… he was so fast. Like whoosh, the seals are all done…"
Deciding to halt her son's stream of admiration, Sakura interjected firmly, "Ryo-chan. Your dinner."
Ryo stilled, blinking in bewilderment at being interrupted.
Kankurou reached over to pat his head. "You want to grow taller, don't you?"
Derailed from his earlier train of thought, Ryo nodded enthusiastically and began to plow through his meal rapidly. Sakura exchanged an amused look with the puppet-master before returning to her own food.
"Ryokumori."
She looked up at the sound of Gaara's voice, to find him watching the little boy.
Ryo swallowed his final mouthful of food with a gulp before answering, "Yes, Gaara-sama?"
"Do you wish to train with me tomorrow?"
Ryo instantly perked up. "Really?"
Sakura raised a brow, surprised by the offer. Gaara was usually busy, something which came with the territory of being the leader of the village, but he had blocked off one day a week to spend with Ryo. And that particular day in the week was definitely not tomorrow.
"Aren't you busy tomorrow?" she asked curiously.
"I can make time," he returned flatly.
And that was how her suspicion was confirmed. Gaara was feeling a little threatened by Itachi's sudden appearance in Ryo's life. She winced inwardly, feeling bad that she had led Itachi here in the first place. The last thing she wanted was to make Gaara feel slighted.
"So, tomorrow at dawn?" Ryo asked, eyes shining in anticipation.
Gaara nodded. "We will practice your wind jutsu."
"Alright, come on now, Ryokumori," Temari called out as she stood up from the table. "Time to bathe."
Ryo's expression fell as he stepped away from the dining table. "Do I have to?"
Temari gave him an uncompromising look. "Yes, you're covered in sand!"
Sakura watched with a grin as her son left reluctantly with the blonde woman, complaining all the way, but there was no real heat in his words. It was a daily ritual for them, after all. Ever since he was a baby, Temari had bathed him. It was their little time together whenever both of them were home. It was like the sort of irregular routine Ryo had with Kankurou with his puppets. The two of them were the best of playmates.
She knew that she owed them a lot.
Tsunade had been there when she discovered that she was pregnant. In fact, her shishou had been the one to spot her symptoms first. Sakura had then told her about the civilian that she had 'broken-up' with, and thankfully, her shishou had not judged her for it. Though Tsunade did threaten to castrate the one responsible for her condition.
Rin, of course, knew about her relationship with the civilian Itsuki. In fact, shortly after the pregnancy was confirmed, Rin had disappeared for a week, only to return with the news that she could not find him. Sakura recalled that she had felt angry at Rin's meddling, saddened at the fact that Itsuki was gone, and relieved that no one knew who actually fathered the bump.
Since then, Rin had not spoken to her about it, even after Itachi's return to Konoha. Surely she had connected the dots between them, even though nothing was confirmed. Still, Sakura could not help but wonder if Rin had spoken to anyone about it. However, no one mentioned anything to her so far, so it was doubtful that Rin had done so.
Sakura thought back to the past. A few months after their arrival in Suna, her shishou, Rin and Shizune had left the village to commence the attacks on Danzou, and that was when Sakura had found herself facing the reality of a little baby on the way.
She had been terrified. Her knowledge of such things had been non-existent, after all, and she had had no immediate plans of having a family in the near future. If it had not been for the Sand sibling's support, she would not have made it.
A loud scraping sound rang out, interrupting her thoughts. She looked up to find Kankurou waving over his shoulder at them. "Going to work on the puppets," he muttered as he left the dining room.
Left alone with the Kazekage, she stared across the table at Gaara. He was returning her stare with one of his own indecipherable ones. Was he expecting something from her?
Deciding to inform Gaara of what she had learnt from Itachi today, she ventured, "You know what everyone's still saying?"
"What?"
"Your people are still talking about Ryo's connection to you."
"I am aware of it," Gaara replied, completely unconcerned.
"I know we've talked about this before. Why aren't you bothered by what they are saying?"
"Why should I?" he asked, standing up from the table. "They are merely speculating."
"Until now, some are saying still that you're not taking any responsibility for your actions." She frowned. "I don't like it."
"I've been branded worse."
"But it's not fair on you!" she cried out in exasperation.
"You worry too much." He turned towards the balcony at the end of the dining room. "It is not necessary."
"But-"
"Uchiha Itachi requires you to return to Konoha."
She immediately bristled, even though she and Gaara had discussed that very thing a couple of days ago. "What? He went to ask you?" Without even saying a word to her earlier today?
Gaara nodded, but there was something else in his expression that raised her suspicions. He looked somewhat put-out, perhaps a little disapproving as he looked at her. What was he thinking to put that look on his face? Was it because she had allowed Ryo to train with the Uchiha? Or was it something else?
"There's more to this, isn't it?" she prodded. "What is it?"
He stared at her for a moment longer. And then he stood up to walk out to the balcony, motioning for her to follow him. He halted at the balustrades, staring out into the night sky thoughtfully. It was much cooler out here, she thought as she stopped beside him.
"Gaara?" she prompted.
He turned, bringing their faces close together, obviously conscious that others might read his lips. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips when he asked very quietly, "What is your relationship with Uchiha Itachi?"
She froze at the unexpected question. Surely he did not suspect?
Or maybe he did.
She frowned thoughtfully. Maybe she shouldn't be too surprised. The Sand siblings, Tsunade and Rin were the only ones who knew most about her relationship with a 'civilian' all those years ago, after all. Somehow, Gaara must have realized the truth after seeing Itachi.
But to be certain, she asked just as quietly, mindful that there might be other people nearby, "What do you mean?"
Gaara gave her an irritated look. "Don't pretend you don't know what I meant."
She sighed out loud, dragging her fingers through her hair. Right. So, Gaara had figured it out. "How?" she asked.
"Uchiha Itachi was in Spring Country when you were there."
Surprised, she asked, "He told you?"
"He did not deny it when Kankurou asked."
Anger sparked immediately when she understood what they had done, and how Itachi might have interpreted it. Taking a step back, she hissed furiously, "You questioned him?"
Unperturbed, Gaara responded mildly, "It came up in the conversation." He turned away to frown into the distance. "Apparently."
"Kankurou," she growled in realization. "He's being nosy again."
He slid an annoyed look at her. "You still haven't answered my question."
"You already know," she shot back. Noting his uncompromising expression, she huffed, "Fine! It's him, alright."
"Hm."
And he turned away again.
That was it? He was not planning on lecturing her or anything like that? She found it a little hard to accept his reaction. Despite the fact that he was not the chattiest of persons, Gaara had no qualms about speaking his mind when the mood struck him. And when it came to things that could affect Ryo, Gaara usually had a lot of input.
"Gaara?" she called out softly, reaching out to place a hand on his back.
At her touch, he turned to face her again. She could not tell what he was thinking exactly, because he was deliberately masking his expressions. However, having lived under the same roof with him for years, she had learnt to read the underlying emotions behind the mask and it told her that he was concerned about something.
"Hey, is something wrong?" she asked.
He exhaled out loud, before answering flatly, "He requested for Ryokumori to return to Konoha with you."
"W-What?" She blinked once before the meaning of Gaara's words sank in. "You mean Uchiha Itachi wants Ryo to go back with me?"
Gaara nodded curtly.
What the hell was Itachi thinking, asking the Kazekage for something like that? He should not have interfered, whatever his motives were for doing this.
Sakura bit her lips, feeling a little torn. On one hand, it would be great to have Ryo with her in Konoha, and she was sure that the rest in Konoha would love to see him as well. But with her ANBU stuff, she might not be able to keep an eye on Ryo, and with the current situation, Ryo probably need more protection than before. Gaara would be able to provide this extra level of security for Ryo in Suna, though she supposed she could talk Kakashi into sparing some shinobi for the task in Konoha.
On the other hand, she knew that it would be difficult for Gaara to allow Ryo to leave after what had just happened during the mission. And now, with this latest revelation, she would understand if Gaara was reluctant to release Ryo. Ryo was practically his son.
Finally, she said resignedly, "It's up to you."
His mask crumpled slightly, and she caught a glimpse of a weary acceptance behind it before he recomposed himself. Whatever it was, she knew that he would do the right thing. She had seen with her own eyes how he would consider all the variables before making a decision that would be most beneficial for all. That was how he operated.
She smiled slightly when he reached up to place a hand on her shoulder.
"I will allow it."
She released a long breath. "You sure?"
He nodded.
"But-"
His stern look stilled her tongue. "I will allow you to bring him back to Konoha. Look after him well."
She gave him a mock glare. "I'm his mother! Of course I will."
Gaara gave her a dry look, and she blinked in realization when she recalled what she had been told about his past. Kankurou had been too young to remember, but Temari was been almost four when it had happened. So the blonde had been the one to tell her about it.
Until now, the story never failed to make her cringe at the harsh reality of the shinobi nations. Everything was enshrouded in violence and blood, a battle for supremacy, regardless of one's humanity. There were many victims in this clash for power, and the Sand siblings' mother was one of them.
Karura had been an unwilling victim who had been taken in the time of war, together with her little brother, Yashamaru. Her main downfall was her stunning appearance, which had caught the late Kazekage's eyes during a raid on one of Fire Country's villages. She was only a relative of a minor shinobi clan, not a shinobi herself, but there was no escaping the widespread shinobi war.
Temari had told the story to her in a brusque manner, but Sakura knew that it had scarred her to some point. It was a horrible thing to hear how Karura had been forced to be with the late Kazekage at the young age of fifteen, and subsequently bore Temari, Kankurou and Gaara in quick succession. Apparently, it was no secret that Karura had hated Suna with a passion, which was understandable considering how she had came to being there. Sakura suspected that she had kept herself alive and suffered through the hatred to keep her younger brother, Yashamaru, safe from the Kazekage. Sadly, her life had ended when Gaara was born, during the sacrificial ritual of sealing the Shukaku within her newborn.
Once, Sakura had asked Gaara why he allowed her to stay in Suna when she was clearly being hunted, risking Danzou's wrath. He had told her that she was different. She had no idea what he had meant until Temari explained Karura's background to her.
The minor shinobi clan Karura had descended from was the very same clan her father had hailed from. No one knew, until almost eight years ago, when she had been posted in Suna. That was when the Suna authorities had run a check on her background, for formality's sakes since they already knew her quite well, and unearthed the confidential information for Gaara to peruse.
And Gaara, being Gaara, had not thought that it was necessary to tell her that they were related at all.
It was weird sometime, the thought that Gaara was her distant cousin, but sometimes, she could see the resemblance between Gaara and her own father. The hair definitely matched, but Gaara's eyes were lighter.
"Sakura," he called out, breaking her out of her contemplations.
"Sorry," she muttered.
"Sometimes, titles like… mother, father… and so on, do not mean much. It is what the person does that matters," he murmured, almost to himself.
Was he thinking about his father?
Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around him in a light, reassuring hug. He no longer tensed like he had done in the early days when she displayed any form of physical affection towards him. And she had felt the need to do it, especially after hearing the horrors of his childhood.
"Hey, don't think about these stuff too much, okay?" she murmured, her words muffled against his clothes. "It all happened a long time ago."
He only grunted in response.
She pulled back, stepping away from him. "So, I'll let the Uchiha know that we can return to Konoha."
"Aa. You're clear on the plan?"
She nodded confidently. "Yeah. We'll plant the Shinjutama on Ryo's bunshin. If the Shinjutama is really acting like some sort of tracking device, they will surely take the bait."
Gaara flicked a glance down at her, then turned back to stare out into the night. Clearly, there was something else on his mind, because he did not seem at all interested in discussing their plans further.
A little exasperated now, she asked, "Gaara, is something else bothering you?"
A pair of green eyes, slightly lighter shade than hers, landed on her face. "Yes."
"What?"
"Uchiha Itachi appears to be pursuing you."
Her eyes widened. Was it that obvious?
Without waiting for her to answer, Gaara looked away and continued brusquely, "Just… be mindful of what you do. You have your son to consider now."
She sighed heavily. That was exactly the crux of the problem, wasn't it? "Don't worry, Gaara. I'll always put Ryo first."
They fell into a bout of silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Their conversation drew her attention back to the rapid development between Ryo and Itachi. She had not expected Ryo to take to the man so fast, and for Itachi to tolerate Ryo. No, she corrected, Itachi more than tolerated Ryo, something which both worried her and tugged at her heartstrings.
"Sakura."
She glanced sideways at Gaara. "Yeah?"
"Will you return to him?" he asked mildly, clenching his hands lightly against the balcony railing.
Despite his seemingly indifferent tone, she knew that Gaara was concerned. There was no need to lie to him, and in many ways, it was a relief to be able to come clean with someone. She had kept the secret for so long, all on her own.
"Honestly, I'm a little… afraid."
He slid an irritated look at her. "I seem to recall having a similar conversation with you in the past."
She knew exactly which conversation he was talking about, years ago when she had been uncertain what to do after Itachi, whom she had known as Itsuki then, had kissed her for the first time. Her response then had been to run all the way from Spring Country to Suna, seeking refuge from her tumultuous and confused emotions there.
"You told me not to be silly," she muttered uncomfortably, guessing that a similar sort of advice was pending. "Very unkindly."
"And what else?" he prompted.
"And that my life is my own and I should take control of it." She sighed dejectedly. "It's not like I don't want to. But this is different."
He slid an irritated look at her. "Perhaps you're overcomplicating matters. Ryo should be allowed the opportunity to know his true father."
"I know," she admitted in a small voice, feeling guilty at the reminder of her deception.
"Perhaps you should allow the Uchiha to prove himself if he wishes to do so," he advised.
"I really don't know." She raked a hand through her hair in frustration. Deciding to be completely honest, she continued, "It's his background. It's the Uchiha clan… and the massacre. He seems to have something against those of his bloodline. Why would he kill them otherwise? I don't know if…" She took a deep breath before continuing, "I don't know what he will think if he knew the truth about Ryo."
Gaara's eyes widened slightly, as if in surprise.
She frowned, confused, wondering what she had just said that was so shocking. "What?" she asked warily.
He recomposed himself and looked away. "Something unexpected."
"What is?" she prodded.
"It's not my place to say," he told her in a clipped tone. "Do not press the issue."
Her lips clamped shut, even though his words grated at her. He obviously knew something that he was not telling her. And she suspected that it had something to do with Itachi. Another secret that she was not privy to.
Talking about secrets, Itachi owed her one, before Shinozuka Aoi had interrupted their conversation. She wondered if she could push him to reveal it on their way back to Konoha. Perhaps not, since Ryo would be there. It might be a topic unsuitable for his young ears.
"It's late." Gaara stepped away from the balcony. "I will retire to bed now."
She considered pressing him for the information, but the uncompromising look on his face told her that he was anticipating this move, and would not budge.
With a huff of exasperation, she muttered, "Fine, then. Goodnight, Gaara."
He inclined his head, and left her alone on the balcony.
Leaving her to wonder if he was right, and that she should really give Itachi a chance. Deep inside, she knew that she really wanted to. The chemistry between them was still there, after all, and she felt just as much for him as she had done so many years ago.
But what about Ryo? Would Itachi think differently of Ryo once he knew that the boy was his son? Perhaps he would be happy? She doubted that she would have any problem when it came to Ryo accepting Itachi. Aside from the initial suspicion, Ryo had nothing but admiration for Itachi, the ANBU captain. But what would he think of Itachi as a father?
With a heartfelt groan, Sakura slumped forward, allowing her forehead to land on the balcony railing.
000
000
Itachi stifled a yawn as he dressed almost mechanically in his usual ANBU attire.
The night had been a sleepless one.
With all those years living as a missing nin, Itachi knew that he should be well-prepared to cope with the lack of rest. However, unlike those sleepless nights of his past, when he had stayed awake as a result of threats from countless enemies, or had simply been thinking about his plans and strategies, last night, he had been kept awake by the actions of a certain pink-haired kunoichi.
It had happened shortly after dinner. He had been thinking about their situation and the next steps to unveil the truth behind Sakura and the Kazekage's relationship when he had moved to his favored thinking area in the room, the window.
Standing there, he had stared out thoughtfully. It was past midnight, and the bright light shining from a certain balcony in the distance had stood out clear against the darkness enveloping the village. The moment he realized that the light came from the direction of the Kazekage's residences, he had activated his Sharingan.
Only to be greeted by the sight of Sakura and the Kazekage embracing intimately.
All so suddenly, his question had been answered in the most unpleasant manner. Their embrace had been nothing but intimate, and the Kazekage had not pulled away from it. Their postures had clearly announced their closeness and comfort with each other's physical proximity. Someone like the Kazekage would not allow such physical contact unless one was a close relative or a lover.
The discovery of this truth was a bitter pill to swallow.
Even with all his musings, a large part of him had always hoped that this was not the case. Nothing could be worse than this, because he was not selfish enough to initiate an international incident over his feelings for another person. Many innocents would be caught in the crossfire. That was not something he needed on his conscience.
Glancing out of the window this morning, he noted that the sun was already up and the sounds of vendors selling their wares began to filter through. It sounded like a normal day.
Normal was far from what he was feeling, unfortunately. He felt restless, irritated and despondent, a sorry state to be in.
Perhaps he should leave the room, to distract himself with some activity.
It was then that he recalled the words he had exchanged with a certain redheaded child yesterday. Ryo had invited him to train this morning.
Although Itachi wanted to continue interacting with the precocious child, the notion of facing Sakura today made him hesitate. He wondered if he should make his excuses, instead of joining them as he had implied he might yesterday. But when the image of a disappointed redheaded boy flashed across his mind, Itachi found himself relenting. Also, he kept being reminded by how disappointed Sasuke used to look when he could not find time to spend with his younger brother.
Somehow, the idea of disappointing Ryo was not appealing at all.
With a resigned sigh, he strode out of the room and exited the building. This close, the sounds of the vendors were almost deafening, something which irritated him unreasonably. A quick glance at the height of the sun told him that he was already late for Ryo's training session, a fact which made him speed up his steps, cutting through the streets to head towards the direction of the training grounds.
The heat beat down on him mercilessly as he broke out of the center of the village into the open training area. Here, the vast expanses of sand and rock seemed to be radiating a most uncomfortable amount of heat, something which bothered him more than it usually did. It did not help that the hot, gritty sand was inching its way into his sandals with each step he took.
In fact, many things seemed to be irksome today.
Soon, he arrived at the designated training ground. Both mother and son were already there, practicing on creating shadow clones. Although Sakura was not facing him, the slight tensing of her shoulders told him that she was aware of his arrival.
Ryo turned in his direction then, greeting him with excited eyes and a wide smile, which strangely enough, reminded Itachi of Sasuke.
"Uchiha-san! You came!"
Despite his discontentment in regards to the boy's parents, Itachi could not help but smile back at the beaming redhead. The boy abandoned his practice momentarily, bounding energetically towards him, skidding to a stop to leave a trail of dust behind him.
When Itachi took in the boy's excited stance, he felt his chest tighten in longing. Perhaps he could have had this with Sakura, if only he had revealed the truth when his memory returned. However, it was too late for regrets now.
Now, he would do the right thing, at a cost to himself.
As usual.
000
000
Itachi was different today.
She did not know what it was, but something had changed. Maybe it was in the way he seemed more reserved with her, unlike yesterday, when they had spent a surprisingly enjoyable time together on the training grounds. He had been open and approachable then, like the man she had known all those years ago.
Not that he was ignoring Ryo or anything like that today. In fact, at the moment, Itachi was attentively helping Ryo perfect his Kage-Bunshin-no-Jutsu. The boy clearly responded well to Itachi's instructions, because with each shadow clone was clearly more stable than the one before.
Seated under the shade, she sighed heavily. She felt almost… surplus… to this scene. After holding Itachi's interest for so long, the absence of it felt odd. Almost as if she was missing something.
She bit her lips worriedly. Surely she did not crave his attention. How had she become so dependent something like that in such a short time? It made no sense.
No, it made sense, because her feelings for him in all these years had not diminished at all. Perhaps it had shifted, but deep inside, her heart was still attached to him. Over the years, she had suppressed it, and without his presence, it had not been too bad. But now that he was here, her feelings were surfacing rapidly.
Her conversation with Gaara last night filtered through her mind, muddying her thoughts further. Gaara had all but told her that she should give Itachi a chance. She knew that he had done so for Ryo's sake, despite the fact that he would see Ryo less if she got back together with Itachi.
However, the largest hurdle she faced was her uncertainty when it came to Itachi's reaction to Ryo. She could tell him the truth about Ryo's parentage, but she was not willing to take the risk. What if he, for some crazy reason, decided to eliminate Ryo the way he had eliminated the whole of the Uchiha clan? What if he pushed and taunted Ryo, the way he had done with Sasuke? Such a thing would break her son, she knew it.
She could not bear to even think about the possibility of such a terrifying thing.
Inhaling deeply, she allowed her shoulders to sag wearily. So what should she do now?
She stared at Itachi's back, forcing herself to ignore the clearly displayed shape of his toned body visible under the tight sleeveless ANBU vest. He was standing some distance away in the middle of the training ground, testing the strength of one of the clones under a light hand to hand combat. Ryo's clone was strong enough to withstand a couple of direct hits by now, which was a great accomplishment, as far as she was concerned.
Ryo was ready.
She should tell Itachi what Gaara had said last night. It was probably time to send out the clones and head back to Konoha.
She waited until Ryo and his shadow clone had taken off to run along the perimeter of the ground, presumably to test the clone's stamina, before making her move. Sucking in a fortifying breath, she stood up and walked towards Itachi. He did not react in any way to her presence, but he obviously could not miss her standing right next to him. Which could only mean that he was deliberately ignoring her.
She realized with no small amount of mortification that she did not like it.
Shaking away her displeasure, she decided to cut right to the chase. "The Kazekage approved your request to allow Ryo home with us."
He tensed slightly, and then slanted a pair of black eyes at her. "Good."
She waited for him to say something else, but he had turned his attention back to Ryo and his clone, who had reached the far end of the training ground. Now she was certain that something was definitely wrong. He had never been so… cold… towards her. After his constant attention over the past few weeks, this change in his attitude made her feel a little lost.
Taking another deep breath, she plodded on, "So, we can leave later today if you want."
His eyes displayed no emotion when they landed on her. "This afternoon then."
Thinking of the plan with the shadow clones, she ventured, "If you don't mind, can we leave in the evening?"
Something flickered in the depth of his eyes. "Why the delay?" he asked mildly.
"Ryo needs to rest to replenish his chakra first. He's probably quite low by now, with all the training." At his questioning look, she continued haltingly, uncertain how he would take the next bit of news. "There's… um… something else you should know." A short pause followed before she continued, "I found a Shinjutama fragment in him. Someone planted it into his arm."
Itachi's eyes narrowed immediately. "It occurred during the ambush?"
She nodded, unsurprised that he had caught on so fast. "There's some foreign chakra in it, so I'm guessing it's being used as a tracking device."
"You mean to plant the fragment into the boy's clone to lure his attackers out," Itachi surmised. "If it is used as a tracking device in the first place."
"Yes," she confirmed.
Itachi contemplated silently for a moment, and then he spoke. "Do you have a suspect in mind?"
"Of Ryo's attackers?"
"Aa."
She grimaced. "From Ryo's description, they are the same one who attacked me and Sai's squad two weeks ago. The black strip of fabric across the face is not something Gaara or Kakashi had encountered before, though."
Itachi's expression turned speculative. "Perhaps a new organization, then."
"Yeah," she agreed worriedly.
She wondered if Itachi had arrived at the same conclusions as she did. He definitely knew enough of her background to do so. The involvement of the Shinjutama clearly pointed to someone with connections with Spring Country. Also, the fact that she and Ryo were targeted made her suspect that whoever their attackers were, they were after more Shinjutama, and was planning to either use her or Ryo to get them.
"It is likely that they are seeking those of the Shinju bloodline," Itachi murmured, confirming her thoughts.
"Looks like it," she agreed with a sigh. "But I'm still hoping that it's not that."
"Hm."
Itachi's gaze remained on her for a while longer before shifting to Ryo without another word, leaving her to blink slowly at him.
It was a dismissal, clear and loud.
She averted her eyes from him to join him in watching Ryo once more. Although her eyes were tracking her son's movements, her mind was on the man standing beside her. The man who was confusing the hell out of her by his latest behavior, because it was beginning to seem like he was no longer interested in pursuing a relationship with her.
How ironic it would be if he had really decided to do so just as she was beginning to consider giving the whole thing between them a chance. Perhaps it was simply not meant to be. Perhaps they were fated to be apart.
Feeling the need to fill the silence, she spoke, "Looks like he has gotten the hang of it."
"Aa."
When he said nothing more, she sighed inwardly.
Still, she was just speculating. And she knew from her own first-hand experiences what speculations could lead to. She needed to confirm that he was truly dropping his chase. Later, when they began to travel, she would ask him directly, no matter how embarrassing it would be. It was something she needed to do.
For the sake of closure, she insisted to herself.
000
000
It was evening, and the sun was just setting, coloring the horizon with a reddish tint. The heat eased a little with the departure of the sun, but it was still too hot for him.
The temperature did not seem to bother the redheaded boy, who appeared to be still full of energy even though he had just created an almost-perfect shadow clone a minute ago. Ryo faced the clone, making faces at 'himself' while Sakura slipped the Shinjutama fragment into the clone's pocket with hushed instructions.
Feeling rather superfluous to the entire exchange, Itachi simply stood aside watching mother and son interact. Once again, his chest twisted with the emotion he now identified as the yearning to join them. And once again, he pushed it to the back of his mind. It was pointless to pine after something that did not belong to him.
The clone nodded at Sakura's instructions, and then Sakura created a clone of herself. Without further ado, the two clones dashed off in the course of the most direct route to Konoha. It meant that the rest of them would have to travel the long route, something which would have pleased him a few days ago, but not now.
Itachi kept his eyes on the diminishing figures of the clones as Sakura and Ryo approached him.
"Let's go, Uchiha-san!" the boy cried out.
He turned to the boy, smiling slightly at the unrestrained excitement in those green eyes. Ryo seemed to be always excited, always full of life and smiles. "Do you know the route?" he asked.
"Of course!" Ryo pouted slightly. "Okaa-san and I have travelled to Konoha this way a few times."
"Then perhaps you will lead us," Itachi suggested.
"Alright!"
And he was off in a streak of red and green.
Itachi followed him, travelling with swift, steady steps across the sand with Sakura moving alongside. It was better travelling at this time of the evening, for it was cooler, and they could comfortably move faster.
After approximately six hours of unbroken travel, they entered the sparse forest that marked the border between Fire Country and Wind Country. Only then did he glance at her. Sakura's face was bathed in the moonlight, making her look strangely ethereal and tinting her hair silver. She had been oddly silent and pensive this morning, something he surmised had stemmed from his withdrawal earlier.
Sensing his regard, she flickered a glance at him. He recognized the look on her face. The small furrow between her brows and the way she occasionally chewed on her bottom lip were not unfamiliar to him. The questions would come, and soon.
As if she had read his mind, she ventured tentatively, "Taichou?"
Still so formal, he mused inwardly. "Yes?"
"Is everything okay?"
He wondered if he should make this easier for her. There was no benefit in drawing this conversation out. Such a thing would only cause him more distress. Still, she needed to actually acknowledge the issue. She had to ask him the questions.
"You need to be more specific," he told her, his steps slowing to a complete halt when he reached an open clearing. "We will rest here tonight."
Sakura stopped as well, turning in the direction of her son some distance ahead. It was so dark that only an outline of his body was visible and he was disappearing fast.
"Ryo!"
The boy stopped, and then with obvious reluctance, began to move very slowly back towards them. Itachi felt Sakura's stare even before he turned to face her wordlessly, directing an enquiring brow at her.
"You wish to say something?" he asked.
The flickering uncertainty in her eyes was clear even in the darkness of the forest. But a moment later, she straightened with determination. He could also see that she was preparing for the worst, from the set of her chin.
"I want to know why you're so… distant." She took a deep breath. "I mean, ever since you came back to Konoha, you've done nothing but… try to get close to me. But something changed this morning."
He simply nodded, confirming her words, trying to ignore the shadow of hurt dancing across her features. Her attitude confused him. She could not possibly wish for his attention when she was bonded to the Kazekage now, could she?
"Just tell me what's going on, alright?" she demanded impatiently.
He closed his eyes briefly, and then opened them to regard her calmly. "You wish to keep our interactions… professional, do you not?"
"Yes," she replied slowly.
"I'm merely doing as you wish."
Suspicion flashed across her features briefly. "Why the sudden turnabout?"
Itachi kept his expression impassive as he answered simply, vaguely, "It is time to move on."
And with that, he turned away from her, preparing to set up camp for the night, just as Ryo entered the clearing where they stood.
Because he knew that if he watched her, he would see the pain his words had brought to her. Sakura might not admit it, but her responses to him clearly proved that she still felt something for him. He could capitalize on that, but to do so would be to tear Sakura apart. Sakura would then have to choose between her son's father and him. She needed to choose between Suna and Konoha.
If she chose him, it meant that Ryo would be torn between two countries for good, separated from his own father. Furthermore, the decision would affect many innocent parties in the political backlash. If she chose the Kazekage, then all he would achieve while pursuing her was to set himself up for more pain and dejection.
With those reasons hanging over him, the only sensible thing to do was to let go.
000
000
A/N: Here's to hoping that you readers are not too mad at me… or Sakura… or Itachi…(winces). Anyway, review if you can, as always. Thanks!
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