Sake
Three days after, Sasuke made a simple plan for Sakura so she could visit Itachi in the hospital. After she had changed her kimono he cast a genjutsu on her, her appearance was changed into 7 years old girl with red hair and blue eyes. Sakura walked out of the house hesitantly, afraid if anyone would recognize her. She walked behind Sasuke while looking at his feet; she didn't dare to look up.
Itachi watched his brother came in with a little girl. He knew it wasn't her real form. Sasuke glanced at the clock, "In some seconds…"
Her real figure appeared before Sasuke could finish his sentence, red melted into pink, blue changed into green, her frame grew taller in a short period. He murmured 'I'll be back' words while walking out. Itachi looked at the young woman before him, she was wearing red top which didn't hide her stomach and red skirt which was torn on its right and left side with knee-length black bay pants underneath it. She brought a small bottle.
Sakura kept staring the floor while Itachi gazed at her, for some minutes they didn't talk. Itachi decided to end this silence, but at the same time Sakura had started first, "I brought medicine for you, Itachi-sama…" She showed him the bottle. As he took the bottle she continued, "It can heal fever by all cause; includes poison or mosquito."
Itachi whispered 'Thanks' with weak voice. He permitted her to sit. She sat on a chair beside the bed.
"I came here not only to give you this medicine, but I have something to tell you…" She repeated the story she had told Sasuke. Long silence filled the room again.
"And, I have already known that my father was an Uchiha…I don't know his name yet…"
Itachi smirked in his mind, "Fake story was arranged by Sasuke" He felt his eyelids were heavy, he wanted to speak up but sleepiness had brought him into deep slumber.
"It was my fault I didn't follow Fugaku-sama's rule so the enemy has found me… I apologize, Itachi-sama…" After not getting answer from her master she lifted her face, just finding he was asleep. Her lips curved upwards, "He must be very tired, listening to my story… The illness has consumed his stamina…"
She stared at his sleeping form. His face showed how big burden had been put on his shoulders; the lips which almost never showed its true smile were shut tightly. His breath was steady. She stood up slowly and quietly, few strands of black hair were covering the right side of his face, she got rid of it gently, afraid if he would wake up by her touch. She admired his face.
Unconsciously she leaned forwards. His lips had made her throw her sanity away. She held her breath once his lips only an inch away from her own. A tiny sound from the window made her pull back immediately. She put her palms on her chest. She needed to know what made that sound.
A raindrop
She sighed in relief. She threw herself back onto the chair. Her eyes glanced to the ceiling; she thanked God for making the rain fall. If the rain didn't fall in time she would have…
She slapped her own cheek.
Red hue appeared soon after. She cursed herself for being so careless. "Although my father was an Uchiha, doesn't mean I can do whatever I want… I'm still his slave. I'm his slave and he is my master…"
The truth had always made her cry. She wiped the tears with the back of her hand. She needed to leave that room as soon as possible before her sanity disappeared again. But she couldn't leave until Sasuke come to get her. She could only watch the rain through the window.
"Autumn isn't coming yet…"
--
"I must not do it… I must not…"
He pushed the window quietly and stepped into the silent room. He stared at the figure which was sleeping. He got closer to the bed, reaching his arm to get her. But his arm stopped. His mind was fighting.
"I must not let him down…"
His mind was still fighting, the real owner of the body won for some seconds, he dropped a bead. It rolled under the bed. He could have gotten her if only he didn't hear footsteps came from the outside.
--
His eyes shot open as a raindrop kissed his cheek and at the same time, the door was opened. He looked at the medic-nin whom he recognized immediately by her face, "Itachi-kun, visit time is up. Sasuke-kun said he would wait outside."
He nodded as understanding. Ino left quietly. Itachi's eyes rolled to the girl who rested her head on her arms on the bedside. Her breath told him that she was sleeping. He shook her arm gently. Her eyelids slid open slowly.
"Sakura, Sasuke is waiting outside…"
She looked at the clock and stood up. She headed to the door. She stopped her steps suddenly and turned around. She bowed, "I apologize for everything." He averted his gaze from the open window to her, "Did you open the window?"
She looked at the half-opened window, "I didn't…" She ran and shut the window immediately. She bowed again before disappeared behind the door.
Sakura looked at the person who sat on a chair beside her, he nodded and stood up. He gave an umbrella before took out his own. They walked home.
Itachi got off his bed and headed to the window. He looked at the rain through the glass. As he turned around, he found something sparkling under his bed. He squatted to pick the bead. He knew whose bead it was.
--
After Sakura knew she was an Uchiha, she trained herself more often without forgetting her current status. A week later, Itachi could go home, but not so long after, he was assigned to retrieve a scroll from some missing-nins with Shisui.
"That wasn't a hard mission, right?" asked Shisui. They went into Ichiraku Ramen to have dinners. They had completed the mission easily.
"Still, we mustn't underestimate enemies." Itachi sipped his tea.
"No one is stronger than you, Itachi… What are you afraid of?"
"There may be no one… but there is something which stronger than me." Stated Itachi
--
It was midnight when Sakura heard that someone arrived home. She went out and peeked from the corner of her eyes. Her master was home. She took another way to get into his room faster than him, she unrolled the futon and then she stood out of his room. Once he showed up, she bowed, "Welcome home, Itachi-sama."
He walked passing her and sat on his futon. Itachi rolled his eyes to look at her. Sakura was sliding the door to shut it from the outside when he called her, "Sakura."
"Oh really? What is it?"
She opened the door and kneeled beside him.
"Sake."
"Itachi-sa—"
"And why is that?"
She couldn't continue her sentence because his lips had captured hers.
"It makes me lose my control. I've tried once when I was 17. I almost slammed Sasuke because he asked me to train him."
She blinked many times. She tried to push him, but deep inside her heart, she didn't want to do that.
"Let's have a try then…" Shisui poured his sake into Itachi's cup, he pushed it close to him.
He twined his arms around her waist.
He looked at it, "No, once is enough." He pushed the cup away
Sakura finally managed to push him, she ran out immediately, ignoring the sound she made by her steps.
"It was your first try, the second try will not be the same, besides now is almost midnight, and no one is awake…except some restaurants and us."
Itachi stared at the door. He stood up and closed it. He lay on his futon and watched the ceiling.
Itachi thought awhile before took the cup, "Alright… this is the second and the last…"
Sakura slammed the door forcefully; she lay on her futon, facing her pillow. Her face turned redden, as red as tomato.A small smile decorated her face.
He sipped the sake.
Itachi stretched out his palm and embraced his face, he whispered to himself, "I told you Shisui, sake is stronger than me."
--
She had sat on the windowsill for hours, she had only stared the wall. A month had passed again, the leaves had started changing their colors, and the warmth of summer had gone. Her hair had grown longer, it had reached her waist, and she wore her hair in a long plait. She was holding the hairpin which was given by her master. Her lips curved downwards.
"It has been a month. He hasn't talked to me since…" she blushed all of sudden. She covered her face with her hand. She pinned her hair with the hairpin, "I missed his smile…"
"What are you doing, Young Lady?"
She turned her head immediately, "Azumi-san!"
The older woman laughed, she brought something in. it was wrapped in black cloth. It caught Sakura's attention, "What is that?"
Azumi smirked, she embraced it tightly, "It is a present! From Itachi-sama for me!" Sakura couldn't help that she was jealous. She didn't want to be heard that she was jealous, she smiled, "Aa, Itachi-sama is very kind for giving a present. What is it? A stick?"
Azumi walked closer to the green eyed girl, "Aren't you jealous, Sakura?"
She blinked twice before stood up facing her, "I am not!"
Azumi giggled, she offered it to Sakura who immediately rejected it. She tickled her while repeating 'you're jealous' words. Sakura struggled free from her tickles. Azumi stopped after she heard Sakura's laugh.
"That is better." She smiled. Both sat on the pillows nearby, Sakura asked, "What is better?"
"Your smile." Azumi paused before continuing, "You haven't laughed a lot lately. You kept sitting on the windowsill and staring the wall."
Azumi handed her it while saying, "I was just kidding. This is from Itachi-sama for you. He said you didn't appear so often, so he couldn't give you by himself. Now open it."
Sakura blushed so that Azumi laughed again at her reaction. Ignoring her laugh, she took the black cloth off. Her eyes grew widen. She raised it, "An Odachi…"
(A.N: Odachi is name for long Japanese sword; 120-150 cm. Wikipedia is smarter than me in explaining thing.)
かすみ
She unsheathed it and read the craved work, "Ka…Su…Mi…"
Azumi stared at the longer katana in front of her, she averted her gaze to the craved work as well, "Kasumi-sou? Baby Bless?"
(A.N : I read in a manga, Kasumi is a name of a flower, Kasumi's English name is Baby Bless, and it means A Pure Heart. and I hope the japanese words are right.)
She nodded while murmuring, "It means A Pure Heart…"
Azumi lowered her head, "I'm jealous of you…Sakura…" Sakura sheathed her odachi and put it down, she hugged her tightly, "Azumi-san…more attention he gives me, means more burden he gives me too.
Suddenly a figure; wearing ANBU uniform and mask appeared from the window behind her. Sakura pushed Azumi away from the window, she unsheathed the "
odachi and blocked the attacker's kunai. She swung her it horizontally while stepping backwards, "Azumi-san! Run!"
Azumi jumped out of the room immediately. Sakura was in defensive stance when he drew his own katana. His katana met hers, causing a loud clang was heard. He stretched out his free arm and grabbed her wrist; he used force to throw her through the open window. She coughed as her body was slammed against the wall of bathhouse. She fell roughly onto the grass.
After she could regain her strength, she stood up, tightened her grip on the handle. Once again, their weapons met. She wouldn't lose a chance anymore; she pulled her silver kunai out and slashed her foe's arm. He stepped aside, holding his wounded arm.
He regained his balance quickly and pointed his katana to Sakura's neck, he thrust powerfully which might can cut her neck. Sakura lost her power, some of her bones might be cracked at the moment she hit the wall, she wanted to give up from the fight and was going to shut her eyes, but she opened her eyes widen instead of closing it. She lifted her arm and blocked the katana with her kunai. The power of his thrust made her fell, dropping her odachi.
He tilted his head slightly. Sakura used her arms to sustain her weight; she stared into the holes of the mask, "He always teaches me, not to give up from a fight."
She gripped her odachi once again and stood up, "And I won't let him down."
A katana was put close to her neck, she smiled, "Even death only an inch from me…"
Suddenly two forms appeared, one was behind the attacker, putting a kunai near his neck while the other one was beside Sakura, holding the katana with his gloved hand. Sakura watched her younger-master before rolled her eyes to the form beside her, he was wearing ANBU uniform as well plus mask.
An evil chuckle was heard from the attacker. He pulled a kunai and made Sasuke's kunai move away from his neck. He pulled his katana, causing blood dripped from the gloved hand. He jumped over the wall and disappeared. The figure beside Sakura leaped onto the wall, following him.
"Sakura…!" Azumi ran towards her and hugged her. She cupped her cheeks with both hands and examined her, "Are you fine? No pain?"
Sakura smiled before finally she coughed. The impact when she hit the wall was still there. Azumi and Sasuke led her into the house.
--
Itachi chased the attacker until they arrived in the forest. Itachi tackled the attacker and tried to take off his mask, but the attacker twisted Itachi arm and threw him upwards. He unsheathed his katana and waited for Itachi.
Itachi unsheathed his own katana, he stomped a branch and lunged at him. He landed in front of the attacker, he didn't want to waste time, he kicked the mask, revealing a familiar face for him. He froze.
"No…" said Itachi, his grip on his katana loosened but it was still in his grip. Three shurikens were thrown to him, he blocked them easily, he jumped forwards and grabbed his ANBU vest, "I have always hoped it wasn't you… But why…Why Shisui!"
Shisui merely slapped his hand and stared at Itachi with his sharingan, "What? The Uchiha Elders already know… that your slave isn't normal slave… And now… I will tell them, that she possesses sharingan…"
"You won't tell them!" Itachi swung his katana forcefully, but only was blocked by Shisui's katana. Shisui pulled his wrist and slammed him onto the ground; he straddled him and used his feet to make Itachi's hand stay on the ground. His katana was pointed to his face.
"Itachi…You've let your emotion controls you… It makes you weak…"
Shisui bent down and whispered, "Before I kill you…I'll tell you… Uchiha clan is planning something big…"
Shisui was going to thrust his neck when Itachi called his name. Suddenly, headache attacked him. He rolled aside, he threw his katana away, he fell on his knees. A faint scream escaped from his mouth. Itachi rose from his previous position and stood beside him.
The older Uchiha stretched his arm and pulled Itachi's vest, he spoke quickly, "Itachi, you have to kill me…" his eyes were burnt by fear. Sweat had flowed much though the weather didn't so hot. Itachi stuttered, "W-what?"
Shisui quickened his words, "The Uchiha Elders are planning to attack Konoha with Orochimaru's help! They are waiting for Orochimaru's last experiment to be done before they launch the attack. I… My body has been controlled since 15 years ago. You have to kill me before I kill anyone again!"
Itachi stared into his eyes, no lie was filled in his eyes, but he couldn't just kill him. He had been his best friend and his brother since very long time.
"Itachi… I know you love this village, don't you? You must tell Hokage-sama about this. You must prevent this cruel plan. Itachi… You must protect her… from that snake bastard…"
Shisui drew a kunai and handed it to the younger Uchiha. Itachi dropped his katana, but he didn't approve the kunai. Shisui forced the kunai to be grabbed by Itachi.
"I… I can't kill you…" For once in his life, Itachi can't kill someone by order.
Shisui knew that Itachi wouldn't kill him. But he had to make his effort doesn't become uselessness. His eyes turned darkened.
He hissed, "Itachi… Do you want…? Sakura… to be raped by your own brother?" an evil smirk appeared on his tired face.
Itachi gritted his teeth, unconsciously; the kunai had been thrust into his brother's heart. Blood covered their faces and their clothes. A warm smile decorated the older Uchiha, his last smile. His form lay lifelessly on the forest ground.
Itachi stared in disbelief, he had killed him. He knelt beside him, screaming his name. He called for him many times as if he would answer him. Tears mixed with blood covering his face.
Minutes passed like hours, he felt like he had cried for very long time. He brushed the tears and blood from his face with his sleeve. He dragged the body to the river nearby. He took the necklace from Shisui's neck, and wore it. He made a suicide note by copying Shisui's handwriting before pushed his body into the calm flowing river.
He stood up and looked at the drifting body with his new eyes. Mangekyou sharingan
--
Itachi went into the Hokage office. As he took his mask, Tsunade could see there were tears and blood mark, emptiness filled his eyes. She waited patiently until he ended his report. She closed her eyes after she heard the fact about the Uchiha. Shizune walked in, bringing an old scroll by Tsunade's order, she walked out after then.
An Uchiha fan was on it. Tsunade stared straightly to Itachi.
"You may not want to see this." She released the thin string which tied the scroll carefully, "I never open this scroll. I found this scroll, with a very old letter, made by my grandfather, Shodaime Hokage. The letter said, 'Open this scroll in case, Uchiha Clan is trying to attack, and truce is far beyond your reach.' Do you think we need to open it now?"
Itachi remained silent; it seemed that his voice had been stolen, though his eyes said that they had no choice. Tsunade unrolled the scroll; she spread the scroll on her desk, motioning Itachi to come closer.
I'm afraid if someday someone will follow Uchiha Madara's path. I've chosen my brother to become Nidaime Hokage and Sarutobi as Sandaime Hokage. Once I leave this world, the story about Uchiha Madara may be disappeared from Shinobi World. But in case, someone follows his path and truce is far beyond, I, together with my brother and Sarutobi have made a big decision.
Uchiha clan must be erased. Someone must be sent to erase that clan.
But only person from the same clan can carry out the massacre.
Tsunade's fingers were trembling, she reread the scroll, she couldn't believe what she just read. She averted her eyes to the man in front of her desk. Itachi didn't seem want to believe it as well. Especially, the last line of the letter…
Only person from the same clan can carry out the massacre.
It meant, an Uchiha, a sharingan user. Tsunade threw the scroll off her desk. She buried her face in her hands. She cursed herself, "We shouldn't have opened that scroll…"
"Hokage-sama, I'm ready for it…"
Tsunade lifted her face, she stared at him confusedly. His eyes traveled to the scroll which was just thrown. She banged her desk, causing towers of papers scattered everywhere. She stood and pointed the scroll, "That stupid scroll? You want to follow that stupid scroll said?"
A firm nod from Itachi had answered everything.
She fell on her chair; she rotated to the window behind her, "It says when truce cannot be happened. I'll do my best…But if…"
Itachi had already at the door, his hand gripped the handle, "If you fail, you know whom you need to carry out that mission." He walked out and shut the door.
As the door shut, the door to his emotion was shut tightly as well. His destiny had been set. From now on, he couldn't ever show any more smile. He couldn't become the old Itachi.
--
--
--
--
"Five months…" said Sakura to her mind
She scratched the calendar with her kunai. Five months were far longer than a month. She had endured a month without him, but five months were worse. She had stopped caring her hair, she had cut it short. She had had her freedom for some hours. She spent that time with her odachi.
She had known how to control 'chakra'. She found it out two months ago after the second attack. She read random medical book and it explained about chakra. She sneaked into the library and read some books there, then she pulled a conclusion that the green thing inside her flesh was chakra. If she concentrated chakra to her eyes, she could activate what they called sharingan.
Sakura opened the window of her bedroom; she could see snow covering everything. She went into the kitchen and prepared breakfast for her masters. As they walked into the dining room, she greeted them like she had always done.
She bowed, "Good morning, Itachi-sama, Sasuke-sama…"
She closed her eyes, waiting for an answer from any of them. But the one whom she wanted to get an answer from didn't give her any. She didn't know if she could endure any longer.
--
Itachi was called to the Hokage office. He had stood there for minutes while Tsunade just sat on her chair, looking through the window. She rotated her chair at last, facing the young ANBU captain. Still, no emotion in his gaze…
"Today… I'll meet them to confer it…"
Another minute passed without answer…
"If I succeed, everything will be fine... Otherwise, you know what to do…"
She gritted her teeth, as Itachi didn't answer her. His face didn't change even just a little. She stomped the floor, "Dammit Itachi! What have happened to you?!"
He merely answered, "Nothing."
"YOU'RE GOING TO MURDER THE CLAN MEMBERS AND YOU STILL DON'T FEEL ANYTHING!!"
Itachi raised his hand to calm the Hokage and spoke, "Tsunade-hime, are you a shinobi?"
She froze. No one had ever called her –hime since very long time and his question, was the way too confusing.
He continued, "Do you ever feel lost, Tsunade-hime? I believe you do… everyone do… A shinobi must not show their emotion in every mission or in their life, because emotion makes a shinobi weak, even if they have to kill their own relatives."
She felt like a knife had stabbed her heart, his words reminded her of Dan and her little brother. He was right. Lost had made people give up their lives, but lost could make people stronger as well.
She shut her eyes, "Three o'clock." She stated, "Meet me in front of the Hokage statues. Until then, spend your time…"
He didn't give an answer. He spun and walked to the door. Before he could shut it, Tsunade shouted again, "After this over, can you open the door to your emotion again, Itachi?"
"The old Itachi is dead…" He shut the door.
--
Itachi watched the houses under the hill from his position. He sat on the snow, resting an arm on his bent knee. His breath made a poof of white steam. He felt cold, but he resisted admitting it. He might not be able to see those houses again after that night. It might be the last time he sat on that hill. His face had turned paler everyday, he didn't know why. Was it because he lack smile?
Drown deep within the ocean of his thought, he didn't feel someone presence behind him until she wrapped a black thick coat around his shoulders. He looked back immediately, only finding green eyed girl. He merely turned his head back to the houses and pretended he didn't care.
Sakura smiled weakly, she pulled her own coat tighten. She sat neatly beside him; she rolled her eyes slightly, looking at the man who had his head taller than hers though in sitting position.
"This place…" she started, "…was my starting point where I had my first real fight." She raised a hand and looked at it with her pale eyes, "I drew the kunai… I felt blood covered my hands…I felt snakes around my wrists…"
She lay her arms on her lap, "Once I thought death would take me, Shisui-sama came to my aid…" as she said 'Shisui' word, she saw his lips twitched even just a millimeter. She parted her lips again, "It was really a bad news… Shisui-sama committed suicide… I have never expected someone like him would do such—…" she didn't continue her sentence… she couldn't…
She raised her arm and pointed at the mountain, "There; I watched fireworks for the first time of my life… unfortunately, I couldn't watch for a long time…" he looked like doesn't listen to her but she didn't stop, "I wore that white kimono you gave me, for the first time of my life… and I called you with –kun instead of –sama, for the first time of my life as well…"
She giggled, "At my fifteenth birthday, I had known… My life after then wouldn't be the same anymore… But I didn't expect this much…"
She lowered her head, "Sasuke-sama has changed… I have gotten clothes other than black kimono… I got weapon… I knew about my father… I watched fireworks… I fought… I broke rules…" she shut her eyes, "Everything makes my life more colorful… But, lately I lost something which made my life turn back into black and white world…"
Her eyelids slid open slowly, she stared at him though he still watched the houses, "I lost your smile… Itachi-sama…"
He stood suddenly and disappeared, leaving the coat and Sakura. She gripped the coat which he just left and smelled his scent from it. His scent was always the same, the scent of a gentleman. But there were some times, his scent wasn't the same. They were times when he arrived back from mission, his scent always mixed with blood. She never liked blood.
She straightened her legs and stood up, she walked leaving the hill. She sighed in relief as she realized that that day his scent didn't mingle with blood. What she didn't realize was the man she was thinking; was watching her from a tree branch. He waited until she was out of the sight before parted his lips a little, "Why are you here?"
A woman with turquoise eyes smirked, she landed on a tree branch nearby, "Worthy news pulled me here…"
His eyes flickered, "The Uchiha will be erased tonight, unless they cancel it."
"Will you erase her too?" Itachi didn't react.
"He will continue his experiment though the Uchiha Elders cancel their deal. He will get her by his cunning trick." She continued
"I don't care." he answered before he leaped and disappeared.
She sighed. She disappeared into thin air a moment after.
--
Itachi landed on the roof, he saw the hokage was watching the village from above.
"I'm so sorry…"
He stood on one knee and bowed, "I am Uchiha Itachi, is ready for the mission, Hokage-sama…"
She whirled around and walked closer to him, "I assign you for an S-class mission. You must erase the Uchiha Clan and leave this village afterwards. Do you have any last request…?"
--
"Where have you been!" scolded Kunio
Sakura covered her ears with her hands immediately, "Please listen to me first…!" she said, half smiling.
"I don't want to listen to anything!" the older woman pulled her along the corridor. Sakura begged again when his coat dropped, "Kunio-san, please! Please! Stop!"
Kunio stopped her steps and picked the coat, she gave the younger woman a warm smile, "Itachi-sama's?" Sakura nodded, blushing. She took the coat as Kunio gave it to her, "Thank you…"
--
He nodded, "Sasuke."
Her eyebrows met, "Sasuke?" he nodded once again. She inhaled deeply before answered, "Is that all? Anyone else?"
--
"Sakura, I've got bad feeling…" said Kunio.
"What is it, Kunio-san?" she hung the coat on her arm. Kunio shook her head slowly, "I don't know… I just feel… something is missing tonight…"
Sakura smiled, she hugged her gently, "Hope it is just bad feeling, not reality…"
--
He paused before answered her question firmly, "No."
To Be Continued...