Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in it.

XI.

Jakushi took a breath sharply and opened eyes. The first sound she heard was a well-known monotonous beeping. Then was the antiseptic smell that she could distinguish quite clearly. The picture was full, she was at the hospital. Crap.

"She's awake!"

"Goodness... Jakushi."

She managed to clarify the voices of Takumi and Kioshi before focusing her eyes on them.

"How could you..." There was terror in Takumi's eyes. "How could you do this to us?"

"Takumi, be quiet." Kioshi struck him an accusatory glance. "Let her rest."

"What..." Jakushi frowned. She hadn't even the strength to end a sentence. "What happened?"

"Yesterday someone called your father. He was here, actually, until an hour. We found out this morning and came instantly. Hoping that you'll be able to tell us."

"Not until they told us you might be asleep for more than a day with that impact you've taken upon yourself. Then we kind of... lost our composure."

"I..." Jakushi was as confused as them.

She was alive. Did she succeed with the chakra? Anyhow, she had to take the consequences of her action and give an explanation. It surprised her that something else, in fact, worried her more. Her mind was seeking the answer to a completely different question. Was he alright?

"We asked the staff." Kioshi started, slowing down with every word. "Sakura said Itachi brought you here. You were unconscious."

Jakushi raised her eyes to him.

"Brought me?"

"Yes. Apparently, they suspected him of doing you harm and took him in charge again. What a surprise." Takumi growled. "Now you only need to tell me what he did to you."

"Nothing. It's my fault." Jakushi said in strangled voice.

"I've been told his chakra is back to normal." Kioshi gave her a meaning look. "What exactly happened yesterday?"

"Kioshi, go to Tsunade and tell her it's... my fault. For all of this." Jakushi stopped to take a breath. "I restored... his chakra. Tell her also that... I'll take the punishment but first... she has to free Itachi."

Kioshi and Takumi glanced at each other in astonishment.

"Are you truly responsible for that?" Takumi asked quietly. "I thought it's-

"That's... the truth." She looked at him, then at his brother. "Please, do as I asked."

"Of course. I'll do it." Kioshi nodded. "We'll see each other in a few days when you're out of here. Glad you woke up, Jakushi."

He walked away, leaving his brother in his silent observation of her dull-colored blanket.

"Takumi..." Jakushi's heart sunk within her as she saw Takumi's expression. She knew right away the damage she'd done.

"You don't need to say anything." He smiled. "I respect your choice."

He turned his back on her, making a pace forward but something stopped him.

"I just... want you to appreciate the years in which we got our backs when he dumps you for something of greater importance to him. I'll be waiting for the moment when he betrays you for it. As it has always been and will be... you can count on me."

"I'm sorry..." Jakushi barely whispered but he was already far.

Jakushi slept for the most part of the day, through the night and woke up with her strength not till the afternoon of the next day. The medics, responsible for her agreed to discharge her from the hospital because she convinced them that laying one more day in that bed would be a downright torture, despite she still felt drained and weak.

She finally put her clothes on and took her things on the way out. She wondered what kind of a punishment awaited her. Tsunade wasn't one to take disobedience lightly. On the other side, guilt burned her from the inside. She managed to hurt immensely Takumi, one of her closest and felt so bad about it.

Jakushi nodded to a familiar face from the staff as she walked towards the exit, one of her colleagues.

It was like waking up in the morning after a party and realizing how meaningless it was. It always hits you, the moment when the question What have I done? fills your head along with a headache.

Jakushi left the building with a sigh of relief. At last, she got out of the place. The atmosphere in there was dreadful. It was when you're the medic but it only worsens if you're a patient.

Why did she violate an order for a criminal, again?

It wasn't just stupid and irrational decision, it was the most stupid and irrational decision she had ever made. She couldn't even remember the reason for all of-

Her building trail of thoughts ceased with a sudden touch. A determined force dragged her by the hand to the closest alley from the side of the hospital and she didn't think of objecting, still too weak.

"Itachi?" She had absolutely no idea what has gotten into him until he released and kissed her, hands around her waist.

The reason for all of her nonsense behavior returned like a hit by a train.

The first thing she never wanted to lose again was the warmth that enveloped her. Not intrusive in any way, no. It was the warmth of affection beyond the power of spoken words.

Then that tinge of a lost control. She could definitely hold out against such a torment long, she knew she could because it wasn't that indispensable for her. But Itachi gave the impression of someone who seriously needed to be that close. He must've lost his patience somewhere along the way.

Her lips curved in a bare smile as they breathed from one another as if there was no other source of oxygen. His nearly ravenous gesture shifted her easily and her back met the cold wall behind. She had no sense of time, nor she needed one until he pulled away from her shortly after.

Both breathed heavily, the only difference was that he looked angrier than she had ever witnessed him to be and she was overly surprised. And red in the face, for sure, she felt unusually warm.

"Is it so hard for you to just say you like me and save yourself the performance of a complicated technique that could take away your life?"

Jakushi averted her eyes for a second, still blushed and after a brief but thorough consideration, she turned them back on him.

"Yes."

"That's stupid." Itachi sighed.

"How about one Thank you?" Jakushi furrowed. "Do you think it's been a great pleasure to lose conscience over some kind of a-"

"Apparently I've proven myself worthy to you." He reminded, cutting off her sentence.

"Hope my little sacrifice isn't in vain... Uchiha." She still furrowed, despite knowing deep inside that she was the only one to blame for her decision.

"I'll try not to disappoint." Itachi finally stepped back. "Seems a frighteningly hard task, after I met your standards."

"You should feel flattered." Jakushi came off the wall but the weakness and combined with the cold again, throwing her in a wave of regret she couldn't keep the recently felt warmth for longer.

"And you privileged. " He took off his overcoat and wrapped her with it while she stood still with a cross expression.

"Everyone would've done that." Jakushi raised a brow, pointing out his unoriginality.

"I'm not something special." He replied indifferently, his face a calm mask again.

"Where are my privileges then?"

He looked down to her thin, shaking hands and gathered them in his in order to stop the shaking.

"No one has ever sacrificed for me until..." He paused as if realizing it at the very moment. "I'm obliged to you."

Jakushi took a breath slowly, distracted by the odd feeling of having her hands into his. His words saddened her, matter-of-fact. That disarming intonation again. However mad she felt, he just broke down everything and left only compassion.

"Don't feel that way. You're not obliged to me. I did what I had to."

"That's not completely true."

"Alright... " Jakushi agreed reluctantly. "I wanted to do it. Because..."

She tried to find words but couldn't.

"Because you'd think I'm obliged to you for saving me when we met in the forest," Jakushi spoke quickly, in an attempt to defend her honor. "And I don't want to be obliged to you. We're even now."

For her great surprise, he smiled.

"Did I say something funny?" Jakushi asked with exasperation.

"No." Itachi finally raised his eyes to hers, full of amusement. "Our relationship very much resembles a political argument. Whatever I do, you just want us to wage war."

"I don't want war. I am just underlining our mutual status of equality."

"I understand." Itachi nodded, but the apparent irony only angered her more.

"You never will." She snapped.

"Let's part ways then. I saved you, you sacrificed yourself for me. No one is obliged to the other." Itachi reached the conclusion and let go of her hands.

Jakushi remained silent.

"It was nice to meet you." He announced and without any trace of emotion, walked down the street.

Jakushi was still not sure what she felt. She hated being underestimated and it was impossible to not feel this way. He was so... much more than her. In everything she thought of. She envied his intelligence, strength, valor. The way nobility came to him so naturally, that one felt insignificant in his presence. And the way he touched, as if there wasn't fire in his veins. She never wanted to see him again yet she missed him already. She had to get close one more time. He was so wrecked that she couldn't help it.

Jakushi's eyes fixed back on him, walking with hands in his pockets, probably because it was cold. A woman, with a small kid walking next to her made an awkward wide arc-like movement when she passed by Itachi, surrounding him at a safe distance. Then glanced back at him, tightly holding her child's hand. Her steps became faster, despite the fact that the child beside her couldn't keep up.

They passed by Jakushi too but by the time her eyes weren't following them anymore. In fact, she headed straight to the lone figure at the end of the street right away.

"Itachi!" She called, once she was close enough for him to hear.

He stopped and looked back at her sincerely confused by the sharp change of her moods.

"Are you going home?" Jakushi asked as if nothing happened minutes ago.

"Well..." He slowed down with the answer, uncertain if there wasn't some kind of a catch in her question after all. "Yes."

Jakushi sighed and neared him slowly.

"Do you want us to visit Amaguirama before we head home? I'd love a cup of tea."

Itachi was at a loss for words.

"Are you..." He started hesitatingly. "... well enough to walk?"

"I'm fine. Let's go." She was about to lead ahead but felt a bit dizzy.

And her head still hurt. She looked at him, still watching her in wonder. He must've felt her need of support, offering a hand right away without her even speaking. He was incredibly keen, she had to admit it as she accepted the help of his arm before they slowly trailed off together.

"Jakushi, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"As far as I know, you're not quick to change your mind." Itachi noticed, glancing at her.

"That's right." She kept looking forward.

Her laconic reply was cool enough to make him give up on asking further. Being thoughtful enough, she didn't want to discuss the matter either.

"I waited for days," Itachi admit, changing the subject. "I had no idea what you're thinking."

"Well, now you know." Jakushi murmured. " I am a bit surprised myself."

"Yeah, after you almost killed yourself." He cast a single glance at her and after the brief pause, added, "We're hopeless."

"Right."

Her heart was transfixed by the scene that was enacted in front of her eyes. That woman... she surrounded him as if he was leprous. Explainable. He was a danger and the people were scared.

But he paid her no mind. Didn't notice. What did it speak for him that he saw it as a normal reaction and it had no impact on him whatsoever? Jakushi couldn't remain indifferent, although she promised herself to be. Everyone else was and she usually found herself on the other side. Against the current. She didn't make an exception, it was just because she was like that.

Jakushi tightened her hair in a bun, flung her coat over her shoulder carelessly and hastened to the door but crossing the room she felt the urge to stop for a moment. Her eyes turned to the looking-glass across, on the wall, and observed the figure that was reflected in there.

Interesting. There was something that crawled in her mind, an intrusive thought that she wasn't enough. Not that she hadn't felt it before, just the current image seemed most vivid. Perhaps the fact that she was coeval with one of the greatest shinobi ever born made things a bit more complicated.

Somehow she had always wanted to be ordinary, to have a life where nothing happens and to live in peace, to sell paintings, to be an artist. Just something small and unnoticeable. Something that didn't require massive responsibility, strength, courage or extreme devotion.

It was just sometimes when her inspiration incited her to play the hero everyone needed. Playing hero was exciting. Perhaps the life of a soldier wasn't something that people chose by themselves, just because they liked it. But she often felt as if she was born for it.

Her mind worked strategically, her heart pulled her toward danger. She felt useful and satisfied with helping others. To take the blows upon herself instead of watching from aside and cry for help.

There was this small problem, though. It wasn't what she really was, a hero. Not really. All these things she did, she did them because she used to like it. Way too much. That was when she was a kid, infected with the usual teen dreams.

Now, it seemed she had been deceiving herself all this time. Being a shinobi was hard. So hard that it nearly tore her apart. She, as many others, never thought she'd face death and destruction of that scale. It was ugly and inhuman.

Life transformed into a battle for survival, although it was all over for more than a year. She saw it in all of her friends' eyes, the struggle to indulge in something, distract yourself with something so that the pain doesn't reach you.

That was all she saw in the reflection. Not a hero but a survivor. An upright figure, fully accoutered. The doubt kept corroding her day by day. Whatever was hiding behind this attire, she was yet to discover. And whatever she knew of herself by now was not enough. Not in the least.

Jakushi furrowed and hastened to get out. What good did thinking about this all over again? As if she didn't think it through the whole night.

They barely talked yesterday but she could've sworn they were the weirdest combination of people the world had ever seen. They spend most of the time in silence and however strange that was, it felt nice. She never thought someone's silence could be that healing to her wholesome exhaustion and troubled mind.

As a whole, she had no idea where that thing was going. No one left the person who had saved their life just like that. Especially if they do something insanely dangerous for them too. It was too complicated of a companionship for her to figure it out completely for now.

Itachi's presence was positively the most calming presence she felt in her whole life. That was one hell of a problem. Why the hell would someone feel safe in the presence of one of the world's most dangerous criminals? The million-ryō question that triggered her thoughts, leaving her with no sleep.

She left the house quietly and headed to the forest. A few days without a mission and it started to become monotonous. So she decided to go and train a bit her concentration. The Shadow Technique became terribly complicated and hard if it wasn't trained periodically.

Jakushi walked up to her favorite place - the small meadow she loved visiting. Events rushed so much lately and she needed a place to think in peace. And the day was promising, despite the low temperatures. The sun was already peering through the branches of the trees.

It didn't take her much time to reach the meadow and sit on the grass. Perhaps it was a bit moist but it didn't bother her.

She exhaled slowly. That exact spot in the forest always helped her to concentrate. Her eyes closed and her palms rested on the katana, laying on her knees. The hard part was to keep the attention on her physical body while most of her conscience focused inwards on gathering her spiritual energy, needed to create forms. It was like trying to sculpt air at first but it gradually altered into something that felt close to a matter. She sunk even deeper and tried to-

The unusual hissing sound activated her thought to raise a defense shield around herself at lightning speed. The shield materialized just in time to take the blows. Jakushi was in a fighting position immediately, waiting. Her heart rate increased dramatically. An unexpected attack. She hated unexpected attacks.

A/N: Thanks for reading, guys! Love you. Hope you like it!