A/N: I said this chapter wouldn't be out for two weeks, but somehow I managed to bang this out in less than three days. And it's all thanks to your reviews! They seriously helped pushed me forward so thank you to everyone who left me a comment! Much appreciated!

- - - Chapter Eleven - - -

A loud, consistent pounding woke Itachi abruptly out of his sleep. Confused he listened as he attempted to determine where the noise was coming from and realized with a quick start that it was echoing from his front door. It was the type of knocking that demanded immediate and urgent attention and quickly he blinked himself awake as he slid a glance at the clock. A deep frown settled upon his face when he found he had only retired a few hours before, but he knew whatever it was it had to be important. There were very few people who knew the code to the gate at the bottom on his driveway. Whoever this was, they were not here on a social call.

With a burst of adrenaline, Itachi threw the covers off and pulled on the pair of sweats he had left on the foot of his bed before he grabbed his t-shirt from yesterday and rushed downstairs. As he descended the stairs, he pulled his shirt on over his head before he swept his hair back into a ponytail, making himself barely presentable just as he reached the front door. Smoothly he slid the deadbolt out of place and yanked the door open only to find himself face-to-face with a very impatient and very serious-looking Kisame.

The older male was dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue zip-up jacket, looking like he had just climbed out of bed himself. That fact had Itachi frowning. There were very few things that would rouse his Assistant Chief out in the middle of the night. "What happened?" Itachi asked gravely.

Kisame frowned, his mood uncommonly somber. "We don't have all the details yet. The only thing I know for certain at the moment is there is one officer dead, another in critical condition and a hand-full of others in the hospital," he explained. "There was an explosion in downtown, but I'll give you the details on the way. You need to get dressed and come with me."

The news troubled Itachi and his heart began to pump a little harder as his chest tightened at the news of an officer killed. It was never a good thing to hear, no matter who the officer was. However, there was still an unusual grimace to Kisame's face that made him pause. There was something else he wasn't saying.

Sensing his impending question, Kisame quickly continued, "I was informed that one of the officers on the way to the hospital is your brother. Go get dressed and I'll drive you."

That information made Itachi freeze momentarily, but the firm order in Kisame's voice had him moving again and he turned, leaving the front door open for the older male. Taking the stairs two at a time, Itachi striped off his old shirt and sweats quickly and replaced them with a pair of jeans and a hoodie. He didn't have time for formal attire and even so, his graveyard officers were used to seeing him in casual clothes, knowing that when he did make an appearance on their shift, it was only because a matter was so pressing it could not wait for his attention until the morning.

After grabbing his necessary effects from his dresser, including his badge and gun, Itachi once again rushed downstairs. He found Kisame still in the entryway with his phone out as he texted quickly on the device. At the sound of Itachi's approach, he glanced up before exited the house, leaving the door open behind him. Quickly Itachi stepped into a pair of athletic shoes before he followed after him, locking the door in his wake. He half-jogged to Kisame's black SUV and the moment he closed the passenger door, his second-in-command put the car in drive and sped off down the driveway.

Once they were on the main road, Itachi turned to him expectantly. "Who was killed?"

Kisame frowned and shook his head. "I'm not sure. I wasn't given that information yet."

Itachi cocked a brow. Kisame had been informed that Sasuke was headed to the hospital, but not who was killed? It sounded like whoever had briefed him did not have their priorities straight. However, he chose not to comment on it. These situations could get very messy very fast. "Do we know which officer is in surgery?"

Again, Kisame shook his head. "No.

Itachi pursed his lips in annoyance and flashed the older male a look. "What do we know?"

Kisame slid a glance at him before he returned his attention to the road. "I received a call from Gai twenty minutes ago, informing me that an explosion had occurred on the north side of downtown. He said Fire is on scene to control the blaze and that the gas company is there as well to ensure none of the other buildings are in danger." He hesitated briefly. "However, there was one officer pronounced dead on scene and another was rushed into emergency surgery. However, he didn't know who. Hatake got them in an ambulance before he arrived. He did say that Uzumaki, your brother, and two other officers are on the way to the hospital with a few injuries though."

Itachi nodded, silently taking in the information, before he glanced at his phone for the first time. His permanent frown deepened when he saw he had multiple missed calls from various people. A few were from Kisame, another from Gai - the morning Shift Commander whom he assumed had been called in by Kakashi - and a handful of unsaved numbers. Only Gai had left him a voice mail, informing him of everything Kisame had just relayed to him. How the hell had he slept through so many calls?

It was the lack of concrete information that made him restless, especially regarding the fact that Sasuke was involved. Kisame had limited knowledge of his brother's condition and until he saw Sasuke himself, Itachi knew he would remain deeply concerned and undoubtedly distracted. It briefly crossed his mind that he had never been in this position before where his brother had been in such a serious situation that he had been forced to the hospital and Itachi was finding very quickly that he did not enjoy it. At all.

"I'm going to drop you off at the hospital," Kisame said, disturbing the tense silence that had fallen inside the car. "Check on your brother and get statements from the other officers there. See if you can figure out what the hell happened tonight." He accelerated through the city as he took the fastest route to the city hospital. "I'm going to go to the scene and see if our detectives have managed to gather any more information."

For a long moment, Itachi watched the older male. Normally their roles would be reversed. Itachi was commonly the one that would go to the scene to get a briefing from the Shift Commander while Kisame would gather information from a secondary scene, if there was one. The fact that they were trading roles was not lost on him and he was acutely aware that it was because his second-in-command wanted to give him the opportunity to check on his brother himself. A rush of gratitude towards Kisame flooded him, but rather than thank him, he merely nodded. Kisame would never acknowledge the favor anyway. Itachi had worked with him long enough to know that for certain.

Adrenaline began to pulse through his veins once more as they reached the emergency doors of the hospital. There were already half a dozen squad cars outside as officer spoke with hospital staff and each other. A few heads turned upon their approach, some recognizing the nondescript SUV as the Assistant Chief's, but Itachi returned his attention to Kisame as he finally pulled to a halt. "Call me when you know anything further," he said.

Kisame nodded once before Itachi climbed out of the car and quickly entered the emergency room.

As soon as he passed through the threshold, chaos slammed into him like he had walked into a brick wall of sound and movement. It was barely two in the morning and yet the entire room was filled with police officers, many of which were standing in tight circles together as they spoke, all donning tense expressions. A few heads turned in his direction, but his dark eyes were fiercely scanning the crowd for one specific officer. His eyes instead landed on a mop of familiar blond hair and he knew that where Naruto was, Sasuke would not be far away.

With tunneled vision, Itachi forced his way through the mass of bodies to where Naruto was sitting on a stretcher, the large, reflective POLICE across his back making him stand out less than one would think with so many other officers in the room. As he reached him, the blond glanced up and the look of absolute distress on his face made Itachi pull up short as his chest seize. His face was covered in dirt and a bit of blood, and there was a deep gash on his cheekbone below his eye that had already been cleaned and stitched, but there was no mistaking the utter anguish in his expression.

"Where is Sasuke?" Itachi demanded. His voice came out harshly in his desperate need for news on his brother and with Naruto's expression, his mind automatically assumed the worst.

However, before Naruto could speak, an even more familiar voice reached his ears: "I want an update now!"

Itachi turned sharply, his eyes landing on Sasuke's familiar form. Even from his distance, he could see the look of tension on his normally cool face and Itachi rushed over to him without another word to the blond officer, calling his name as he hurried to his brother's side.

Sasuke turned to him at his approach and heavy relief flooded Itachi when he saw that other than a deep gash across his brow line, he looked otherwise uninjured. His uniform was dirty and torn in places and there were scrapes to his hands, but there was nothing that looked life-threatening. The painful twist in his gut he hadn't realized was there loosened before disappearing completely.

"Itachi," he called. "Listen, you need to go to the desk and demand to speak with a surgeon-."

"Sir, I need you to lie down," a doctor interrupted. She looked about Sasuke's age, but there was a deep scowl across her face and her voice had been hard and impatient. Itachi was fairly certain she had been attempting to look at Sasuke's injury for awhile now.

Sasuke didn't even glance in her direction. "I've been trying to get an update, but no one here seems to know anything-."

"Sir!" the doctor demanded again.

Itachi flashed a glance in her direction to see she was beyond annoyed at this point. However, Sasuke was staring at him intently and he knew that whatever was upsetting him was serious. Calmly he held out a hand to the doctor to momentarily quiet her. "Sasuke, you need to lay down. The doctors are trying to help you-."

"I don't want any fucking help!" Sasuke snapped. "I want an update on Sakura!"

His sharp bark froze Itachi in place. There were two very wrong facts about his statement that made the uncomfortable twist in his gut return full force and his heart begin to pound against his ribs. The first was that Sasuke had cursed at him - something he hadn't done since Itachi had been in high school; the second, and much more pressing matter, was that Sasuke had just unintentionally informed him that whatever had happened tonight had involved Sakura. Something that should not have been possible.

Slowly Itachi held out his hands in a non-verbal gesture for Sasuke to take a breath and slow down. "What do you mean you need an update on Sakura?"

Sasuke ran a hand down his bloody face in agitation. "Sakura is in surgery. I've been trying to get an update, but no one in this damn place seems to know anything!"

He snapped the end of his sentence towards the female doctor, but she merely pursed her lips and stared at Sasuke impatiently. However, Itachi wasn't watching their exchange. His mind was already spinning as he attempted to process what Sasuke had just told him.

For the first time, Itachi struggled to wrap his head around how these events could have taken place. Genma had informed him that afternoon that Sakura had been removed from his murder case for personal reasons and though he had been vague, Itachi had understood immediately upon reading the autopsy report. Department policy was clear. Sakura should have been at home. She should not have been involved in this incident. It only made the question of what had happened that night burn brighter in his mind.

"What was she doing out there?" Itachi asked stiffly.

Sasuke merely shook his head. "I don't know. Naruto and I were the first to arrive on scene. Dispatch said that there was an officer down and when we got there, she was stumbling out of the building with…" he trailed off as his voice wavered with sudden, uncharacteristic emotion. He took a breath before continuing, "With Hyuuga. They were both covered in blood, but Hyuuga…we could see he was gone."

Itachi stilled again at the news of Neji's death. His chest tightened as an image of Hinata filled his mind and with a heavy breath, he rubbed his forehead in a poor attempt to ease his stress before his hand settled over his eyes. He knew she was a gentle soul and would not take the news of her cousin's death well. However, there were other things that needed his immediate attention; he would have to worry about a death notification later.

"Where is his body?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes stressfully.

Sasuke shook his head mournfully. "They brought him to the morgue already."

Taking a deep breath, Itachi lowered his hand once more. The doctor was still waiting next to Sasuke's bed with a scowl that was deepening by the second. "Okay," he finally said. "Sasuke let the doctor look at you and I will let you know as soon as I receive an update."

Immediately Sasuke's expression hardened once more. "But-."

"Now," he ordered. "Or I will have an officer handcuff you to the bed."

His little brother pursed his lips together as a glare settled on his face, but they both knew that Itachi had held true on every promise he had ever made and eventually he lowered himself back down onto the hospital bed. The doctor immediately began her exam, first giving attention to the deep wound on his forehead before shining her light into his eyes to check his pupil response.

"Itachi!"

He turned abruptly at the call of his name, not expecting anyone else present to refer to him by anything other than his title, and for a moment his eyes searched the busy room until his gaze landed on the one person he least expected to see. "Shisui?" The older male was dressed, but his hair was ruffled and his eyes were wide. He waited until his older cousin was beside him to ask, "What are you doing here?"

The anger Shisui had been holding against him for the past few days was currently absent and replaced by an expression so mixed in emotion, Itachi couldn't decipher one from another. "The explosion," he began, his voice high with stress, "it's all over the news. This is all my fault. I should have never let her go! I should have known that she would-."

For the second time, Itachi had to hold out his hand. "Stop," he told the older male. "Slow down. Who is she? Do you mean Sakura?"

"Yes," he confirmed. He ran a ragged hand through his hair as a guilty expression took over his face. "I went to see her after I got your voice mail. She told me she was going to go to the jail to speak to Jiraiya. I should have stopped her; I should have tried harder to make her stay."

Itachi's brow furrowed in confusion as he processed Shisui's words. His cousin knew Sakura was going to the jail, but Kisame had said that the building that had exploded was in the north side of downtown. The city jail was on the southwest side. He didn't understand how Shisui could have known Sakura was involved in any of this.

"Shisui, the incident didn't happen at the jail," Itachi said quietly. "How did you know Sakura is here?"

"I told you it's all over the news," he explained impatiently. "They said the building was Icha Icha Studios."

A long, stress-filled sigh pressed out of Itachi's mouth and he rubbed his forehead again as he thought. He needed to call Kisame, but there were a few details that required his attention first before he updated his second-in-command. With a quick glance about the room, Itachi's eyes landed on the first officer he saw. "Akimichi," he called.

The young officer turned at the call of his name and quickly approached him. "Yes, Chief?" he asked.

"I need you to call and wake up Deputy Chief Shiranui. Tell him he needs to get down here immediately," he ordered.

"Yes, sir!" he nodded before he spun and made his way out of the loud, crowded room.

As soon as he was gone, Itachi turned back to Shisui. The corners of his mouth were pressed downwards and his eyes were full of concern and self-loathing. Itachi wanted to assure him that Sakura would be alright, but he needed to speak to a surgeon on her condition first and he would not give his cousin nor his brother false hope. "I am going to go find a doctor to get news on Sakura's surgery," he informed them.

"Don't bother," Shisui said before he could move. "I already did when I first got here."

The serious look on Shisui's face made Itachi's chest seize again and he unconsciously held his breath as he waited. Next to him, Sasuke shifted and sat up straighter.

"The surgeon said that a bullet went through her hand and another into her shoulder," he murmured. His voice was tight in concern and he rubbed his jaw in irritation. "They were able to stitch the wound in her hand easily, but they're having more difficulty removing the bullet in her shoulder." He shook his head slightly as his brow furrowed. "I wasn't able to understand everything they were saying, but it sounds as if it's lodged behind one of her main arteries. They're not sure if they'll be able to remove it without serious complications and they're concerned about the effects it will have if they leave it in."

Heavy silence met his words. Itachi was staring at Shisui so intensely that he didn't see Sasuke's reaction, if he had one at all. His chest was tight in deeply-seated concern, making it difficult for him to draw in a breath. The concept that Sakura would not survive her surgery settled uncomfortably like a brick in his stomach and for a moment, his mind forcefully entertained him with the thought of what would happen if Sakura was to end this incident in the same condition as Neji.

Naruto and Sasuke would be beside themselves with grief. He wasn't sure his brother nor his boyfriend could function properly without her. They would undoubtedly lock themselves in their apartment for days, possibly weeks, as they attempted to make sense of her death. Shisui himself was close to her as well. His cousin was already suffering PTSD from another incident he refused to speak of and the loss of Sakura would only push him deeper into the darkness plaguing his mind.

It was also well-known that Sakura was well-liked both within the LAPD and the surrounding police departments. He had received emails over the years from various officers, detectives, and even a Chief once, extending their appreciation of her assistance. There would be a long line of mourners should she not recover and Itachi had to force himself to take a deep breath as a hollow ache began to stir in his chest.

He knew he would undoubtedly suffer her loss as well.

It had only been a few short weeks, but his attachment to Sakura had grown remarkably in that time. She was kind and compassionate to a fault, always putting her friends before herself. Itachi knew she cared for his brother and cousin as much as he did, one of the many thing that had drawn him to her in the first place. She was highly intelligent and dedicated, always willing to help out and never saying no to anyone. He found himself unconsciously searching for her familiar pink hair and brilliant green eyes around the department. It hadn't been a lapse in judgment when he kissed her in the elevator. He had known exactly what he was doing and he had intended on kissing her more in the future.

Now, however, he wondered if he had lost that chance. He had planned to have a serious discussion with her soon to let her know in detail his intentions of wanting to know her better, both mentally and emotionally - and eventually physically - but that future seemed to have disappeared and his heart ached in his chest in loss.

"Itachi, this is bad," Shisui continued, breaking him out of his heavy thoughts. "We have to call her mother."

Before Itachi could respond, Sasuke bolted upright in his hospital bed. "Absolutely not!" he snapped.

Next to him, the young doctor sighed in annoyance as she was prevented once again from treating him. "I need you to stop moving, sir," she told Sasuke, her tone clipped with irritation. "I need to get this cut cleaned and take you up to get a CT to make sure you don't have any hemorrhaging or skull fractures."

Sasuke ignored her. "She hates the woman. If she wakes up and finds her mother here, she'll be pissed."

Shisui's expression hardened to glare at him. "Her mother is the best trauma surgeon in the country," he countered. "If anyone has to make medical decisions for Sakura, it should be Tsunade."

"No," Sasuke replied. His voice was firm with his resolve. "Naruto and I are her emergency contact. We will be making those decisions."

"If something happens and the doctors make you decide to take her back into surgery or not, are you going to know what the best decision is? Or if she ends up in a coma, are you going to be able to pull the plug?" Shisui snapped.

Sasuke's sudden silence spoke volumes. The look on his face told Itachi everything and he glanced between the two males before he held out a hand to stop Shisui from tearing into his brother again. "Alright, enough," Itachi said quietly. Their argument was giving him a headache and it wasn't helping Sakura. "Sasuke, you are going to let the doctors take you to get a CT scan. Shisui, call Sakura's mother. Tell her she needs to get on a plane tonight."

The words had barely left him mouth when he heard himself being called again: "Chief!"

"What?" he asked, turning to the newcomer.

It was Kurenai. There was a serious look on her face that had him turning to face her fully. "There is a witness," she informed him. "And you really need to hear her statement."

With a mastered expression, Itachi stood calmly against the wall opposite the bed as he listened to Tayuya, the young woman Kurenai had introduced as their witness, speak in hushed tones. She was a younger girl, possibly only early to mid-twenties, with auburn hair and deep brown eyes that were now red-rimmed and watery. Even in her less than perfect state, she was undoubtedly pretty with a slim figure that Itachi could see even with her hospital gown on, but his eyes were consistently drawn away from her face to the bandages around her wrists as she wiped her eyes periodically.

It took Kurenai a while to settle her down so she could be understood through her tears, but eventually with soft sniffles, Tayuya began to explain her traumatic night. She told them how she had stayed late at Icha Icha Studios that night to fill out some paperwork Jiraiya had needed her to complete before she began working at the company. However when she had made to leave, she had been grabbed by a tall, frightening male she didn't recognize. At Kurenai's request, she described him in as much detail as she could provide, pausing only when Genma silently slipped into the room before continuing with her story. She relayed how her kidnapper had forcefully tied her to the bed and promised her if she didn't struggle, he wouldn't hurt her and would even eventually release her.

"I didn't believe him," she murmured with a soft sniff, "but I didn't know what else to do. After he tied me down, he ripped my shirt off and he…he bit me on my neck. It hurt so badly that I think-I think I screamed. That made him mad. He yelled at me and hit me before he forced a gag into my mouth."

Itachi carefully kept his frown from taking form as Genma drew a few tissues from a box and offered them to her. She accepted them with a teary hiccup, causing her hospital gown shifting with the movement and drawing Itachi's attention to the large square of gauze on her neck. He knew without a doubt it was one of the bites she was referring to, but his attention drew to her face again as he took note of the deep bruise forming below her eye. However, his view was soon obscured as she raised her wad of tissues to wipe her face.

"And then what happened?" Kurenai prodded gently. "Just tell them what you told me."

The pretty woman sniffed again and fixed her brown eyes on the white strips of kleenex in her hands. "He bit me a few more times on my shoulders and stomach, and I think….I think he was going to rape me, but he stopped when we heard a noise somewhere else in the building."

Itachi assumed the noise they heard was Sakura and Neji. He threw a glance in Genma's direction, but the corner of his lips were pulled downwards and there was a deeply troubled expression on his face.

After another wipe of her face, she continued, "He left to go see what it was, but he didn't come back before another man and woman came into the room."

"Can you describe them?" Genma asked quietly.

She nodded. "The man had long, brown hair, but I didn't get a very good look at him. But the woman came up to my bed and told me she was a police officer. She had pink hair and said her name was Sakura or something, I think. I can't quite remember." Her brow furrowed thoughtfully, but eventually it faded as she continued, "She tried to help me, but as she tried to untie me, the man came back - this time with a gun."

Her voice trembled towards the end and the officers remained silent as Kurenai rubbed her back soothingly. Next to him, he felt Genma shift to his other foot and he glanced at him again to see his arms were now crossed and the disturbed expression on his face had deepened.

Itachi's brow furrowed in confusion but before he could understand Genma's thoughts, Tayuya continued, "The woman," she began. "I think she knew him. She called him by name, but I can't remember what it was."

A sinking feeling settled in Itachi's chest and he closed his eyes briefly as he absorbed that bit of information. He knew Sakura was far too close to this case and the fact that she knew Tayuya's kidnapper was not a good sign. Silently he shared a glance with Genma, their faces not betraying their anxiety about what Tayuya might say next, but Itachi could see his own misgivings reflected in Genma's gaze.

"They talked for a little while, but I couldn't keep up with the conversation. They were talking about people I didn't know and I couldn't really hear them, but out of nowhere the man he…he shot the other officer. The woman…she-she tried to help him, but the man pulled her away from him and…and…," she recounted tearfully. Her voice shook with the weight of her story and fresh tears pooled in her eyes. "And then he shot him again and I think he killed him."

Tense silence filled the room as Tayuya lost her voice under the strain of her emotions. Itachi carefully kept his face neutral as a great sense of loss made his chest ache. He spared a glance at Genma only for his heart to jump in his chest as a look of utter horror flashed across his face. With a cold start, Itachi realized that Genma hadn't been briefed and had no knowledge of what had transpired that night. He had been completely in the dark walking into the room.

Itachi opened his mouth to stop the interview, but Genma held up a subtle hand to Itachi and took a wavering breath as he fixed his attention solely on Tayuya. "Would you like to take a break?"

She shook her head. "N-no." They fell into silence again as she collected herself, but when she spoke again, her voice still heavy. Itachi listened intently as she described how Sakura and the unnamed kidnapper struggled before they stopped again. Tayuya's recollection was a little confusing, but Itachi believed it was primarily because she wasn't entirely sure what had happened. However, he could piece together that Sakura and the man had exchanged a few more words before another struggle broke out, this time with gunfire.

Somehow Sakura had survived and the man did not, a fact that gave Itachi some comfort in this very stressful situation. He listened intently as she described how Sakura helped untie her before they realized a bullet had pierced through one of the pipes in the room. From her account, Sakura had given her her personal phone, ordered her out of the building and that was the last time she saw Sakura. After that, Tayuya had called 9-1-1 and waited across the street. She had been a crying mess when the officers on scene found her.

At the conclusion of her story, Itachi turned to Kurenai and nodded at her, silently ordering her to stay with the young woman. He turned to Genma to see his expression was tense. His chest heaved slightly and Itachi knew he needed to find Genma a quiet place to collect himself now. With a polite nod at the young woman, Itachi spoke: "Thank you," he told her. "I know this was difficult for you."

She wiped her red-rimmed eyes. "And that police officer. Did-did she survive?"

Genma glanced at him as Itachi gave her a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. "She did."

Tayuya nodded slowly. "Good."

Itachi murmured a soft farewell to her before he placed a firm hand on Genma's shoulder and steered him out of the room. As soon as they were out of sight of the witness, Genma stumbled and Itachi had to tighten his grip around his shoulders as he walked him to the nearest chair. Genma landed in it heavily as he buried his face in his hands.

He took a shuddering breath. "Oh God, Neji. He's-he's really…?"

Itachi rested a consoling hand on the older male's shoulder as his breath came out in tense gasps. "Unfortunately, yes," Itachi confirmed quietly.

A soft sob escaped Genma and he twisted his fingers into his hair as he wept for his fallen subordinate. Itachi merely watched without judgment as the minutes ticked by, Genma's quiet cries breaking the silence in the hallway as he mourned.

The news of Neji's death wasn't easy on anyone, especially the Deputy Chief who had been his superior for years. The pair had worked on countless cases and as always in these situations, Itachi found that he was unable to say anything. There were no words that could ease Genma's grief. At least not at this moment and so he continued to grasp the older male by the shoulder as it shook, Itachi's way of silently supporting him and keeping him grounded to reality. His choked gasps made Itachi's emotions surge in sympathy and loss, but he held himself in check until the older male began to force even breathes into his lungs as he attempted to collect himself.

He withdrew his grip as Genma finally lowered his hands. His eyes were slightly red from his emotional release and there were wet tracks down his face, but he quickly wiped them away as Itachi silently studied him. A frown settled on his face as he realized that the male looked old for his age. Genma was only five years his senior, but there was a defeated look in his eyes and a deep sadness surrounding him that made him appear aged. Sometimes Itachi could not understand why people chose to do this job. It was exhausting.

"I am so sorry," Itachi said honestly. "I was under the impression you had been informed before entering the room."

Genma merely shook his head, openly dismissing his apology. "What about Sakura?"

A deep frown fell across Itachi's face and Genma's eyes widened, obviously waiting to hear the worst. "She is in surgery," Itachi informed him quickly. "It sounds like there may have been some complications, but they are still working on her. I was going to get another update before I call Hoshigaku."

Genma nodded slowly, his eyes distant as he lost himself in his thoughts.

However, there was another issue they needed to discuss. "Genma," he began quietly, drawing his attention once more. "We need to call the Guild."

His brown eyes focused on some point in front of him as he let out a long sigh. "Are you sure?"

Itachi nodded slowly. "Should Sakura survive her surgery, she is going to need a lawyer."

Genma was silent for a moment as he chewed the inside of his cheek unhappily. "Itachi, she's a victim here," he murmured.

"I know that," he agreed. "As does everyone else here. However, a prosecutor is going to see her as a shooter and she needs someone to defend her. Legally."

The Deputy Chief was quiet as he weighted Itachi's words. Itachi himself hated that he was forced to consider these things in a situation like this, especially when Sakura was involved, but he had been here before with other officers. He had seen officers who were completely justified in their shootings get charges filed against them. If the same were to happen to Sakura, she would need someone to defend her. Her job and her freedom would be on the line.

Eventually Genma sighed as he tiredly rubbed his eyes. "Alright, I'll make the calls. But first, I want an update on her condition."

As soon as Itachi ended his call with Kisame, he ran a tired hand over his face. This was the third time he had been on the phone with him in the span of only a few hours and the only update Kisame had provided was that the Fire Department was only now cooling the blazing fire that had exacerbated the incident. They hadn't yet been able to enter the wreckage and attempt to exhume the corpse their witness had claimed to be there and unfortunately the pair hadn't been able to discuss any other details before Kisame informed him he needed to get off the phone to speak to the county deputies that had just arrived; news that gave Itachi some relief.

During a previous call, the two had engaged a long discussion as they decided whether to request the Sheriff's Department assistance or not. With two of their officers being dangerously involved, things could get very complicated for them should the Prosecutor's office decide to press charges; a fact that had eventually swayed Kisame into calling Gaara, the Sheriff. The last thing Itachi wanted was for the department to be accused of mishandling evidence in such a major case. He had worked with Gaara enough to trust him and his officers. The man was younger, but he had an excellent record and work ethic. He wouldn't stand for any cover-ups or lies. His only interest was in finding the truth; something Itachi desperately needed right now.

Echoing footsteps drew Itachi out of his musing and he turned his head on his fist to watch as Sasuke approached. His brother looked horrible with his stitched brow and dirty face. He was still wearing his dusty uniform, but Itachi's attention turned to the two coffee cups in his hands as he stopped next to him.

With a murmur of thanks, Itachi accepted one before Sasuke took a seat in the empty chair next to him. They were quiet for a long time as Itachi drank and Sasuke stared at his cup blankly. Eventually his brother heaved a sigh. "It's already dawn."

Surprised Itachi flickered a glance at the clock on the wall to see he was right. It was already past seven in the morning. He couldn't believe he had already been up all night; it felt like he had only woken to Kisame pounding on his door an hour ago.

"She's been in surgery for hours now," Sasuke continued, drawing Itachi's gaze. There was deep concern etched across his face and Itachi felt sympathy for him stir in his chest.

"I am sure they will be out soon," he murmured softly.

Sasuke merely shook his head. "I asked for an update not too long ago and they told me they didn't have one. I don't…" he trailed off as emotion made his voice waver. "I don't know if she's…"

Without a word, Itachi set his coffee down on the floor before he hooked an arm around Sasuke's shoulders and drew him into him. It was something Itachi hadn't done since they were children, but the gesture was so familiar that Sasuke leaned into him without a word. His shoulders shook as he was unable to voice his fears.

"We do not know everything yet," he said reassuringly. His fingers wound into Sasuke's hair and he tugged gently on the raven locks. "You should not think the worst."

It was hypocritical of him to say, but Itachi knew his brother needed to hear the words, even if he didn't heed his own advice. Over the past several hours, Itachi's mind kept drifting back to Sakura. His chest ached as his mind calculated every outcome, acknowledging that there were plenty of positive scenarios, but focusing primarily on the negative ones. He couldn't help it; it was habit for him to anticipate the worst and it left him on edge. Any time a nurse or doctor headed in his direction, his pulse would begin to race and the air would catch in his throat with fear. If that was his response to this situation, he could only imagine what Sasuke and Naruto were feeling. They had been her best friends for years.

"It's been hours, Itachi," Sasuke muttered again into his shoulder.

He rested his cheek on the crown of his brother's head as he unconsciously pulled Sasuke closer. "I know," he murmured. "But she endured a great trauma. The doctors are doing everything they can for her."

Sasuke didn't reply, but Itachi had expected the words to fall on deaf ears. His brother could work himself up so much at times that there was little Itachi could do to calm him. The only thing that would relieve him at this point was Sakura herself and Itachi prayed that they got news soon for Sasuke's sake and his own.

"Where's Naruto?" Itachi asked quietly.

With a soft sigh, Sasuke pulled away to sit back against his chair. He rubbed a tired hand across his eyes before answering. "Resting. He's exhausted."

Itachi cocked a brow at him. "You are exhausted as well. You should rest too."

His little brother only shook his head. "I tried and I can't. I honestly don't think Naruto is either but it keeps everyone from asking us over and over again how we're doing and if we're alright."

The corner of Itachi's mouth twisted upwards in an understanding smile as he studied Sasuke's tired face. It could be exhausting to answer the same questions over. He couldn't blame his brother for slipping away from the crowd; he would probably do it himself if their positions were reversed.

However, before Itachi could half-heartedly remind his brother that his coworkers were merely concerned for his wellbeing, another set of footsteps disturbed the quiet of the hall. The noise filled the still air and drew Itachi's attention to a woman in scrubs. She had a surgical hat over her brown hair and there was a tiredness about her face that made him give her notice. Surprisingly she stopped in front of the pair. "I was told I could find the Chief of Police around here."

Itachi stood slowly. "Uchiha Itachi," he greeted her as he held out his hand.

She smiled softly as she accepted it. "Inuzuka Hana," she returned.

His brow arched at her name and he briefly wondered if she had any relationship to Inuzuka Kiba, but he didn't word his question as she glanced at Sasuke before returning her attention to him. "I'm sorry to interrupt. I have news on Haruno Sakura. Is her family or emergency contact around?"

Next to him, Sasuke bolted out of his seat, causing Hana's attention to immediately return to him. "I'm her family," he said quickly.

Itachi cast a glace at his brother but chose not to comment as Hana continued, "I wanted to let you know that she is out of surgery now. Her injuries were extensive, but we were able to get control over the bleeding. Right now, we have a few concerns, but we want to wait until she wakes to make any further decisions."

The knowledge that Sakura made it through her surgery nearly knocked Itachi off his feet. For the last few hours he had been preparing himself for the news that she had not survived and hearing that his fears were not going to be confirmed left his knees feeling weak and his chest suddenly bursting with relief. Beside him, Sasuke fell back into his chair and he covered his face with his hands as he momentarily lost his composure. Quickly gathering himself, Itachi placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Sasuke," he told him.

His brother nodded, but it was a moment before he lowered his hands again. "Where is she? Can I see her?"

"They're bringing her to the ICU now and you can see her in a couple of minutes," she informed him.

Sasuke glanced at Itachi. "I should get Naruto. He'll want to see her too."

Itachi nodded and turned his attention to Hana as she spoke again, "Why don't you go get him and I'll meet you on the sixth floor of the East Wing?"

With a silent nod, Itachi watched the young surgeon walk away before he turned back to his brother. Concern replaced the relief in his chest as he noticed the small furrow between Sasuke's brow and the slightly pained look on his face. "Sasuke," he said quietly. "She survived."

He nodded as he released a heavy sigh. "I know. I just…for a while I wasn't sure she would."

His voice was quiet with the weight of his confession, but eventually he breathed in a calming breath before he stood. Silently Itachi followed him back towards the Emergency Room, his chest feeling lighter, but his exhaustion more evident than before. He hadn't realized it at the time, but it had been the stress of the unknown that had kept him going, kept him moving, and now that he knew for certainty that Sakura was out of immediate danger, fatigue seemed to creep up on him until he suddenly found himself bone-weary.

Stifling a yawn, Itachi waited patiently outside a trauma room as Sasuke drew Naruto from his light sleep. Fortunately it didn't take very long and together the three followed the signs in the hallways and elevators to the sixth floor in the East Wing in silence.

Both Naruto and Sasuke looked better than they had been when they had first arrived at the hospital. His brother no longer had that worried crease between his brows and though Naruto looked like he'd been dragged through hell, his eyes had regained some of their normal brightness. The corner of Itachi's mouth subtly turned up as he recognized that Sakura was fortunate to have such amazing friends. That thought quickly segued to his own best friend and Itachi knew that as soon as he saw her, he needed to send a text to Shisui. He would want to know of her successful surgery.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Naruto and Sasuke bolted through and pushed past a set of doors marked Intensive Care Unit. Itachi made to follow, but the bold, red words seared into his mind and he hesitated as the words sunk in. A heaviness crept into him as a sudden epiphany occurred to him: Sakura may have survived her surgery, but these were gunshot wounds. They were dangerous and complications were common, ranging from infection to blood clots. There was still a real possibility her life was still hanging by a thread and that realization made him somber.

Forcing himself to slow down and breathe, Itachi entered the ICU. Hana was at the nurses' station and she greeted them quietly before she led them further down the hall and past other patients' rooms. All the rooms had sliding glass doors that allowed anyone passing by to see in with the exception of a few that had their curtains drawn. The hall was eerily quiet as patients slept and nurses did rounds silently.

It made him feel uneasy about what he may find in Sakura's room, but he kept his expression carefully blank as Hana eventually stopped outside a door and turned around. Her gaze swept over each of them. "I know you are all officers of the law and have seen things that most civilians haven't, but I still want to warn you to prepare yourself. It is always harder with someone you know."

None of them replied, but she slid the door open nonetheless before she gestured for them to enter. Naruto and Sasuke were the first ones inside, leaving Itachi and Hana to follow them.

As soon as he stepped inside the spacious room, the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor filled Itachi's ears and his eyes automatically drew to the figure in the bed. Unsurprisingly Naruto and Sasuke had wasted no time to moving to Sakura's side, causing their bodies to blocking his view of her. Quietly he approached them, crossing the room like a silent shadow until he stood at the foot of her bed where he could get his first view of her. The sight before him rooted him in place.

Sakura was lying in the center of the hospital bed, looking so small and weak as she laid unmoving, completely dead to the world. Her skin was pale even in the low lighting of the room, making the bruising along her jaw and cheek stand out in sharp contrast to her otherwise unblemished face. The sheets were pulled up to her chest, but Itachi could see she was dressed in a standard hospital gown with a white, medical bracelet around her uninjured wrist. Her other hand was wrapped in thick gauze, undoubtedly the hand that had taken the bullet.

The sight of her made his breath difficult to draw, but as he continued to watch her, he realized there were little things that gave him some comfort. The fact that she was breathing on her own lessened the twist in his stomach and for a very long moment, Itachi was just content to watch the easy rise and fall of her chest. He could hear "what-ifs" beginning to stir in the back of his mind, but he shut those thoughts off quickly. He would not allow himself to once again imagine the alternatives of Sakura not surviving. Naruto and Sasuke needed his support and he could not help them if he was lost within his own emotions.

"We hope that she will wake within the next twenty-four hours," Hana said gently.

"And if she doesn't?" Sasuke asked, not turning his gaze away from Sakura.

Expectantly Itachi glanced at the surgeon as she gave his brother a small, but sad smile. "We will cross that bridge if we come to it," she replied. "Right now, you should stay with her."

Naruto hesitantly reached out a hand to Sakura before withdrawing it again. "Can we touch her?" he asked quietly.

She nodded immediately. "Of course."

Itachi returned his gaze to Sakura as Naruto carefully pulled the sheet further over her. He was careful of her injuries as he adjusted the blanket around her and Itachi felt his chest tighten in sympathy as Naruto's blue eyes shined bright with unshed tears. Sasuke swept a stray hair out of her face and froze before he began to twist her pink strands around his fingers, examining the locks intensely. "There's blood in her hair," he murmured.

Naruto stopped his movements to look before he glared lightly at Hana. She frowned in response. "The nurses try to clean the patients up, but sometimes they miss a few things. Would you like me to send someone in?"

"No," Sasuke said. "We'll do it."

Hana was still frowning unhappily, but she didn't comment and for a silent time, they both watched the pair as Sasuke grabbed a wash cloth from the joined bathroom and Naruto filled the water pitcher. They carefully pulled Sakura's hair away from her face before they began washing the pink strands with a tenderness Itachi hadn't been aware they possessed. It soon began to feel far too personal for their viewing and quietly he excused him.

Hana soundlessly followed him and closed the door softly behind her. Then she turned to him. "I must apologize for that. It was inexcusable."

Itachi merely shook his head. "Mistakes happen." He pulled out his phone and frowned when he saw he already had a few, new missed calls. "Is there somewhere away from the patients that I can make a some calls?"

With a nod of her head, she pointed down the hall in the opposite direction they had entered. "There's a conference room down there that should be free."

Itachi nodded his thanks and turned to follow her direction, but before he went more than two steps, she called for him softly, "Chief."

He turned to her expectantly and felt his chest tighten in anticipation at her troubled expression.

"You should prepare them," she murmured softly. "I'm sure you're aware that gunshot wounds often come with complications and there is a chance she will not fully recover from her injuries, if at all."

A heavy silence pressed down on them and a sinking feeling fell in his chest as she voiced the fears he had been already contemplating. The reality of it made him momentarily lose his voice, but eventually he nodded. "I am aware," he replied quietly.

She held his gaze before she nodded, her face grave as she turned and walked out of sight.

The frown that had taken up residence on Itachi's face most of the night returned as he slowly continued down the hall. He found the conference room she had been referring to, but for a long while Itachi sat by himself as his concerns washed over him. He wasn't entirely sure that he could find the strength within himself to break the news to Sasuke that his best friend was not going to recover, but he knew with cold despair that should that outcome become reality, he would have to be the one to inform him and Naruto.

He wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to make the notification when he himself was struggling to come to terms with what had occurred that night. Just that morning he had pinned Sakura to the wall of the elevator as he completely ravaged her mouth while he had to physically restrain himself from slipping his hands inside the silky material of her work shirt. Her warm, feminine curves had felt delicious against his larger frame and he could clearly remember the way she had kissed him back as she grabbed his tie and forced him impossibly closer to her. He was convinced that last-minute warning bell of the elevator doors had been one of the worst sounds he had ever heard.

Until now.

Even with his intelligence, it was hard for him to process how less than twenty-four hours ago he had trapped Sakura between his arms as he kissed her and now, she was unconscious and possibly on the brink of death in a hospital bed. It all seemed like a horrible dream. One that he could not wake up from.

With a heavy sigh, Itachi rubbed away his sudden exhaustion and sat up in the conference chair as he finally dialed Shisui's number. His phone went to voice mail after half a dozen rings, but rather than feeling disgruntled this time, Itachi felt relief. He could only assume Shisui wasn't answering because he had finally fallen asleep. He knew his cousin had undoubtedly been up all night waiting for news, just like the rest of the officers downstairs.

After leaving him a long voice mail, Itachi punched in Genma's number next. The man answered on the first ring and for the next hour, they exchanged updates on both of their ends. Fortunately the older male sounded better than when he had left and though Itachi frowned when he informed him that he was working on closing his case, Itachi didn't comment. If Genma was able to work through his grief he would let him. However, as soon as he finished his case, he would force vacation time on him.

As soon as Itachi hung up with him, he called Kisame once again to give him the same news. His second-in-command expressed his relief she was out of surgery, but he sounded distracted as someone on the other end of the line kept drawing Kisame's attention. They didn't speak for long before Kisame informed him he needed to go - the Sheriff had finally arrived on scene - and he would give him a call later.

With his last immediate call finished, Itachi slowly pushed himself to his feet. He stretched and took a moment to retie his hair before he finally wandered back down the hall and returned to Sakura's room. He found Naruto and Sasuke on either side of her bed, both having pulled up chairs. Sasuke was watching her face with a distant look in his dark eyes as Naruto held her hand and gently brushed his thumb over her scrapped knuckles. Neither of them seemed to notice his re-entry and he frowned as he realized not for the first time how exhausted both of them were.

"You should go home," he murmured softly. His words echoed loudly in the still air and the pair turned in his direction.

For a long moment, they both stared at him before Sasuke returned his eyes to her face and Naruto slowly dragged his gaze back to Sakura as he continued to hold her hand and gently rub it.

"Just for a little while," Itachi urged. "Go shower and get cleaned up."

"We're not going to leave her alone," Naruto replied monotonously.

A soft sigh escaped him and he stepped further into the room to stand at the foot of her bed. "She won't be alone," he said quietly. "I will stay with her until you return. And I will call you if anything changes," he added as Naruto opened his mouth once more.

Sasuke turned to look at him again and for a long moment he just met his gaze as a small furrow nestled between his brow. Itachi was almost convinced his brother was just going to continue to sit there silently, but eventually his gaze shifted to Naruto. "We should go home," he gently prodded him. "Only for an hour or so."

However Naruto shook his head. "What if she wakes up? We have to be here when she wakes up."

"And we will," Sasuke encouraged. "But if Sakura wakes up and finds us looking like this, you know she'll get out of bed just to kick our ass."

That caused the corner of Naruto's mouth to lift and hesitantly he stood. "Alright, but only for an hour."

Sasuke nodded and waited patiently for Naruto to give Sakura's hand one last squeeze before the pair left the room silently.

As soon as they closed the door in their wake, the sudden lifelessness of the room seemed to press down on him. Other than the soft, constant beep of the heart monitor, the room was quiet, causing his small sigh to sound loud in the empty space. His gaze drifted slowly, taking note of how the hospital equipment contrasted with the picture of the flower arrangement on the wall. It seemed like a sad attempt to brighten the room and his attention returned to Sakura shortly after.

Without the distraction of other people, he was able to finally notice the stillness in which she laid and with a sudden sinking feeling, Hana's words replayed over in his mind: "there is a chance she will not fully recover from her injuries, if at all."

A sudden flood of sorrow filled his chest as he watched her for any signs of life, but he found none. If it wasn't for her heart monitor audibly reading her cardiac activity, he would have believed her to be gone already. There was no twitch of her fingers or flutter of her eyelashes. She was completely still; completely unaware of the world around her.

Itachi swallowed thickly as sudden emotion attempted to overwhelm him. He wasn't entirely sure when it happened, but looking at her unmoving face now , he knew she was no longer just his brother's best friend. She was someone important to him and the thought of never speaking to her again made his chest ache even worse than earlier.

Before, his last memory of her had been lighthearted with her smart eyes and that teasing tilt of her lips. Now, however, there was no life to her. It made the reality of what could happen so much more real as he watched her lay unstirring with no expression whatsoever on her pale face. Her heart may still be beating, but her lack of personality made it feel a lot like he had already lost her. And it hurt more than he anticipated.

Ever so slowly, Itachi stepped around the side of the bed to stand at her hip. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her full lips, but it felt like an invasion of her person. His fingers itched to feel her smooth skin and soft hair, and he reached out to brush his fingertips against her bruised cheekbone before he lightly dragged them through her hair. Her tresses were still slightly damp from when Naruto and Sasuke had washed them, but he hardly took notice as he bent down to press his lips gently to her forehead.

The contact made his throat close with emotion and he pressed his eyes shut as he noted how her skin felt warm against his lips. "Sakura, please wake up," he murmured against her forehead. "I really need you to wake up."

He wasn't expecting a reply or a reaction and so when none came, he felt no disappointment. Carefully he brushed his fingers through her damp hair in a manner meant to sooth her as much as himself before he pressed one last, lingering kiss to her skin and straightened.

With a quiet sigh, he opened his eyes to watch her blank face. Even pale, injured and unmoving she was still gorgeous, but Itachi was unable to study her for very long as he realized with building anticipation that he was no longer alone. Slowly he turned towards the doorway, his face an expressionless mask as he met the steady gaze of Hatake Kakashi.

"Commander," he greeted monotonously.

Kakashi's face was just as blank as his own, but they both knew that the other was aware that he had seen everything. "Chief," he replied. He slowly stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind him. "How is she?" he asked somewhat stiffly.

Itachi met his gaze unwaveringly. "Alive."

"Did the doctors say when she would regain consciousness?" he inquired as his gaze turned to the unmoving woman.

He too glanced at Sakura. "Hopefully within the next twenty-four hours."

Kakashi nodded silently, but otherwise provided no reply as he watched her with a small frown and a hard look in his mismatched eyes. For a long while neither male said anything as they both fell into their own thoughts, but eventually Kakashi broke the silence, "She told me she was going to die."

Itachi raised his gaze to him, but he was still watching her unmoving form.

"She didn't believe that she was going to survive her injuries," he continued quietly. "That was one of the last things she said."

A tension filled the air in the wake of his confession. Itachi had his own concerns about her survival and to hear that Sakura herself didn't believe she would make it through this made his already anxious mind tense. He pursed his lips to keep himself from breaking his carefully settled mask, but he couldn't stop the downward pull in the corners of his mouth.

"Your business is your own," Kakashi murmured suddenly, "but if she does recover from this, please take care of her."

Itachi met his gaze evenly, but before he could respond, the sliding glass door slammed open and both men turned sharply as a middle-aged woman towered in the doorway with a dark scowl, her hazel eyes narrowed dangerously. She was donning a doctor's coat, but her aura was murderous as she pinned both men in place.

"What the hell happened to my daughter?"

A/N: Introducing Doctor Tsunade.

And some of you were concerned she wouldn't show. I feel like everyone is massively out of character this chapter, but hey that's what happens when someone dies. And then they weren't sure Sakura would survive (still don't actually). So much drama.

I hope you enjoyed my cliffhanger...again. Drop a review if ya can.