.
Trails of clear liquid rolled off her hair, sliding down to drip back into the cool water she submersed herself in. She exhaled, blowing air from between her lips; in the process she expelled more droplets. She wiped down her damp features and slicked her hair back further, ridding herself of the excess.
Originally she'd just come to get some water to boil for more of whatever they could salvage for a meal; however, grime had gotten better of her and she'd decided to take a dip. She frowned at her pile of clothes on the chilled stone-like floor not far from the underground river.
Perhaps she should have brought a towel… ah well.
It was time to get out and go. If she stayed too much longer Itachi would start to worry.
With a brief sigh she swam to rocky edge and placed both palms on it. With a grunt she was up and out and walking towards her clothes. She took hold of her shirt first; however, just as her fingers grazed the bottom hem of the garment something… slimy shifted in her footing. The gathering water off her body created a soapy element; before she could think much on it she felt herself falling backwards and crying out in surprise. She shut her eyes tightly and prepared herself for the impact.
…Only it never came.
She blinked slowly and a little curiously as she realized there was a pressure under her arms and slightly along her upper back. Instinctively, she looked up. Emerald green met with pitch and held for a few contemplative moments before recognition settled over her and heat came to her cheeks. She scrambled to stand and cover herself, barely catching the only slight tingeing of pink on his own.
A warmth settled across her shoulders almost immediately and Sakura realized he'd covered her in his cloak. "I… ah… thank you," she managed quietly, not able to meet his eyes.
"…You were taking a while," he explained, also not looking at her. "When I was on my way I heard you scream… so…"
"Sorry, I should have told you." Oh, god, what was proper protocol for this type of situation? "I… I didn't mean to worry you." It would have been hard imagining him worrying about her almost a week ago… now…
Sakura finally looked up at him, the way he wasn't meeting her eye and tenseness of his body. It was hard not to smile when she could see just how embarrassed he was. The Uchiha Itachi she'd grown to fear did not get embarrassed…
…but the boy in front of her… just barely verging on adulthood apparently did.
"Seriously, thank you. I'm almost positive I could have broken my tail bone on this surface. I'm not sure you know how painful that is." The bare hint of a smile on his face unexpectedly made her smile as well, so she pushed further. "It's not a big deal, Uchiha. I doubt I'm the first naked girl you've seen either on purpose or accident." Without looking for his response, verbal or otherwise, she reached through the sleeves of the cloak, grabbed her clothes and then tried to grab the bucket she'd come to get water with.
"I've got it," he told her, taking it before she did.
Sakura shrugged. "Alright, if you say so." She hugged her bundle to her chest and started walking off towards their temporary camp for the night. Was it night?
"For the record, you're only the third so far."
She couldn't stop herself from asking now. "And the other two?"
"When I was young—very young—my mother forced me to bathe with some distant cousin of mine she was watching."
Sakura snorted. "That so does not count."
He came up next to her and smiled. "She was a girl and naked. I believe it does."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "And the other?"
"My team mate when I was in ANBU. It was quite similar to what happened just now. Only she thought I'd been spying on her and beat me within an inch of my life."
Sakura laughed; she couldn't stop herself. "And you just let her?"
He shrugged. "If I didn't let her do it then she would have found a more creative way to make my life hell, so yes, I let her."
She just kept laughing, thinking if she went back in time and told herself she'd be cutting up with an S-class criminal moments after he saw her in her birthday suit there was no way in hell she would believe herself.
No way in hell.
Chapter Ten
"Haruno-sama?"
Sakura looked up from the stack of papers she'd been half falling asleep on laid out on her desk. Her assistant stood her in her doorway, looking amused. "Yes?"
"The blood department wanted me to tell you they've got your results ready to look over."
"Alright, thanks," Sakura whispered tiredly. "Tell them I'll be over in a minute." She waved her off.
Himiko didn't respond as the door clicked shut behind her. One she was gone Sakura shifted aside some of her work and stared down at the pages of a bound book. The longer she did the more her features waned from exhaustion to frustration and then back again. Idly, she clicked the pen in her right hand.
After Sasuke had left last Saturday night she'd went back to work on Sasami's journal. At first, she'd only planned to spent an hour or so on it, but then… all she could see was Sasuke, half kneeling on the ground from using Susanoo. Over and over her mind recreated the image red trailing down his face… and…
She shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd been up for two nights working on it, barely managing sleep; now it was Monday.
His words rang out in her mind from that evening. He was bound and determined to get involved and she didn't know how much longer she could go on hiding this from him. So much time had gone by, so much growing up had been done; enough that she just assumed she was strong enough to keep him and how he affected her at bay; it was enough that she thought that nothing could really happen between then. But, one thing she couldn't do was risk him losing his sight, not because of her and this. It was her burden. For once it wasn't about Naruto or Sasuke keeping her safe; this was about her protecting her family… about saving Itachi.
Slowly, her eyes opened. She stared down at the words, jaw tight as she dragged her hands through her loosely braided strands.
If only you could help out here, Itachi… But then, you probably wouldn't want me doing this. She smiled. No… you'd tell me to give it up and to find happiness with Sasuke like I'd always wanted. But you have to know, none of us can have peace until I solve this. You deserve that; your son does.
Sasuke does.
Why wasn't any of it making sense though?
Maybe she was just being too hard on herself. After all, if Root—if it was Root—couldn't uncover it then how could she do the same so quickly? But if she didn't figure out a way to do it soon there was no telling what else might happen. She still had an unknown enemy lurking and there was also Sasuke to contend with. The one thing he and Naruto always had in common was their unwavering determination; once they got a scent for something and couldn't be pulled off the path there was no stopping them until they solved it.
She had to solve it first.
But first she really needed to attend to that blood work sample. Otherwise Himiko would come bothering her again. With a sigh she reluctantly slid the journal into her desk drawer and used a seal to lock it.
She took her keys as she left, locked her office, and then proceed directly towards the blood department.
It wasn't a place she liked going to; because of its employees her son's true lineage had been leaked. In retrospect she supposed there wasn't much to be done about it. Eventually, he would likely gain the Sharingan and then people would have found out, rumor or not; and given who his father was she had little doubt, really, that he'd never obtain it. Even if it wasn't confirmed to this day people pretty much assumed he was Itachi's for fact.
The only good part about the department was the woman in charge. She'd been at her post for well over thirty years and even after Sakura was promoted she still just called her Haruno; no sama, just Haruno.
"There you are, Haruno," she boomed out expectedly as Sakura came in through the wide open doors.
She was a stout woman defined by age and earned wrinkles. When Sakura was younger and just starting under Tsunade she'd considered her something of a bear and just a little scary. And she was when it got busy and stressful; however, she always meant well and cared about others. She was also one of the few to act like nothing was wrong when Sakura found out she was pregnant and the rumors started.
"Hello, Keiko-san." She smiled. "I hear you have some results for me."
She nodded. "I've got you set up in room three over there." She gestured. "I don't know if you'd call them results, seeing as how you wanted to do that yourself."
Sakura chuckled.
"You always were one to get your hands dirty, girl. You should let other people do the work for you; especially now that you're all lofty, important, and running the show."
"I do, sometimes," she agreed. "But I'm no more important than anyone else."
The older woman snorted.
"Thanks, Keiko." She gave her arm a pat and went off toward the room.
"Yeah yeah…" she replied behind her as Sakura shut the door, making her smile again.
It was dimly lit; the only bright light came from the microscope set up. Next to it on the elevated table were a folder and a small stack of glass tiles for her to inspect.
"Wake up, Sakura," she murmured to herself as she took a seat at the stool and began placing one sample after another under the eyepiece. She gave a yawn before taking a look. "Now… what do we have… here…?"
She blinked, pulled her head away, paused, and then looked again. A frown marred her lips and she looked down again, this time switching to another tile. She paused once more and slid yet another tile. This process repeated itself several times over until she'd gone through all of the tiles. Finally, she sat back in the stool. After another long moment she got up a little too fast and went to the door, opening it.
"Keiko."
Brown eyes blinked owlishly from the wide front desk to meet Sakura's. "Yes?"
Sakura smiled. "Hey, while I'm in here will you get me Sasuke's file? I think I'm going to go over his, you know… while I'm here anyway."
"Sure." She smiled back. "You worried there's been a change in his blood work since he was admitted yesterday?"
"Yeah, I am."
Keiko chuckled as she went to the refrigerated filing cabinet. "You're so paranoid, girl. But, that's a better attitude than most of these idiots running around here claiming to be nurses and doctors. Ah, here we are." She pulled a tan folder out and walked the short distance to Sakura. "There you go," she said as she handed it to her. "I doubt anything has changed though."
"Yeah, well, I'm a worry wart. Thanks, Keiko."
"No problem."
She shut the door as Keiko turned around to go back to whatever she was doing. Sakura was practically biting her lip as she pulled out Sasuke's latest blood sample, placed a few drops of it on a blank tile and slid it under the microscope and took a hesitant look.
Her heart dropped ten feet, but not out of fear—out of shock.
The cells that identified when one had a blood limit were very specific to each kekkei genkai; sort of like a family fingerprint. Sakura was something of an expert when it came to Uchiha blood and the identification of said cells because of all her work on the Sharingan and stabilization of it. Still, fear of fatigue making her see things warranted this double check. But there was no mistaking the results right in front of her in a direct comparison.
Kato Hiro had cells that could manifest as a Sharingan.
He was an Uchiha.
Sakura stared at the mess of files before her; she settled back into her seat and wrapped one arm around her midsection. Her free hand took hold of her chin as she allowed this new and wholly unexpected piece of information settle over her. What did it mean? Just when she thought she had her case half figured out someone threw a cherry bomb right in the middle of her stacked castle of cards. And here she was, left trying to assemble this new tidbit into growing puzzle.
How could Rukia's son be Uchiha? What about the other boy? Was he the same? Assuming he was… Well, her late husband wasn't, that's for sure. Could Rukia have slept with someone during her marriage…?
Sakura sighed and rubbed her brow. No... it just didn't seem to fit… but then she didn't know Rukia that well anyway.
She wondered—briefly—if Sasami's blood samples were still on file. If Itachi's were, hers might be. She had a very small hunch… but there was no way to know for sure unless she looked into it herself. But asking for Sasuke's file was normal. If she asked for Sasami's… Well, no, Sasami was related to Hiro.
Sakura frowned.
She'd just have to go get it herself to save another chit chat about the whys.
She got up and slipped out, shutting the door and walked right past Keiko to the room marked archives.
"Need some help, Haruno?" she asked.
"Nope, I just need to look into something else. Thanks."
"Let me know if you need me."
"Will do!" Sakura replied before going in and right to where she needed to be. It took her less than five minutes to find Sasami's file in the cold room. She was back in her examining room with her blood sample on a tile in less than thirty seconds. She couldn't help licking her lips and she slid it under the viewer and took a peak. She held her breath, praying she was right up until she actually looked, single orb blinking as she twisted the dial into focus.
…And there was all the answer she needed.
Question was, did Rukia know that both she and her twin were Uchiha? And what did this new piece of information mean in her quest to prove Itachi's innocence?
As she cleaned up her mess and put everything to right she knew one thing; she had to see Rukia. She'd go under the pretense of delivering medicine to Hiro, because somehow in the midst of her discoveries she had pinpointed the bacteria affecting his body. So without much else, she took an early day and headed out to the Kato farm.
…
"Sorry, she's not here right now, Haruno-sama."
The pinkette resisted the urge to look disappointed as she faced Hiro at his doorway. Instead she put on a smile that would make Sai proud. "That's alright, I just came by to drop off your meds and run a final check on your vitals. I was just hoping to see her too and say hi."
The brunette smiled back and scratched his head, looking a little confused. "That's an awful lot of work for you, Haruno-sama. You could have just had someone let us know. We would have got the medication ourselves."
"It's no problem. I like talking to you mother and it just seemed like a way to kill two birds with one stone." The smile remained. "Can I come in?"
"Oh!" He looked surprised. "I'm sorry. I'm being rude, huh?" He grinned, reminding her of Naruto or even Kiba as he opened the door wider. "Sure! Do you need anything? A drink?"
Sakura shook her head she stepped in. "Nope, but if you just find a comfy place to sit I'll take a look at you and be on my way."
"No problem. Couch ok?"
"Fine by me."
He took a seat and Sakura placed a hand on top of his head. "This might feel a little invasive, but just relax."
He chuckled. "I have a medic on my team. Believe me, I'm use to it."
"That's right… forgot about her. What's your teammate's name again?" Slowly, she started to spread her chakra into his body, searching carefully.
"Yue."
"Sweet girl. She took care of that cut of yours pretty well."
"Her uncle's a medic nin, so he's been teaching her."
"Which family?" Everything seemed pretty normal… but she couldn't keep him like this for long; however, a more thorough look might take time… C'mon, Sakura, find it.
"Endo."
"Endo Kenta?" Wait… right… Yes!
"You know him?"
Sakura smiled as she retracted her chakra and removed her hand. She looked down at him. "All done; and yes. He's still working towards Jounin, but he's very good. Just a little too cautious. Still, I've recommended him to Tsunade for a couple missions. He's got a steady hand and a fairly decent resolve for that sort of thing."
He smiled again. "That's good." He blinked as she grabbed her bag and moved to the door. "You need anything else?"
"Nope."
"I'll let my mom know you came by, Haruno-sama." He jumped after her and opened it for her.
"I'd appreciate that. Here," she said as she handed him a small brown bag. "Those are your meds. Make sure you finish them. But, you should be able to go back on regular duty tomorrow. You seem a lot better. That stuff will just finish off what your body can't. Got it?"
"Yes, Haruno-sama. Thank you." He took the bag. "Bye."
"Have a good day, Hiro. Feel better." And then she was on the road, a hidden smile on her face.
Now she knew; either Rukia was hiding something or Sasami did something before her death. Considering Rukia wasn't a shinobi, Sakura was more inclined to believe this was all done by Sasami. That kind of seal on a bloodline technique couldn't have been done by just anyone.
Not unless you were teammates with Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui.
It was starting to get interesting.
She stopped and looked up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by as the sunshine warmed her face. Maybe, somehow, he'd heard her. "Thank you. I'm getting closer. Just give me a little more time, Itachi," she whispered before going back on her way.
…
"How can there be nothing?"
Twin gray pools blink up at him, squinting. The small, white cat—Nero—lifted a paw and licked at it a few times before setting it back down; his tail twitched. "We've kept an eye on her for a few days, just as you asked, Uchiha-sama. But, there's not much to go on."
Sasuke sighed and slumped down into the only chair in his living room. "Then tell me what you have seen."
"I don't really have anything," he replied. "I've been watching her at work and at home. Anytime she goes anywhere else Saiko watches her."
"Where is she?"
"Not sure. I told her you expected us." He didn't look happy. "But, you know my sister; she's not the most punctual."
Sasuke frowned, but let it go. He was right, but what Saiko lacked in punctuality she made up for thoroughness. He'd just wait; however long it took might be worth it. "Ah well. Are you hungry, Nero?"
The cat smiled. "Not really. Had a mouse on the way in. But some milk would be nice."
Sasuke nodded and stood up. As he stepped into the kitchen, Nero in tow, his thoughts traveled. It had been almost a week since he'd seen Sakura and told her of his intentions. That night he'd dispatched the cats to find out what she was up to. He didn't want them digging through her stuff, but spying wasn't within of his realm breaching privacy; not when most of it was done in public places. It was Wednesday now… so… he counted, pausing after he put the milk up. It had been about four and a half days, maybe five if Saturday night and today counted as half. It was around four or so in the afternoon… so maybe.
Still, he thought as he set the saucer down for Nero, there had to be something for him to go on to figure out what she was up to and why it had ninja after her; ones that were bold enough to attack her within the village.
A poof of smoke next to him jolted him out of his thoughts.
"Saiko, you're late," her brother accused expectedly.
"Sorry." She smiled. "Someone left out scraps in the entertainment district. Can't blame me; right, Sasuke-sama?"
He ignored her question. "What'd you find out?"
"Something curious, actually. She's been at the Kato house every morning since Monday. Well, Monday she went there in the afternoon. Since then it's been mornings." She stretched and her tail twitched as she settled into a sitting pose.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes on the female. "Kato…" Why did that name sound so familiar?
Nero lifted his head from his saucer and lapped milk off his face. "She's been at Rukia's house?"
Saiko nodded. "Yup. She didn't look too happy though."
"Kato?" he asked again, this time directing it at Saiko.
She blinked. "You don't know? Really?"
Nero looked a little bored. "He was young; he probably doesn't remember," he told her before looking over at Sasuke. "Kato Rukia and her sister were children refugees from the Third War. Their maiden name was Suzuki, if it matters. They were adopted by shinobi parents who held that name and gave it to them when they were taken in; mostly because they had no real ties to a last name before them. Both of their parents were unknowns.
"Rukia became a civilian and married a civilian man. Sasami on the other hand went onto ANBU as a code writer and breaker. She made up a three man team with your brother and Shisui. She eventually married Shisui."
"You don't remember her at all, Sasuke-sama?" Saiko asked softly.
Sasuke stilled as he allowed the information wash over him. Shisui was a house regular when he was growing up; mostly because he and Itachi were attached at the hip. They were best friends, practically brothers. So much so Sasuke found himself a little jealous of Shisui.
But the girl…
His eyes narrowed slightly as his thoughts grew deeper. "I think I do…" he murmured. Kami, it had been so long ago. And it just didn't seem to matter after everything that had happened. But she had come by the house a lot with him and Shisui. He'd just put her from his mind like he had so many other things that hadn't been part of the goal he had in his youth.
Wait, why was Sakura going over there? He voiced this.
"Rukia's son, Hiro, was admitted to the hospital a few days ago. She was his doctor. At first I thought that's all it was, but every time she goes over there she asks for Rukia like she wants to talk to her."
"And she's not there?"
Saiko shook her head. "Nope. Her son told Sakura she's been a little secretive lately, but he also said that's nothing out of the norm for her.
"To be honest, I believe Sakura thinks Rukia is avoiding her. But that's just my opinion. Why she would care though…"
Sasuke nodded. Why was Sakura sniffing around one Itachi's old friend's sister's house? It was too coincidental. Whatever she was hunting down must have something to do with this Rukia woman.
"Did we help?" Nero asked, breaking his train of thoughts.
"Yes, thank you. You can go now if you like."
"Do you want me to still keep an eye on her?" Saiko asked.
He thought about it for a moment as he leaned back into the kitchen counter. "…No. I think that's enough."
"No problem, boss." Saiko said before poofing out of existence.
"Don't hesitate to use us, Uchiha-sama. A cat needs more to do than sleep and play with rodents, you know."
Sasuke smiled slightly. "Yes, Nero. I'll keep that in mind."
He bowed and poofed out much like his sister had.
Some part of him wanted to say it wasn't enough to have a definitive answer. But, given what had happened Saturday… Sakura was definitely sniffing around his brother's past, he knew that now… She had to be.
And that…His jaw tightened and he imagined the repercussions of what she was digging into. It was no longer just a matter of his feelings, his repressed jealousy, or if she was really in love with Itachi… or had been; this was about something much bigger. Clearing his head had helped him see that. And the implications... Itachi had a lot of enemies; there was no telling what kind of stir she was causing with who over whatever she was trying to figure out.
What are you doing, Sakura?
…
Latex peeled from her hands, sticking because of the light sheen of sweat which had gathered. She glanced at the blood soaked scrubs in the bio-hazard trash bin as she dropped one matching glove after another onto the pile and released the peddle that held the lib open; it closed with a chink.
Four surgeries, nine hours on her feet, and not an ounce of coffee in sight. Kami, some days were worse than others; but… she hadn't lost anyone, and that was always a bonus. It made her job worthwhile, even if she went home feeling drained more than five days in a week. Things had been quiet though, so she was a little shocked when so many turned up in one day; she made a mental note to ask Tsunade what was heating up outside the village, especially if this started to become a habit.
One or two surgeries a week were common, usually from civilians. Ninja though? Four of them in one day and death defying? Not since the Akatsuki had backed off and went into hiding, all but disappearing off the face of the earth. Then again… it could just be her imagination going into overdrive because of the journal.
Sleep was still hard; and with Rukia MIA it only made it worse.
There was so much on her mind now; it was both a good and bad thing. Her discovery in the lab weighed heavily. She still couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. Up until almost two days ago she'd assumed the last of the family clan lay with Sasuke and her son. And now…
She blew a raspberry, expressing both fatigue and slight exasperation as she dropped into her desk chair. It squeaked under the impact, but she didn't seem to notice as she allowed herself to sink into it; her posture slumped as she stared at her desk, eyes level with the top of it. The digital numbers on her clock glared at her.
Five o'clock…
She should go home.
She wanted to, but there were a few pieces of paperwork she needed to sign and send out; Tsunade would have her head if she didn't at least document the immediate results of the surgeries today.
With a grumble, Sakura sat up—groaning only slightly—and reached for the stack.
Clatter!
She blinked and looked down at what had fallen from between them. Her eyes narrowed slightly on the thin… scroll? Intrigued, she set the files back down and picked it up. She wasn't too surprised to see the lettering for her name on it, but it bothered her that it wasn't in a hand she recognized. Naruto's always tended to be a little sloppy; Isao's had long strokes; and Sasuke's were both clean and separated clearly.
This was tiny by comparison to all three, and a little blocky even for Sasuke.
With not much else to consider she popped the seal and opened it; the scroll rolled in her left hand as her right held onto the paper. Within it was more of the same hand writing in a note.
I meant to speak to you in person, Haruno. However, my job has become a little harder as of late; I only barely managed to get this to your desk. There is much at risk, so I'll be as brief as possible.
Since you've taken care of Bear things have gotten… heavier, to put it lightly. Security has tightened on my sources, limiting my information flow. Something is going to happen soon, something that has to do with so much more than just you or The Truth. Either way, I'm not sure how long they'll wait for you to unravel the puzzle. I'll do my best to get something to you in person ASAP. But…
You're running out of time.
—Your Faithful Contact
Sakura stilled at the information and allowed it to sink in fully. At first, she wasn't sure who the letter was from… but there was only one person other than herself who knew what she was up to besides Tsunade. She was just a little surprised to get more from them; she'd assumed that one night was her only reprieve, but apparently someone was on her side and trying to help her.
She wouldn't complain.
But it did unsettle her.
She executed a few hand signs and in one small blow the scroll went up in flame, all evidence erased from discovery.
If her midnight visitor was right then she needed to hurry; problem was, how much more could she push herself? She'd spent the better part of a week trying to figure the code out. It didn't help that there was nothing to go on. Not a clue as to what she could use to break it. If she didn't have a key, not even a hint of a key, there was nothing she could do about this.
Kami.
Four surgeries and now another sleepless night.
"You look like you need a break."
Sakura glanced over at her door just as Himiko opened it an addressed her. She smiled. "Yeah, probably. But I need to finish these surgery reports." She tapped the files.
Himiko shrugged. "Do them tomorrow."
Sakura snorted. "I'm not going to be in the mood to deal with Tsunade. I'm all out of her favorite sake," she admitted ruefully with a rub of her brow.
"Well, then you might like to know that she's out drinking tonight and probably won't be herself tomorrow."
Sakura frowned. "That won't make a diff—."
"She out with Jiraiya."
"Oh."
Himiko smiled, looking pleased with herself as he leaned into the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest. "Besides, Tall, Dark, and Broody is waiting on you in the lobby."
Sakura frowned. "Sasuke?"
Himiko nodded. "So, go home, boss. Paperwork can wait until tomorrow. Take a page from your mentor's book for once."
With a long sigh Sakura grabbed the stack of files and shoved them into her To-Do drawer; it clicked as she slammed it shut. "Alright, fine. I'll get out of here. But, the shit will roll down hill if Tsunade burns my ears tomorrow."
"Somehow I doubt that'll be a problem tonight."
"True," Sakura agreed as she locked up and slid her keys into her go-home bag.
"Have a good night, Haruno-sama," her assistant said as Sakura stepped out into the lobby and towards said Uchiha.
A single pink brow rose as he stood up. Their last conversation had been a little intense; too much for Sakura's tastes. But she couldn't go on avoiding him forever; thus, she chose to simply act like everything was normal. When it came to Sasuke, pretending like nothing happened had a pretty good track record.
"Hey," she said. "Waiting for me?"
"I heard you had four surgeries."
She nodded. "Yeah, I did."
His eyes narrowed slightly, making him look both worried and inquisitive. "Have you eaten anything yet?"
She chuckled. "Not unless you count that breakfast bagel I managed to grab before they rolled in my first three hour fight with Death himself."
"How long have you been on your feet?"
Sakura shrugged and looked away. "About nine hours…. Give or take." When she looked back at him there was shock in his eyes. Enough to make her smile. "You know I'm all grown up now. I can handle it, Sasuke. That's kind of what I do these days—produce miracles."
"I wanted to take you to dinner."
She blinked.
It was his turn to smile, if only slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Well?"
"Are you asking me to eat dinner with you?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "In a public place?"
"I would seem so."
She hesitated. Lunch was a friend thing, dinner at home was a family thing, food with Naruto and Sasuke was a team-family thing. Dinner alone with Sasuke—at night, she noted as she glanced at the glass doors going out—was a date thing.
Her mouth opened once, hung, and then snapped shut.
"Is something wrong?"
Her face became complex mixture scrutiny and doubt. "You do realize what having dinner with me is going to look like, right?"
"And since when have I given a damn; I think I've made my intentions pretty clear with you, Sakura."
Point taken. But she wasn't sure how well she liked allowing the very thing she was trying to avoid.
She was hungry though; tired too, but more hungry. There was also Isao to think of, but if he was home from his mission she could just bring him some food.
In the end hunger won out over pride and sleep. "Alright, let's go."
She really hadn't expected him this soon. In fact, she didn't expect to see Sasuke again until he had some sort of evidence about what she was up to, or at the very least what he thought she was up to. If this were Kakashi she'd expect the ease-into-a-comfortable-place-and-jump-the-topic-on-them; but Sasuke was always direct. When he had something to say he just said it. She really didn't expect this to be any less. So what was up with the meal?
No, she was being paranoid. He was probably worried about her; and given that he had made his intentions towards her very clear a dinner date invite shouldn't be all that surprising. So why was she encouraging it? Reasonably speaking, she could have just gone home and eaten. She could have said no and brushed him off. But she hadn't done any of that.
No, it was obvious why she'd said yes, she just didn't like the idea. She'd done a very good job of building up her armor, especially against him. Then again… he'd never been so…
She glanced over at him.
So… earnest.
The Sasuke she'd dealt with for years on end didn't invite her to dinner; he didn't smile at her all the time; he didn't tell her what he was thinking; he didn't do anything beyond be there for his nephew and make sure both she and Isao were taken care of. He was kind, civil, and at times they argued in the worst ways over her parenting choices; however, he never made a point to look at her like she mattered, nor did he do so with the intention of letting her see him look at her that way. Sure, he stole glances; a lot of them over the years. But, even when she did notice he'd always been careful to act as though he hadn't been looking at her at all.
How could she fight against this new Sasuke?
The one that told her he wanted to love her? Wanted a future with her?
She really had to stop thinking about this. It was just dinner. Then she'd go home, get a shower, and go back to working on that dreadful little book until her eyes wouldn't keep open. She didn't have time to think about this… not when it could mean breaking her resolve.
"What are you in the mood for?" she asked if for nothing else than to kill her train of thought.
He glanced over at her as he slid his hands into his Jounin issue pants. "Depends on how you're feeling. Relaxed or fancy?"
"Oh, definitely relaxed. I got my ass beat today. Sake is high up on my list of to-do's."
"Barbeque it is."
"Sounds good."
He pointed down the strip of road they'd turned onto. "A new one opened just down there. I've been told it's a quiet place."
"Odd for that sort of food." Barbeque joints were always loud, obnoxious, and rowdy places people gathered after work.
"Maybe, but I didn't think you want to run into anyone you know."
No, not really. And knowing how Ino's team lived at places like that had her thinking twice. She loved them but she wasn't in the mood. "Why wouldn't we? I'm sure Chouji knows about it by now."
"Probably; but, they have closed dining rooms. And it's a little pricier than most."
Sakura frowned, not liking the sound of that. "You really don't need to spend any—."
He rolled her eyes. "Sakura," he interrupted. "I am the only surviving Uchiha, at least in name," he amended. "What do you think one person can possibly spend that much money on? Let alone me?
"You're not going to hurt my bank account."
She resisted the urge to grumble like a child and let it go.
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. We're here and I'm not in the mood to look for another place to sate your pride."
"Fine. Fine," she agreed as he held the door open for her and she stepped in.
A blast of cool air hit her almost immediately. Dim lighting, candles, soft pastels, and rich wood accents culminated to give the restaurant a comfortable feel. There was no noise, no bustling crowd waiting to be seated; the overall effect was both eerie and serene.
"Can I help you?"
"Two," Sasuke replied. "And we'd like a room."
The hostess nodded and gave a slight incline of her head for them to follow her, menus in hand. "This way please." Within moments Sakura found herself in another dimly lit room; privacy was ensured by a sliding door. Their table was traditional and low to the floor; cushions were their chairs.
"Do you know what you'd like to drink?" she asked as they sat.
Sakura hesitated as Sasuke sat next to her.
He glanced over at her. "Sake, right?"
"…Yeah," she agreed, deciding let it go before returning to her menu.
"One bottle," he ordered for her. "Two cups please."
She nodded. "I'll be back with that while you look your menu over. Your server should be with your shortly." She bowed out and slid the door shut.
"Isao should be back home tonight," Sakura started, wanting to break the oncoming silence before it started.
Sasuke flipped a paged and scanned the text with his eyes. "I heard Shikamaru was his team leader." Which, in his opinion was perfect. Isao had a head for strategy; Shikamaru was just the one to nurture that quality.
"It was a little unexpected the way they did the team though. A Hyuuga and an Uchiha." She smiled. "I'm sure that breaks a law somewhere."
Sasuke looked up from his menu to her. "Who's his third teammate?" This he hadn't asked about; the team selections.
"Ino's and Chouji's daughter. You've met her once or twice, I think."
"Is that one everyone was talking about because she managed to perfect a jutsu to avoid the Akimichi…" he trailed off, for once not really have a good word for… well, the physical state of the clan.
Sakura chuckled despite herself. It could be helped, but the look on his face. "Ah, yeah, that would be her. Ino was very proud of her, not that weight really matters much to her anymore. Hell, she married Chouji." A fact that had shocked Sakura so badly she'd nearly lost consciousness… ok, maybe not. But she had sprayed juice all over Ino when she'd been told of the impending date.
"I think I'm just going to get a little of everything," she said next. "Sound good?"
"Yeah," Sasuke agreed, placing down his menu on top of hers. It was then their waitress came in, bottle of sake in one hand and two cups in another.
"Decide yet?"
"A little of everything," Sakura ordered this time. "We'll take the mixed platter, rice, and vegetables."
"Alright." The tall brunette nodded, jotted it down on her pad, and looked back up. "Anything else?"
Sakura shook her head.
"Should be out in ten minutes or so." And then she was gone again.
And all was quiet as Sakura poured herself and Sasuke a cup a piece. She sipped from hers carefully and licked her lips. A sigh was seeking to escape, but she repressed it. She'd been so busy for the last few days it felt odd to have some down time. Even eating—especially without her son at home—had become something to do while she was working in order to save time.
Part of her wanted to ask him why he'd invited her out; but she knew starting that conversation would open up a can of worms already bursting at the seam to be released from their prison. And yet, when there was no one else around it was so difficult to act like nothing was going on between them.
For example, it was hard to ignore the way his warmth radiated off him towards her, or the way his thigh barely brushed hers, or all the other things that reminded her why she'd fallen so helplessly for him as a girl.
"Sakura," he called her name again. She appeared lost in her own thoughts, so he called her name again. When she didn't respond he touched her wrist. She jumped slightly and turned to look at him almost immediately. "You weren't answering," he offered at her questionable look.
"Sorry…" She smiled ruefully. "It's been a long week."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
This time she smiled waned a little, looking almost reminiscent. "I don't understand how you can ask me that."
He raised a brow and glanced down at her sake cup. "Here." He reached for the bottle and placed his hand under hers to steady the cup as he poured. "How do you mean?"
"It wasn't very long ago you didn't give a damn about anything I had to say, not really."
He sighed and set the bottle down. "Sakura…"
"Are you denying it?" She gave him a serious blank stare.
This time his eyes locked with hers, wholly. "Are you blaming me for the way I acted at seventeen? Right after—."
"I'm not talking about then, Sasuke. I mean…" She looked down a moment, pausing, "I mean all this time. All this time you've been distant but close. You've been there for me and Isao; you've made sure we were always taken care of, but now…" Her eyes met his again.
"I thought I made that clear to you when we ate lunch at training grounds." His narrowed. "I told you I wanted to pursue a relationship with you."
"What changed? Is it because we had sex?"
There were so many ways to answer that question wrong, and he knew it. "…Yes. But it wasn't about the sex, Sakura. It just helped me realize I didn't want anyone else taking what it meant to me away." When she didn't say anything he continued. "Are you trying to push me away?"
Yes… no…
Sakura shut her eyes again; her cup hit the table with a chink. Why had she started this conversation? Why did she open her big mouth?
"Food's here!" Their waitress chimed in just a she came into the room. Silence followed her while she set them up. "Enjoy. Ring for me if you need anything else." Her smile was too bright for Sakura's tastes, if she bothered to notice; which, she hadn't.
"Is this about Itachi?"
And just like that, her eyes were on his again. There couldn't be a bigger elephant in the room, not for them; not for anything but the mere mention of that name.
She couldn't do this; not tonight. She was tired, worn out, an odd mixture of hopeful and defeated. "Can we… can we just eat?" It wasn't like her to thrown down the white flag first, but she had to. She just wasn't strong enough right then to fight with him.
Sasuke regarded her for a moment before he began placing meat and vegetables on the hot plate in the center of the table. "You really haven't been sleeping much, have you?"
"Why?"
"You're a little grumpy. You tend to get that way when you haven't."
It should have unnerved her at he knew her habits so well, but it was pointless. And in a way, it was slightly endearing. "I haven't; you're right." Fatigue would explain her slip of tongue.
"Well, then we'll make this quick so you can get some sleep."
I wish I could, she almost blurted. Barely, she subdued it. He didn't need to know why she wouldn't be sleeping. And if she said as much he would ask.
The rest of dinner was somehow managed in comfortable small talk, however awkward that was for both of them. But, as an hour half a half began to wind down, Sasuke knew he couldn't go on avoiding what he intended. But, here wouldn't be the place.
"I'll ask them to pack us up and then I'll walk you home." Before she could tell him no he added, "I'd like to check in on Isao."
Ten minutes or so later had them on the road back to Sakura and Isao's house. This was met entirely without conversation; however, Sasuke attributed it to her need for rest. Whatever she was trying to find out had to be cause of it, which worried him further.
Once they were a few hundred yards from her gate he stopped her, touching her arm. Perhaps it would have been better to wait until tomorrow to talk to her about this. But, Sasuke was always one to follow his instincts; and his instincts told him he needed to at least broach the subject with her tonight.
She blinked curiously at him. "Something wrong?"
He didn't answer right away; instead he just stared at her for a long while before releasing a sigh. Finding the right words was never easy. It was something—quite fittingly for the moment to think of—that Itachi had always been very good at. It was a trait he'd passed onto Isao.
"I want you to know I know that whatever you're doing involves my brother. I know you've been to the Kato house, and that you've been speaking with Rukia."
Immediately, her eyes narrowed. Her guard was up, he could tell. But, he'd been expecting that.
He continued before she could speak. "I'm worried about you, Sakura. Whatever you're digging into has grabbed someone's attention, or you would not have been targeted Saturday. I'm not so stupid to think it was a rogue shinobi."
"You've been spying on me?" She couldn't keep the bitterness from her tone.
"You're surprised?" he asked, looking unphased. "I told you I'd figure this out."
Fear sliced through her. What else had he found out? "Tell me you haven't been through my things," she asked through grinding teeth.
"I could have, but I haven't," he answered. "But I don't need to do that to know you're rummaging around Itachi's past. Learning about your visits to the Kato's combined with other elements I've noticed is more than enough.
"Why, Sakura?"
She frowned, tightlipped. "I'm going home." She turned on her heel and headed up the path to her gate. She wasn't too shocked to see him blocking her path once she got there. "Is that why you asked me out to dinner tonight? Because you thought I'd have a weak moment tell you some deep dark secret?
"I should have known better," she muttered. "My business is my own, Uchiha. I don't need to explain myself—anything. I've made that clear."
She stepped past him and continued to her door; but there he was again, hand on it to hold it closed. "I'm not in the mood to play this game with you tonight. Move, Uchiha; before I move you myself."
His eyes were soft on hers. "Aren't you worried about what your doing could do to your son? If they're ok attacking you in full daylight what makes you think they won't target Isao, Sakura?"
She stilled.
"Damnit, Haruno…! Let me in," he ordered and pleaded at once. "I want to help you, but I can't do that if you—."
"It's because of Isao that I have to do this, Sasuke," she whispered strongly, not looking at him. "Now… move."
"Sak—."
In one swift motion he was shoved aside, taken wholly off guard as she slipped into the house. He recovered quickly and went after her, somehow managing to avoid being pressed between the door and jam.
"Go home, Sasuke."
"Not until you talk to me."
She whirled on him, green eyes aflame. "I have nothing to say to you. Nothing. You've spied on me, tricked me, and numerous other offenses that have tallied up over the years, Uchiha. Now if you don't want to find yourself on an IV drip by tomorrow morning I suggest you leave."
"Could you guys keep it down? Or at least take it outside? I'm trying to read here."
For a brief moment the anger washed out of her as Sakura heard her son's voice and turned around. He was sitting on the couch, little book in hand with a curious brow raised. For a moment she felt awful; never had she or Sasuke ever argued in front of him. It was one of the few things they always agreed on.
But then her eyes slid to the book in his hand and panic set in. "What are you doing with that?" she whispered harshly in disbelief as she crossed the room and snatched it up.
He looked even more confused. "What… that?" He gave a shrug. "I found it on the coffee table. I didn't get that far, but it's pretty boring. I skimmed a lot because it's like every three or four lines she mentions love, faith and hope. It's really distracting to a reader when that pops up a lot.
"Just saying."
Sakura went physically quiet as her son's words washed over her. He's literary analysis wasn't surprising; he just didn't use it very often. But she didn't even care about that; she didn't hear it at all. It was what he said about the words.
Fragments began to fall into place in her mind, sorting themselves out and making sense. She felt elation bubbling, crying to get out at her realization and her son's inadvertent revelation.
Suddenly, a smile broke across her features. She engulfed Isao in a sudden hug, pressing him so tightly to her she wasn't all that shocked by his complaints. "You're absolutely wonderful! Thank you, thank you..!"
"Well…. Duh. Wait… what did I do? Mom…?"
She pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Thank you," she whispered once more in finality. She ran to her study, journal in tow and ready to go to work and accomplish something. She slammed the door behind her, pulled paper out of drawers and located something to write with; in her haste she knocked things over and didn't bother picking them up. She was so focused that when she pressed the tip of her pen to parchment and opened the book to begin she didn't even notice Sasuke's entrance.
"Sakura."
She didn't respond; he didn't hear him. Already she was scribbling letters down as one hand on the journal trailed a finger over words. Her heart was hammering in her chest.
Finally.
Finally.
She could cry; right there. But she wouldn't. All of her hard work… all of it was paying off. If this way the key, if she was right. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but, she didn't know if she could survive another dead end. Not when she felt so close.
"Sakura."
Was it the words or the letters? She couldn't decide and started making a row of both.
"Sakura!" …Nothing. She just kept scribbling and going back to the little book. He had a feeling he could scream at the top of his lungs and she wouldn't hear him. And he knew well enough the place she was at; it was the same place she got to when he was doing surgery, working a death defying heal in the field, or analyzing something that was essentially a life and death matter. Naruto liked to fondly refer to it as her Medic Mode. At the moment Sasuke found it a little frustrating.
There weren't many things that could bring her out of it, but not unless you wanted to risk losing a limb. And right now, Sasuke didn't need her in that mode. He needed her in a place where she would talk to him, listen.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking for a long while before finally coming to his only option.
It wasn't where or how he intended it to be… but, who was to say one way or the other.
He took a few steps towards her, placed a hand on her desk, and leaned over her; dark depths focused on the side of her head, the way her mess of hair fell just over her brow as her eyes shifted back and forth—calculating.
He had replayed this moment a million times in his head, even when he'd denied whole heartedly to himself he felt nothing for her. He wondered, had any of it been the same for her years ago when he left? Had she rolled in her sleep, aching and trying to fight off all the pain he caused her when she still held hope he'd come back to her… safe… seeing only her.
He could still see the stoicism she held tight to the night he confronted her, asking for the truth. He couldn't avoid the pain in her eyes even when he told himself she deserved it over and over again.
…And then Isao came into the world… and his changed drastically.
If he were to go back in time to himself and tell his twelve year old self that he might want to save some time and heartache, because that's all he would get by not giving in and just loving her, he was sure there was no way in hell he would believe him.
No way in hell.
"Sakura… I love you."
At first a few moments passed; he thought she hadn't heard him. But then the clatter of a pen hitting the floor echoed as the only sound in the room. He watched her carefully as her whole body turned stiff, tense. If he looked anywhere by her eyes, which were now endlessly focused on his, he would see the slight shake in her hand as she whispered, "…What?"
He swallowed, trying to clear his throat and calm the rapid hammering of his heart; it came all at once, unexpectedly and quickly. "I said… I love you.
"Do I have you attention now?"
She just stared at him.
"Sakura?"
"H…How can you…" she started, trying to gather herself, her wits.
He took the opportunity to kneel between her legs. He placed his hands on her thighs and focused on her constrained gaze. "Sakura… talk to me. What are you trying to do? What does it have to do with my brother?" His voice was soft.
She frowned and he could see hesitance in her gaze; the shift was instant.
"Please, Sakura."
"…You won't believe me," she whispered finally.
"Why?"
She held his gaze, but didn't reply right away.
He waited.
"Sasuke… don't do this me."
"What are you afraid of?" His grip on her thighs tensed, thumbs rolling softly.
She glanced over at her desk, at the journal.
"Sakura, talk to me. I can't help you if you don't. What you dabbling in here… whatever it is, it's too much. You're going to end up killed doing it alone… Isao might. I just…" he paused, gathering himself.
"You'll hate me, Sasuke," she was still whispering. "Regardless of what you think of me, I don't want that."
His eyes narrowed as he listened to her, letting her words fall over him. He tried to piece together everything that had happened over the past few days… weeks. He tried to remember what she'd done, any details.
He thought hard.
"You've always been neutral when people speak against him, even me. You told Isao he was a good man. You said you weren't in love with him.
"Was that a lie, Sakura?" He couldn't help the burn in his chest over that possibility.
"What?" she blinked. "No—I—."
"You always seem to be in his corner. Be honest with me."
"That's not it!" she shouted, finally showing some anger again; at the same time she stood up and he had no choice but to do the same. "You just…! You don't know!"
White-hot aggression hit him at her accusation and what it could mean. "Then tell me why you insist on passively protecting the man who murdered my family!"
"Because he was innocent!"
Sakura's hand slapped over her mouth; the quiet that was once in the room returned like a plague. It stayed for a long while until Sakura fell back into her chair. "Kami…," she whispered to herself. She took a deep breath while he stood there, unwilling to make himself move as he focused on her and her admission.
Shock. He was in shock. He felt the waves of it rush over him, replacing anger, aggression, fear, and worry; it pricked at his every nerve. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears. Sakura's breathing, his own, blared as noise from a speaker. A bird chirped just outside an open window; Sakura's chair creaked as she moved slightly.
"I didn't want to tell you. Not until I had evidence. But you just…" She trailed off. "I'm not sure what to say now."
"The truth."
She looked up at him and held his gaze, locking.
"Tell me the truth, Sakura."
She licked her lips. "I don't know if you—."
"I'm tired of excuses, push offs, everything." He snapped, having finally reached his limit as much as she had. "Don't tell me on top of all that you think I can't handle it." He took hold of the extra chair in her room and slid it over across from her; he took a seat. "For once, Sakura—trust me."
She exhaled long and low. Her hands moved to clasp together in her lap. She stayed that way for a while and then leaned back in her chair. Her gaze leveled on his calmly, but at the same time a little shaken.
"Whatever I say to you, please don't interrupt me."
"Alright."
She nodded and took another breath. "Nearly thirteen years ago Naruto, Sai, Yamato, and myself were on a retrieval mission for you." Before he could say anything she added, "But you know that already." She turned and reached for the day old bottle of water on her desk and opened the cap to take a sip before she went on. "It was growing close to dusk so we stopped to eat and discuss how much more time it would take to get to our destination.
"But, Naruto had gotten hungry on the way and ate something he shouldn't have. It wasn't poisonous, but it was enough to give him a stomach ache. Because I was angry at him I went off alone to search for herbs to make a remedy." She frowned; idly, her thumbs rubbed the side of the bottle in her hands. "We'd already done a survey of the area, so Yamato didn't see any danger it and figured it would help me blow some steam off.
"If he only knew." She smiled. "I walked into a clearing, looking for a root that preferred to grow where the sun shone in the middle of the day. When I looked up to get a better grip of my surroundings after stepping out…" she trailed off a moment and looked at him, really looked at him. "It was the first time in my life I had accepted death. I looked right into your brother's eyes, saw red and black, and knew I wasn't going home. I told myself he'd already caught me in his genjutsu.
"By myself? I didn't stand a chance." She shook her head. "Before we could say two words to each other the cave-in happened. The ground swallowed us up and knocked me unconscious. I'm not sure how much time passed before I woke up and realized where we were; it could have been hours. When I did I also realized I couldn't use much of my chakra."
"Because of the mineral rock," Sasuke added. "I read the report."
She nodded. "Itachi could use his Sharingan for no more than a minute at a time and couldn't for about ten minutes after each time he activated it. He was also badly injured in his left shoulder. Given all of that, he was essentially no threat to me at the time. We needed each other to survive… so…"
"You made the best of it."
"I did," she agreed. "We walked the cave system for six hours, trying to find a way out so we could go our separate ways." She rubbed a thumb along the cap of the bottle. "But I insisted on taking a break. We needed to eat and I had to take a better look at the damage to his left shoulder."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "But, you couldn't do anything because of the mineral rock…"
She nodded as she took another sip from her bottle. "You're right, I couldn't. Not by myself. I knew I could summon chakra to any place in my body at full force; however, once it started to break the surface of my skin? That's when it would weaken." She set her bottle down, finally tired of fiddling with it. "I theorized that if I had Itachi bring his chakra to the injured area of his body I could use what little chakra I had to manipulate his into fixing the damage."
"It worked I assumed," he said.
She smiled, but he could see bitterness in it. "It worked a little better than it should have. The combination of the miner rock and my chakra coming in contact with his in a complicated way made a bad mixture. As a result, we exchanged memories of our lives.
"…And that's when I first found out your brother was not the man he was painted to be." The smile waned a little; it softened. He could see she wasn't really looking at him. Eventually, her eyes turned to look somewhere else and her lids half shut. "What I saw was a complicated mess of images and voices that eventually came together and told a story," she admitted quietly, quieter than before. "What I tell you next, Sasuke… you must understand is from your brother's eyes. You may not agree with it, it may upset you—what I say next. But, no matter what you feel, remember this is how he saw it and I'm only the voice of those memories."
She didn't wait for him to respond or accent his agreement, reluctant or not. "Your brother was expected to be the very best from a very young age. Your father wanted nothing less; failure was not acceptable. He always felt the brunt of that and did his upmost to live up to it.
"ANBU was not his choice. He did it at the urgings of Fugaku, thinking this was just another way for his father to push him further. But then he was ordered to act as a spy to the Hokage, and it all became very clear. Even so, Itachi did what was asked of him by his clan without complaint." Sakura shut her eyes. "It wasn't long after that he found himself working for Hokage to be spy to the Uchiha.
"Itachi became a double agent, wholly unsure of where his loyalties lay. But he left concern out of it until he found out the Uchiha wanted to overthrow Konoha… and in the process… kill hundreds of innocent civilians and people he cared about who were not clan members." She looked up at Sasuke, meeting his gaze once more. "He didn't want to do that.
"He chose Konoha.
"He told the Hokage everything he knew and waited for his decision. In the end…"
"…He was ordered to kill the Uchiha," Sasuke finished for her.
She nodded. "There's more to it than that, but yes." She waited to see what he would do, but when he kept sitting there—waiting—she went on. "He left you alive on the promise that if Konoha protected you he would keep the village's secrets. Then he went rogue, making you think he hated you. In truth… he held nothing but affection for you.
"When I saw this I couldn't help but understand him. In that moment I realized he and I had something common.
"We both loved you very much." She reached for the bottle and took another sip; it wasn't easy to keep herself composed, but she needed a moment to do that. "He was hesitant to trust me; he was worried if I examined him again we'd have another experience. I kept pushing, realizing he wasn't going to hurt me until he gave him. I finished repairing his shoulder and…
"…well, we just kept trying to stay alive." The cap clicked back into place as she closed it. "But, that's not all you want to know." She looked up at him again, green depths soft and understand; although, at the same time a little apprehensive. "You want to know why I slept with him."
Sasuke's lips parted slightly, but he didn't say anything.
When she spoke again her voice was more direct than ever. "I wasn't in love with Itachi, Sasuke. We were stuck in underground for week. It was a stressful situation that scared the hell out me. I thought I was going to die somewhere near the end and all I wanted to do was go home.
"Most of all, I wanted to see you and say all the things I thought I never would again." She sighed.
"When we did do it I was the one to initiate. Because I needed him as much as he needed me; because I loved him—even if I wasn't in love—and wanted to give him some sense of happiness in this pitiful void of an existence he let himself lead out of a combination of sacrifice and for love of you.
"For a moment, we shared the same pain—you. It was that level of understanding that created your nephew, Sasuke."
It was an odd mixture of warmth, confusion, and pain that crept over him at her words. He wanted to ask her more about right then, but, he needed her to finish. "There's more still, isn't there?"
"Yeah…" she exhaled the word. "A lot more."
"I'm not going anywhere until were done, Sakura."
"I know." She twisted her chair around and grabbed the journal off the desk. When she moved it back around to face him again she was staring down at it. "We found a way out of the cavernous system of tunnels, and at the same time we felt your chakra pass by. I wanted to go to you, but Itachi immobilized me against my wishes. I didn't want to see either of you fight, and I knew he meant to lose." She bit her lower lip. "I woke up some time after the battle and found you; Itachi's body was gone and I could only assume his teammate Kisame retrieved it. You were unconscious, so I took you somewhere safe… and the rest you know…"
His eyes were narrowed and his chin rested on his knuckles; his other arm wrapped about his waist as he took on a scrutinizing air. "But what about now?"
"Before I found out I was pregnant I made a decision about my ordeal. I wanted to prove Itachi was innocent—somehow. But, I didn't know where to start, or how to do any of it without rifling through confidential files illegally. Still, there was this part of me that didn't want to believe the Third had actually ordered such a thing without trying for negotiations first. He wasn't like that.
"Getting pregnant made things both worse and better. It forced me to drive myself to find answers. It wasn't just about Itachi anymore, or proving anything to you because I still loved you; it also became about making a life for my son he could be proud of.
"I spent the better part of his life trying to do that, always reaching a dead end, always stuck in miles of paperwork. So much so that Tsunade tried to beg me off the trail several times. But… I couldn't. I couldn't do that you… Itachi… Isao." The book was tightly gripped in her hand as her eyes became wild with the frustration of her memories… the years that felt wasted. She was so lost in her own wash of it she jumped when she felt a hand on her wrist, a thumb rubbing patterns into her skin.
She didn't need to look to know whose it was; and so her eyes closed briefly and opened before she continued. "And then I found a lead the day you came home with Isao to talk to me; a marriage certificate for one Uchiha Sasami. It didn't give her maiden name, but, it outlined that she hadn't been an Uchiha by birth.
"I was elated. This, I told myself, was the lead a needed. There was a chance, a very good one, that she still had a living family. So I went to the birth and death records department and had them look into it for. Only they couldn't find anything… and it wasn't like me to get my hopes up. In the end though, I was crushed…"
It suddenly made sense to Sasuke. That was the night they'd given into each other; when they'd both had a moment of weakness and she'd shred some of her armor. For a brief blip in time… Sakura had just been Sakura. "And then?"
"The next day someone from the department came to my office right before I went to eat lunch with you and gave me a name and address."
"Kato Rukia."
"Yes," she agreed. "And that's where I got this." She held up the book, looking at him seriously. "I've spent the rest of my time trying to figure out if this was in code after Rukia told me just who Uchiha Sasami was."
"Shishui's wife and Itachi's teammate."
"Yes, exactly." She set the book down on the desk. "And the more I read of the journal, the more I spoke to Rukia, the more I found out. For one, the day before the night of Uchiha clan meeting Itachi was absent from Shisui confided in Sasami about a scroll that needed to be decoded. He said the 'king' and the 'court' had been compromised and that he was going to miss the meeting that night to see Itachi about it.
"Then I got this midnight visitor. A contact who wouldn't reveal themselves telling me the mission—Itachi's—had been a fake. The clue was in the journal and all I had to do was figure it out. But, I had be careful because whoever Shisui had stolen the fake mission scroll from was keeping an eye out for me.
"They knew I had Sasami's book. But," she went on, "there's more still. After Shishui's death Sasami went missing for a week. They didn't find her again until they found her body amongst those the morning after the massacre." After that Sakura couldn't stop talking; because now he knew everything and she wanted to tell him what she'd concluded.
"Up until today I only theorized that Shisui and Samsami were sympathetic to Konoha and secretly on Itachi's side. Only, I don't think either of them talked to Itachi about it, or else I'd know about from the connection I shared with him in the caves. I think Shisui planned on telling him the night he was murdered.
"He was spying on Itachi with orders from the clan, so Itachi might not have thought to confide in him—or maybe he didn't think he could trust him. I'm not sure. Either way, Shisui, I believe, followed Itachi when he received his covert mission to annihilate the Uchiha. He only got so far, so he didn't know what was going on exactly. But he knew enough to take the scroll.
"Customarily, confidential mission documents are sealed written in code; he took it to Sasami to decode and went to meet with Itachi and tell him what was going on in secret. But, when he got there, someone was waiting on him and made it look like a suicide. By the time Itachi showed up it was too late. There was nothing he could do. Not wanting the clan to think it'd been his doing with such sensitive orders on the line, he left all as it was." She took a breath, a drink from her bottle, and went on.
"Sasami, not knowing what to think and with Itachi in the dark about all of it, took the scroll and went into hiding. I believe she decoded it and hid it somewhere. For whatever reason… she returned to the compound the night of the massacre and met her end…" Sakura picked up the journal again, tapping it as she spoke, "I think the key to finding the scroll is in here. It wasn't until tonight that I had anything to go on to decode it. But then Isao mentioned something." She opened it and flipped to the part where Sasami's quote was written. "In all things one must first look for love, hope and faith," she read out loud.
Sasuke looked at where she pointed with scrutinizing eyes. "Alright…"
"It's the key!" she said a little too loudly. "I didn't notice it before, but, every two or three sentences she mentions one of those words. This whole time I was looking for something complicated and difficult; but she made it easy because no one would expect that.
"She says first in the quote, indicating the first word, or letter of every sentence. So, for every sentence that contains one of those words you have to take the first word or letter—I'm not sure which yet. If I can do that and write it all down, then I can locate the scroll, and find out who did this.
"Don't you see, Sasuke," she breathed with half contained excitement, "It wasn't his fault, none of it. Someone used him and ruined his life—your life."
"…If you're right."
"I know I am." She smiled confidently now. "And I had one more surprise today that I believe confirms it; for me it does."
His mind was a whirlwind of information he was still trying to process; he wasn't sure he could take more. Hell, the shock still hadn't worn off. But… if she was right…
"I'm listening," he said rather mutely.
"I got blood work back on Kato Hiro today; he'd come back from a mission a few days ago with a bacterial infection and I needed to take a closer look.
"Sasuke, do you know what I found out?" The question was almost rhetorical. She barely paused before going on. "Hiro has Uchiha blood cells. Now, before you tell me I'm full of shit, I didn't believe it either—not right away. So I did a double check on your file and compared the two. The cells that mark the potential for a Sharingan are there, plain as day. But I felt like I needed more, so I pulled Sasami's file and looked there.
"Same cells. Do you know that that means?" She waited for him to say something, but he still had that look on his face like he hadn't taken it all in yet and didn't know what to do with it.
"Sasami and Rukia are Uchiha," she finally said, "But then I wondered, why didn't Hiro or his brother have the Sharingan yet? They're old enough now. So I did a check on Hiro and found out someone sealed away his ability to activate it.
"Someone went through a lot of trouble to hide the fact that Hiro and his brother were Uchiha. But if Sasami did it, why? If she were afraid of losing her sister and her nephews during the coup then why not simply tell everyone they were Uchiha?
"But then I thought about Itachi… and the heavy cloud that hung around him and his own memories. I thought about how much he loved you and I realized Sasami didn't want her civilian family mixed up in clan politics. But at the same time she didn't want them hurt during the coup anymore than anyone else.
"Like Itachi, she loved Konoha and she didn't want to lose that."
After that Sakura was quiet, not having anything left to say. She'd told him everything she knew—everything. No, that wasn't true; she'd gotten that note today from her contact.
"Is that it?"
"No, there's one more thing," she admitted as she looked at his impassive features. She wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad sign. "Today I got a note from my contact telling me things were getting tighter and that I should watch out because something bigger was going on.
"I'm running out of time, Sasuke. That's why I need to decode this book now and find that scroll. If the enemy gets it… then there's no hope for Itachi… or Isao. Your brother doesn't deserve that; your nephew doesn't."
He sighed and closed his eyes, finally looking away from her.
"So, what are going to do about? Stop me? Yell at me? Tell me I'm lying to you? Tell me I'm in love with your brother again?"
"Are you trying to start a fight with me?" His eyes snapped to hers.
"No."
"Then why are you on the offensive?"
She raised a brow. "I've almost never had a reason not to be, Sasuke. Look at my life, and ask me, why am I not always on the offensive?"
He sighed again and looked away, elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. He wasn't sure he could fault her there. "Sakura…this is a lot of information for me to process. What do you expect me to say?"
"I expect you to believe me and help me, like you said you were." Her eyes narrowed. "Look, I understand your feelings about brother—more than you know, Uchiha. You can't wash away all of that overnight, regardless of the evidence smacking you right in the face. But, if you can't see past your hurt to do this for him then at least think of your nephew and what this could mean for him. Sacrifice your feelings and put aside your anger… jealousy even, over something I did when we were teenagers… And think how this could improve my son's life."
"I never said I didn't believe you."
"But you didn't jump to say you did either."
Silence.
She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off.
"I'll help you."
That was all she needed to hear. With a soft smile she turned back to the journal and opened it. The pen was retrieved from the floor and she moved to go back to work. "Ok, now what I need you to do is—."
Suddenly she was out of her chair, wrapped in his embrace, and being kissed very thoroughly. His hands were fisted on her shirt back, holding her tightly as he sucked in a break through his nose and invaded her mouth with tongue. At first she was too taken aback to respond in any way. But then she did—gradually; she kissed him back as the action slowed and he pulled his head back. His forehead bumped onto hers and he exhaled a breath raggedly.
"Sasuke…?" she asked softly.
His small bark of laughter surprised her, and even worried her a little. Her brow knit.
"Somewhere… in all of that information… I distinctly remember you saying something about still loving me.
"Do you, Sakura?"
His dark abyssal hues were penetrating her, sinking into her and demanding an honest answer. She felt her heart strain at the question, the look he connected to her with. Her jaw went a little slack as she tried to discern through the shock of him being so direct an answer.
But then, he should know already. For so long, she was one knocking and he wasn't answering.
"Sasuke," she whispered, her eyes slightly narrowed and soft, "I—."
"Mom!"
Both of them broke apart as the door to the study slammed open and bounced against the wall.
Sakura blinked. "Isao? What's wrong?"
"Some people are here for you; ANBU types saying they need you right away."
For some reason, that didn't sound right. "Where are they now?"
"In the living room waiting on you."
She sighed, a little frustrated that her work had been interrupted again. "Alright, I'm coming."
She followed after her son, Sasuke but a few steps behind her. There were four of them there, all masked and geared out. "Can I help you?" she asked.
One of them stepped forward. "The Hokage wants you."
Sakura raised a brow. "And she needed to send four of you to tell me that…?" Somehow that didn't sound right to her.
"It's an order, Haruno."
While it was true that ANBU didn't usually explain themselves… there was generally some sort of leeway, especially with her. This wasn't like the usual breed at all. She tested the waters. "Let her know I'm on my way then. I need to grab a few things."
"You're to come now."
"Just out of curiosity, before I go, mind showing me your tongues?"
He stiffened visibly. "And why would you need to do that?"
"Oh you know, to confirm you're not Root."
And that's when the attack started.
AN :: Do you know this chapter was almost 13k words? 13k! …. That's a lot of words, damnit—for me! Hell, for one chapter for me, really.
So a lot went on here, huh? Sakura got a warning, information, revealed the truth to Sasuke and quite possibly found the key to decoding the journal. And nooooow they're under attack. Isn't it awesome? You bet your ass it is.
I should wrap this up in about five more chapters; but! if you think this is the end of the surprises in store to read, you're dead wrong. I've got a few left. Can you guess what they are?
—Blade