Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Naruto.
Sakura was nervous. Itachi would see that the necklace was missing. He would ask where it was. He would be angry, no, furious, if he knew Sasuke had broken it in a fit of rage. If he discovered that Sasuke had also kissed her, then tried to kill her because of her betrayal, she had no doubt he would go on a manhunt. Not that, at this point, she would feel too badly for Sasuke after what he had done, but she did not necessarily want him to die.
She stared at her tired reflexion in the mirror, sighing sadly. She grabbed the brush from the top of her dresser, running it through her pink hair. Sakura curled the locks behind her ears, then stretched her neck to look at the spot there had once been a red, bruising mark, no thanks to Itachi. She blushed at the memories of what had happened the last time she had seen him, smiling at how gentle he really had been. He must have been using all of his self-control to keep himself from going too far.
Sakura had no doubt in her mind that Itachi had been with plenty of other women before her, even if the thought sent unpleasant twinges through her heart. She did not want to imagine what he had done with those various, faceless women, and where those women where now, but flashes of him holding, kissing, touching those women left a bitter taste in her mouth. They were all tall, older than she was, beautiful.
She shook her head, ridding herself of such tormenting thoughts. All that mattered now was that she was his, and he would never do anything to hurt her. Tsunade had made it clear to her that Itachi was not the man he was made out to be, and Sakura would trust her shishou. Even if he would be angry she had been hurt by his younger brother, and cruelly taken advantage of, he would never lash out at her.
Giving a weak grin to her image in the mirror, she tied on her hitai-ate, then grabbed her weapons pouch, Itachi's medication already prepared and packed inside. Snatching a peach on her way out for the road, Sakura locked the door behind her, bracing herself for the cool, morning air. As always, there was very few people awake with her, though she waved wearily to Gai-sensei and Lee, who were already on their warm-up run for the day. They had, much to her amusement, sent a thumbs-up in her direction, before dashing into the training grounds.
Kotetsu gave her an odd look as she signed out for her mission, but said nothing. She bit her lip anxiously, because she knew he had been one of the people who had tried to get through her traps to deliver Tsunade's message. She supposed that it was strange for her to lock herself in the night before, and now was walking out of Konoha, as if nothing had happened. She turned and waved on her way out of the gates. Kotetsu and Izumo both returned it, their facial expressions giving away their bewilderment.
She giggled once out of hearing distance, bitting into her fresh, succulent peach. She wiped the sweet juice from her chin as it dribbled down her face using the back of her hand, having forgotten to bring a napkin.
Sakura licked the sticky juices from her fingers, throwing the pit of her eaten peach into the surrounding greenery. Silently, she wondered if she should even let Itachi know about what Sasuke had done to her in his jealous fit. Between the broken necklace and stolen kiss. Then the murder attempt. There was that, too. He would notice her uneasiness though, he would see that she was not wearing his precious gift. When he asked what had happened, Sakura knew she would be unable to lie to him.
Resigned to her fate, Sakura contemplated over the different things she could have to do to calm the man. It would be shocking if he was not angered by his little brother, and a miniscule, still unconvinced part of her dreaded to see what he turned into when infuriated. The majority of her though, was already certain of his character, that there were things he would not enjoy sharing about his past with her. Things that could, very possibly, redeem him.
Sakura wanted so badly to be able to trust him, even though all her training as a kunoichi demand her not to. Until he spilt his dirty secrets, however, she was resolved to not put her complete faith in the S-class criminal. He was kind, caring, and dare she think it, loving. Towards her, that is.
There was two things that held her back from utterly reciprocating what he had shown her so far. Though she was far from resisting the man, it was much to late for her to be doing that, but she had yet to fully trust him. Those reasons being, she was not sure how he acted around people besides her; for all she knew, the man she had fallen for did not even exist. As for the other reason, Sakura doubted she would ever be capable of putting all of her faith in a man who did not trust her enough to share his secrets.
Rubbing her hands together to create heat with the friction, Sakura sighed longingly. What she wished for more than her own ability to believe in him was for him to have a level of confidence in her that allowed him to reveal his past to her. She may have been insane, but Sakura wanted to know what had happened on that awful night, she yearned to hear his vantage point on that fateful act. Nothing was at it seemed, and Uchiha Itachi had spun a web of lies around himself so tightly that she could only catch glimpses of who he truly was on the inside.
What would it take to unravel a man woven so deeply in his own deception? A part of her doubted he would even let her get a further look into his true person, so until he would allow her to, Sakura supposed there was only one thing she could do. If she wanted him to trust her, so she could trust him, she would have to prove herself worthy of it. This was all going to push her to the point of insanity, she could tell.
Finally, the small dango shop came into view ahead in the distance. Sakura sighed in exasperation, seeing Itachi already there, what appeared to be an empty plate and cup of tea set to his side, that damned mask fixed over his face. She could not help but to smile to herself at his ridiculous actions. She reached him at last, putting two hands on her hips, her lips curling upwards in amusement and all of her weight shifting to one foot.
"Is there any point in you wearing that, ANBU-san?" She asked mockingly, tapping her foot. Sakura could practically feel his smirk oozing through the cracks of his mask, and it made her impatient. He knew that wearing the hawk mask would annoy her, and that had been his only purpose in putting it on. Well, she was not going to let him get away with it.
His smooth, rich voice was a deep purr as he responded to her question, making her stomach flop in a ways she could not decide was pleasant or not. "Then why don't you do something about it, Sakura? I'm not stopping you this time." There was a sense of masculine pride in his tone that told her he knew precisely what he was doing to her insides. Sakura refused to be affected further, if it was for the sake of his entertainment.
"Maybe I will, then." She grumbled back, taking her hands from her hips, stepping forward to stand in the gap between his legs. Sakura stared for a moment at his ghostly mask, with its predator-like features, as it stared right back up at her. Gentle, slender fingers danced along the porcelain edges of his mask, the feathery touches of her fingertips against his neck sending noticeable shivers through his body.
She sighed, slowly, at a pace that was meant to taunt him, she began to lift the mask from his face, showing first his chin, then his thin, moist lips. Eyes shuttering closed, Sakura lowered her mouth, kissing the smooth skin of his chin with the faint feel of a butterfly. She moved the mask over his sharp nose, skipping over his lips to kiss him there as well, before revealing his high, noble cheeks, softly kissing him again, before lifting the mask above his eyes. Their dark, smothering depths were gazing up at her in confusion, watching her as she kissed his forehead.
"You forgot something." He whispered softly, his hands sneaking their way to rest on her hips. Sakura shook her head in disagreement, smiling back at him.
"I didn't forget. I was saving it for last." She murmured back, her breath catching in her throat as red, plump lips parted, his own mouth already open. Sakura angled her head slightly, moving to meet him. Their warm breath mixed together, and he moved the last of the distance between them, unwilling to wait any longer.
Itachi was not one to be impatient, but when he saw those tempting, sweet lips part for his enjoyment, he could not sit still for a moment more. He strained his neck to possess her fully, her lips massaging against his in a way that could easily drive him incapable of thought. He sucked on her lower lip abusively, nibbling tenderly on it, as he listened to her quiet moaning. Her slim figure cinched closer into him, her arms wrapping around his neck.
Sakura felt engulfed by his heady scent, unable to get enough of it. Almost suddenly though, he froze, his hands placed on the base of her throat, just where his necklace should have been. Startled, Sakura went still as well, slowly, breaking away from his kiss.
"What happened?" He implored in a subdued tone of voice. He could tell she was concerned about the necklace he had gifted her, and she was afraid of what he could say or do. That was the last thing he wanted her to feel while around him, though he supposed it was the safest, most understandable emotions for her to feel. Fear.
That necklace he had left around her neck had been one of his most precious possessions. Not that the jewelry was all that expensive, or worth much in a material way, but it had been something he had since a young age. It was somewhat old-fashioned, and an Uchiha tradition that had been kept since the beginnings of his dead clan. His father, Fugaku, had once upon a time, given it to his mother, before he had been the head of the Uchiha clan. When Itachi reached what was considered adulthood by the Uchiha standards, at forming his first fire jutsu, his mother had given it to him. From the age of five, he had been instructed to give the pendant to a woman he deemed worthy.
It was a proclamation that she belonged to him, as the clan heir. Though there was no way for her to become his wife in the future, with Sasuke sealing his fate in the coming months. It had never been meant as that to him, but rather, it was to show that when she was someone's wife, someone's mother, she had once belonged to him. She had been his before anyone else's. He wanted, when he was gone, for the world to know that she had been his beloved.
Sakura did not have the courage to look him in the eye. "I ran into your brother on my last mission." She whispered, her chin lowering, her lip quivering. A million thoughts ran through Itachi's head at that simple statement. Of course Sasuke would have recognized the necklace, and would have known better than anyone else what it represented. Itachi had not considered what could happen should she run into his brother, had not even thought that Sakura would run into Sasuke.
He knew what Sasuke would have done at seeing the necklace. He would have been infuriated, enough to charge at poor, oblivious Sakura and attack. Sasuke always had had a problem with thinking ahead. Now, Sakura was likely to be blaming herself, because she had not a single clue to what that chain she had been wearing represented. Perhaps it was best that he cleared that up, so she could stop accusing herself for whatever Sasuke had done.
"He...he was angry at me. He snapped the necklace chain in half, then..." Her voice cut off, a strangled sob escaping from the back of her throat. She tried to hide her face in her hands, but Itachi would not allow it. He gently grabbed her wrists, dragging them away from her face. Sakura felt so ashamed, both for letting him see her cry so pathetically, but also for almost admitting how easily Sasuke had taken advantage of her. The look in his dark eyes, though, filled with an unfamiliar sense of concern and care, it unsettled her.
"What did Sasuke do to you, Sakura?" He asked softly, keeping her from hiding her face from him. Sakura felt so pitiful, for breaking down, for acting like a child. She met his gaze with shame.
"He kissed me." She said so faintly, Itachi had barely heard her. He had not needed to though, he read the words straight from her lips. Itachi felt his throat dry up. The necklace was one thing, but Sasuke had certainly made a statement, kissing the woman he had claimed as his own.
Never before had Itachi felt so angry with his younger brother. There were plenty of times he had been frustrated with Sasuke, but nothing tantamount to how he felt now. Sasuke still had no idea how much he had sacrificed for him throughout his miserable life. Now, when he finally had one, last thing that could make him somewhat happy with his life, Sasuke had to ruin that to. He had given up so much for him, but Sasuke could not allow him to have even this one thing in his last days.
For the first time in his life, Itachi had a strong urge to let Sasuke continue being miserable, to hunt him down for as long as he wanted, but never let him have the peace of mind he deserved. He wanted to let Sakura perform the operation to cure him of his rare disease, and steal her away. To make her utterly his, in every sense of the word. Never had the compulsion to be selfish ever been so strong. For a moment, Itachi even wished that he had never let Sasuke live, and killed him with the rest of his clan.
He regretted the thought the moment it appeared, and now, he knew he had something more important to deal with than his longing to ruin Sasuke further. Sakura was hurt, and it was his duty to sooth her pain. Somewhat awkwardly, he pulled her into his lap wrapping his two arms about her shaking form almost uncertainly. She did not reject the contact, not that he had really expected her to, and rested her head in the crook of his neck. Itachi sighed, his ridged muscles relaxing somewhat in his hold, his hand moving up and down her back in an attempt to put her at ease.
"This is my fault, not yours." He breathed into her locks of pink hair. "I should have warned you, told you what the necklace represents." Itachi whispered sorrowfully. She whimpered softly, sneaking closer to him. "I am not angry with you," he added as an afterthought, "but with myself, for allowing this to happen to you."
Sakura shook her head. "No, I should have been able to stop him, but I couldn't. I was too weak, and that is no one's fault but mine."
Itachi sighed. "That necklace has run through my family for decades, perhaps longer. My father gave it to my mother when courting her, and she gave it to me when I came of age for the same intention. Sasuke is one of the few people who still knows of its existence, and what it represents. I had not thought he would run into you like this." He told her, noticing when she froze in shock.
Sakura felt herself go red in the face. She had no idea how important that necklace was, or how big the implications of his giving it to her were. Itachi felt much more for her than she had thought, and it scared her a little. He was a grown man, and she supposed it was natural for him to be thinking about finding himself a wife, and producing children of his own.
The thought of being the mother to Itachi's children made her pulse jump. Perhaps Itachi had much more faith in her than originally thought. "And you decided to give me something so precious?" She asked anxiously.
Itachi wondered why this bothered her so much. "I did," he said, pulling her chin up and smirking slightly at her flushed expression. She looked up at him, wide-eyed and mystified. A smile broke across her swollen lips, a soft laugh of relief escaping. She giggled on, until a clumsy, crooked grin wound the corners of his mouth upwards. Sakura loved that silly, almost uncomfortable smile of his, because it was so rare when he showed it to her.
"Do you have it with you now?" Itachi asked calmly. As he expected, another embarrassed blush reddened on her cheeks. She looked off to the distance though, a strange expression on her face.
"I couldn't leave without it." She replied mutedly, her face turning rosier by the moment. He quirked his eyebrow at her, curious why she seemed so abashed by the fact she had the necklace on her person.
"Well, can I see it?" He drawled out, holding his hand out. Sakura sighed, her face so red she was sure she would start turning purple. To say Itachi was bewildered by Sakura's silence was an understatement. "I'm not angry with you, Sakura. I just want to see if I can fix it." He elaborated. She huffed, standing up. Itachi frowned, not understanding why she was acting so peculiarly.
"Close your eyes first." She mumbled. Still confused, Itachi followed her order, his curiosity reaching a peak. His ears picked up the subtle sound of metal moving against metal, which he assumed was a zipper. There was a moment where she was shuffling with cloth, and then the zipper was moving back up again. Finally, she cleared her throat and he had permission to open his eyes again. She refused to even look in his direction.
She held out the chain for him though, and he took it to inspect the damage taken. Thankfully, it was not as bad as he had imagined, but the first thing he noticed about it was that it was unnaturally warm, as if it had been in contact with her skin. His eyes widened when he realized where she must have been keeping it. He stared at her, his amusement clear with his smug expression.
"You kept something I gave you in your brassier?" He asked in his mirth. Sakura sighed, unable to deny what he had said, because it was true, and she would rather not explain her reasoning. She was not being a horny teenager, which was likely what he was assuming, but rather, she had been keeping it as close to her heart as physically possible. Knowing he would not get very far in teasing her about this matter, and went back to inspecting the harm done the necklace by Sasuke.
It appeared that his younger brother had yanked it right from Sakura's neck, which while violent, made repairs simple. None of the pieces looked as if they were missing, and so he studied the ends of it. Mending it would be easy enough, so he took one of these ends, carefully opening the last of the small links, and looping it with the other end. He closed the opened link, using his nails, and the fixed necklace lay in the palm of his hand.
He stood up, gently putting the necklace back around her neck, where it belonged. Her fingers lightly grazed the warm metal, her blush of embarrassment gone, and she beamed up at him. For a moment, Sakura swore she wanted to tell him something she would never be able to take back. To her relief the urge passed as quickly as it came, and Sakura avoided saying those cursed, three words. I love you.
Itachi watched as hesitation showed in her viridian orbs, and wanted to ask her what had just happened, what she had been thinking. He almost pressed her for answers, but before he could question her, she had spoken.
"You are keeping secrets from me, Itachi." She said plainly, and a sudden feeling of guilt overwhelmed him. She was right, of course. He was keeping the truth from her, but only because he was concerned for her. The only thing telling Sakura that he had murdered his family for the sake of the village, on orders from the council, it would ruin her. How would she feel, living in a relatively peaceful place because of his selfless sacrifice? Her remorse would do nothing for either of them, and he did not want her to regret his pain. That was his to bear, not hers.
If Sakura knew the other secret he was hiding from her, she would be hurt. Hurt, and furious, because he was betraying everything she felt for him, along with his own affections. Itachi still had every intention in dying at Sasuke's hands, even if he had this inexplicable attachment to Sakura. Sakura would think, if she knew this, that he cared more for Sasuke than he did for her.
At the moment, his feelings for Sakura were uncertain. His brother had, for the majority of his life, been his most important person. That was not something easy to change, because a year and a half ago, he had been perfectly willing to give his life up for his younger brother. Now, reluctance was growing in him. Though he did not want to give up his life anymore, he was still unwilling to deviate from his original plan.
On that fateful night, on the night of the Uchiha Massacre, Itachi had given simple, subtle instructions. So far, he had not done such a good job of following them, but on his current path, Sasuke still would succeed. He had told Sasuke to kill his best friend, in hopes of gaining the Mangekyo Sharingan. He had told Sasuke to come someday, and attempt to kill him. It should have been clear to him what he was supposed to do, but of course, Sasuke had to rebel.
If Sasuke had never left Konoha out of his pathetic pride, he would have had much more of a chance to defeat him. Sasuke had been greedy though, lustful for a power that was forbidden, unnatural. He had decided to disobey his older brother, and instead of staying within the safe walls of Konohagakure, he had run off to Orochimaru. The exact opposite of what he had wanted.
Sasuke was an impatient boy though, and thought little of his future, as he was showing. Yes, he likely thought of killing him very often, but besides that, Itachi doubted Sasuke considered his future after that. The chances of Konoha taking him back after abandoning so many years back were very slim, and the only option Sasuke would have left was the life of a missing-nin.
He would not deny it. There was no dignity in the life of a missing-nin. It was nothing he had wished for Sasuke on that night. As angered as he was that his younger brother had touched, had tasted the woman he had put his claims on, Itachi did not want for him to come to the end of his days, miserable and alone in the middle of nowhere. The council was likely to execute him if they got their dirty hands on him, but, for some reason, Itachi felt he could have some confidence in Tsunade.
"This angers you, that I cannot tell you some things." Itachi responded quietly at last. Sakura, however, shook her head in disagreement.
"I know you are not the criminal everyone thinks you are, Itachi. I had felt this the moment I knew you were ANBU-san." Sakura paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, before continuing. "Something happened on the night of the massacre, and there is no use in denying it. Last night, Tsunade confirmed my thoughts."
Itachi was stunned by this statement, but did not let it show physically. He was swimming in dangerous waters, and he was not going to give Sakura too much of an advantage. At the same time, it was like inflicting a wound on himself to lie to Sakura. "There was foul-play." Itachi allowed, then firmly shutting his lips. That was all she needed to know.
What irked him was that Tsunade had spoken with her apprentice about his situation, even though she knew he did not wish to share his secret with her.
"It doesn't bother you that Tsunade knows about us? She's the Hokage." Sakura asked, sounding rather startled by this new information.
She had been right, after all. Sasuke had been wrong about the massacre, along with every other Konoha-nin. She was right, though. Sakura had been the first to see the true Uchiha Itachi, even if it was only by small, momentary glances. He had shown her, though perhaps not purposefully, that he was completely polar to the man he was made out to be.
"Tsunade-sama has known my past since her accession into the Hokage office. She has been aware of my identity from before that. We have an understanding." Itachi replied with nonchalance. Sakura stared at him, shocked by his lack of concern, and the respectful title he had attached to her name. As an S-class criminal, missing-nin listed in every published bingo book, it was his duty to be worried about ever living, breathing creature that could be a threat to his life.
The Hokage, as leader of the village he had left, should be one of the few people Itachi made a point to avoid. Yet, he had sought her out for medical expertise. That had to be one of the stupidest things a person, as a missing-nin, could do. He had to have reason for not being worried about what Tsunade could do to him. Otherwise, Sakura doubted he would be so blatantly displaying his comfort in his situation.
"She has powers to have you executed, Itachi. Why shouldn't she?" Sakura asked suspiciously, pressing him for answers he was so unwilling to give. Itachi knew, however, what she was trying to get information on. He was not going to share the terror of his past. It was for her own good.
So, he gave her a knowing, mischievous smirk, and leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Sakura, I will not explain to you how, and why, I am immune to Tsunade's wrath. If she has not told you about what happened, then she understands that it is best you don't know." He said, sitting down on the bench again.
Sakura huffed, sending him a petty glare. She did not understand why both Tsunade and Itachi refused to tell her what had happened. It was such a long time ago, so why should it still be a secret? Perhaps she would have to look through some of Tsunade's old documents. Surely there had to be something there indicating what both shinobi were so determined to keep secret.
"If you think I'm going to give up so easily on this, you have something coming, buster." Sakura retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Itachi had no doubt she was telling the truth, but it changed nothing. Sakura was not going to find any substantial information through Tsunade before his demise, and after that, it no longer mattered what she knew. It would have been too late for her to prevent his death.
Itachi did not want her to be mad, but there was nothing that could appease her, besides knowing the truth, which was not something he was prepared to tell her. If she knew, she would find it reason enough to stop him in the middle of his plan. She would probably go running off to Sasuke, saying not to hunt him down anymore, because he was not as guilty as everyone thought. He had never wanted to murder his family.
Sasuke would, after seeing reason, cancel his crazed manhunt, and Itachi would be left, alive and still accused. His main point in living now was for Sasuke to get his satisfaction, and as much as he adored Sakura, she was not going to change his fixed course. There was still that niggling voice in the back of his mind, whispering evil, cruel thoughts of what could be, if he let Sakura learn the truth.
That necklace could have a lot more meaning to it.
Images flashed in front of his mind almost unwanted. Sakura, writhing beneath him in pleasure, her figure perfect, bare and beautiful. He tried to shake it from his mind before the next thought entered his mind. Sakura, shining in all of her glory, heavy with child, his child, her hair and skin glowing with feminine grace. Moments later, while this sadistic picture was still haunting him under his closed eyelids, he saw it for himself. A young boy, with a happy, ignorant smile, red cheeks, dark hair and eyes, a wide forehead, and stubby, fat fingers as he reached in the hopes of being carried.
What a torturous image to have flashing before his eyes. Itachi grimaced, opening his eyes wearily. Sakura was staring at him in confusion, not comprehending the thought processes that had just played through his mind. The gods only knew what sort of torment she would go through, if she knew what he had been thinking about. Though, if he thought about it, such ideas already could be running through her mind, as of now.
She knew what the necklace represented now.
Sakura knew what was expected of her, a current owner of that little chain. It was a shame that she would never be able to complete the duties she suspected she would have to accomplish. He had practically told her he was courting her. Technically, he was, if it were not for the fact he was dying within the next few months. What did she feel, though? Did she want to bear him an heir?
He smiled weakly, forgoing any further thought on the subject. When he was alone, and had no audience, he would peruse the concerning point more. Now, though, while he was with Sakura, and her influence could decide his resolved fate. She was having a greater impact on his life decisions every time they met, and it was admittedly, disturbing to him. A girl he had only known for a year and a half should not be a factoring point in his life.
He sighed, the sudden urge to cough itching in the back of his throat, all previous musings flying from his mind. He had not felt the need to do so in such a long time, thanks to her medication, but now, it had to reappear. His lips formed a small frown, and his eyebrows scrunched together in discomfort. It did not go unnoticed by Sakura. His breathing became heavy, his lungs full of blood, and slowly, he felt it suffocating him. He hated this, his own weakness. He had never wanted Sakura to see him at his lowest, choking on blood and his lungs begging for clean air.
It appeared, however, that his frailty was going to finally going to be shown. His hands reached up to cover his mouth, his shoulders hunched, his back keeled over, and finally, he let it out. Painful hacking sounds escaped through his lips, racking his entire form, before blood started to seep through his fingers, dripping down his arms and onto the stone streets. He gasped for air a moment, trying to ease the burning in his chest, but another fit of coughing ensued, more blood escaping through his hands.
He only spared Sakura a weak glance, unable to offer more, before her hand was gently resting on his back, moving in small, circular motions in an attempt to relax him. He heard her curse under her breath, before a small amount of medical chakra invaded his body, inspecting the progress of his tissue deterioration. Apparently, he was much more worse off than originally thought, because she swore to herself again.
It was a few minutes before the choked coughing subsided, and all that was left was his raged, desperate breathing, his lungs wanting more oxygen than he could get to. Sakura kissed his shoulder, a worried expression on her face. She excused herself to get a rag from the waitress to clean up his bloodied face and hands.
Sakura rushed into the shop, immediately seeking out the assistance of the waitress. The waitress was more than willing to help her, showing her into the kitchen, where Sakura grabbed a cloth and bowl filled with warm water. She frowned for a moment though, remembering the medicinal tea she had packed in her bag. Though she did not want to leave Itachi alone for any longer, he would want it in the long run.
Sakura mixed the herbs with a professional skill, adding them to a mug of boiling-hot water. Swirling in a large serving of honey to sweeten it, Sakura grabbed everything, taking them out to Itachi. He was still sitting there on the bench, his shoulders heaving up and down. She walked around to the front, most of the blood that had been on his face smeared off, instead now on the back of his hand.
She set her supplies down with a tired, sad smile, dipping the cloth into the warm water before gently pressing it to his forehead, beads of sweat having collected on his pale face. A breath of relief escaped through his bloody lips, and carefully, she wiped away the crimson liquid still dripping from his chin. Wetting the rag in the bowl again, the clear water tinted a pinkish hue, but she ignored the tightening of her throat as she took one of his arms, cleaning all traces of his coughing fit away.
"I want to operate, Itachi." She whispered, taking a quick look up at his exhausted face. She was astounded when he shook his head in disagreement. Finishing up, she stood, handing him the tea she had made him. Wordlessly, he drank from it, before clearing his throat.
"No," he answered simply.
Sakura stared at him. Did he want to die? Surely he knew, as time went forward, he grew closer to his own death, until he gave up on his stubborn ambitions, and settled for letting her perform the surgery. It was bound to happen, so why was he resisting for so long, deciding to suffer the pain of his lungs slowly becoming useless? At some time, he may reach a point where he was unable to be helped.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?" She asked back. His face turned utterly blank, almost confirming her thoughts.
"Some peopled deserve to die, don't you think?" He murmured back, not looking her in the eye. She felt horrified.
Silently, she assessed the man, trying to comprehend what he was thinking. "No, I don't think anyone should die, no matter what crimes they committed." She resisted. This seemed to amuse him, though.
Itachi chuckled. The girl was so wonderfully innocent, believing that people should live, after murdering others, after committing the capital offense. That was what he admired about her the most, he supposed. She was so pure, even after a life growing up as a kunoichi. She was everything he wished he was.
She glared at him though, not finding the conversation of his death to be particularly funny.
"I am rising your dosage next time, Itachi." She muttered, still not wanting to give up on the thoughts of operating.
This, he could allow. He nodded his head, taking another sip of his tea, savoring the sweet honey flavor as it soothed his sore throat.
AN: It feels like I took forever to write this one. Not really, though.
I really like the idea of Itachi becoming a dad, I realize, after writing this. I think he would feel really awkward. LOL.
People seem concerned that I will kill Itachi. Unfortunately, I will not be releasing any of the plot before it happens, so you curious people reading this will just have to wait to see what happens. Sorry about that. Please keep reading though!