So, the next chapter is out, kind of the aftermath of the attack on Sakura c: You'll find some more ita x saku here, much more than there was last chapter x) Hope you guys enjoy it! And I am aware that things are kind of moving quickly now, but considering the fact that everyone's cards are kind of out in the open, it's kind of like people need to act fast before they miss their opportunity. You'll see what I mean ^-^
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.
Chapter 14: Reunion
A/N: Flashback is Kisame's first encounter with Madara. I wanted to keep it relatively similar to that which happened in the anime/manga. As such, most of this flashback is a direct quote from the anime episode, with the exception of the very last part. You'll understand the significance of this flashback next chapter. =]
"Good work, Kisame."
Kisame's eyes widened frantically, turning around, his hand already reaching for his sword. Of all times to be found, with a Kiri-nin lying dead before him was definitely not the time. But in his defense, Fuguki had it coming for selling information to other villages, and as such he could hardly have any remorse for his actions.
"You are well aware that this world is filled with lies and deceit." the man spoke, revealing himself to be short in stature, relatively young compared to Kisame.
Kisame couldn't help but sneer, his hand never leaving his blade, despite knowing the man before him to be the Mizukage Yagura. "I knew that from the first moment I killed a comrade. Killing a Hidden Mist Shinobi despite being one myself." There was an odd sort of paradoxical humor to it, he couldn't help but think.
"Then I shall release you from the pain of those falsehoods. I will create a place where you belong."
His eyes widened, having not sensed the second shinobi that made himself present from the shadows. "Who are you?" His aura was dark, his chakra unlike anything he had ever felt before.
If he was going to answer this question directly, he didn't make an indication of it, instead continuing on with his previous statement. "First we'll start with this nation. You have toiled to dispose of your comrades up until now. From now on, work with me as my comrade."
"You seem to have trust in me. But I still don't know who you are." He stood rigidly stiff, aware now that whoever was before him was not someone to take lightly.
He did not respond, at least not immediately, and when he had it hadn't been in any way that Kisame had expected. He had opened a lone eye, a piercing, penetrating glowing red eye staring directly at him, and it made his blood run cold as he glanced at Yagura, a mere puppet at the hands of the unknown Uchiha before him. "This world really is full of lies." he couldn't help but sneer, amused by the entirety of this cosmic irony. "So who really are you?"
"I am... Uchiha Madara..." And he as he stated this he approached Kisame slowly, the light finally revealing the Uchiha and all his glory.
Yet, despite the fear that Kisame felt enter his body, he knew he could not let this show. "If you want me as your comrade, then you will tell me everything. Everything you've done, are doing, and plan on doing. I will not be a puppet any longer." As he stated this, he released his sword slowly, to make sure that this wasn't some sort of ultimate trap, although ultimately intrigued to of what Madara was planning; of what he was offering.
Madara smirked. "We'll start with my latest project, then. Have you heard of the tale of the Four Great Dojutsu?"
Truth be told, Tsunade hadn't expected Sakura to be up and moving as soon as she was, or that she would appear in her office nearly immediately after her awakening. "I'm glad to see you're doing fine, Sakura." Tsunade greeted her, despite being able to identify Sakura's somewhat foul mood. "I suppose you're here to discuss the events of earlier today and of what will be done accordingly." From what Kakashi had told her, Itachi had suggested Sakura flee Konoha for a while, and she had adamantly refused.
"I'm staying." Sakura declared, not bothering with the introductions.
Tsunade raised her eyebrow. "Despite your disagreement, I believe Uchiha Itachi is doing the right thing in warning you, Sakura. I understand your concern for your kinsmen and as such your desire to stay here, but you would attack blindly without any form of restraint if and when you knew he was coming -and if you knew who, above all else."
"This isn't about me, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura glared. "This is about Itachi and his refusal to tell us what we need to know to combat this war."
But Tsunade raised her hand then, a sign to halt Sakura. "You're wrong, Sakura. This is entirely about you as things stand now. They're not trying to obtain the Jinchuuriki right now because they're after you. They want you killed. And all the Uchiha is trying to do is prevent you from getting into harms way." Tsunade hesitated with her next words, but decided that Sakura needed to hear them. "I didn't want to bring this up, Sakura, but... Itachi cares for you. Enough to ruin his plans and save you." her statement made Sakura's heart thump a little faster and harder. "Don't let this sacrifice go to waste just because you're resentful of his actions. Whatever he's doing, there's probably a sound reason for it."
And Sakura knew this to be true, knew Tsunade was right and knew Itachi was doing this because, in his own self-sacrificing way, it was for her well-being. "It's hard, shishou..." Sakura stated honestly, clearly saddened. "It's hard to see him reject my helping hand every time. It's hard to stare up at him and known he may never walk among the streets of Konoha a hero. And it makes me so angry to think that all he has to do is walk away from it all, walk away from Akatsuki and of the lies he burdened himself with for the sake of his clan and for the elders, and he'll be a free man, and he still refuses to do it."
Tsunade's eyes softened with pity. "He carries a heavy burden." Tsunade admitted. "But everything he has done, he has done through his own free-will, Sakura. As such, he won't easily walk away from everything. All you can do is give him time." And, as an after thought she dare not speak out loud, she added compassion and love.
Sakura sighed. "Hai, Tsunade-shishou..." she relented with a bitter exhale.
Her mentor nodded, happy to have been able to help her pupil. "Now go home and get some rest. Kami knows you need it."
If there was one person he could count on, it was Zetsu, the living embodiment of Madara's will. So for him to appear and tell him that Orochimaru had been defeated? That he had appeared in the clearing just as Tsunade, Kakashi, and Sasuke were carrying Sakura to the hospital, two snakes laying dead and Orochimaru nowhere to be found? It was too surprising, truth be told. Had he truly underestimated the kunoichi that much?
Furthermore, how had she not died eleven years ago? He had witnessed it himself, the Amaterasu flames devouring her entire figure, not leaving behind a single trace, not even ashes.
But never mind that. She had had help. So Zetsu told him, the only ones at the scene once he had arrived were that kunoichi, her former teammate, Sasuke, and the Godaime Hokage -and both Sasuke and Tsunade had not one scratch, indicating to him that they had not been involved in the fight.
And had those two really taken on Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the ten or so shinobi he had brought with him? It was highly implausible.
'So they had had help,' Tobi couldn't help but think with narrowed eyes. And he was beginning to suspect where this so-called help was coming from...
He had tried, and failed, to locate and eliminate Orochimaru once and for all. He had been gone now for three days, and despite the fact that he wanted to continue his search, he knew he had to cease his efforts; if he was gone too long, Madara would become even more suspicious (more than he must already be, anyhow). Although Orochimaru had a point that neither of them wanted Sakura dead, if he didn't stop Orochimaru now, then he would only try another time -of which he would preferably not have, truth be told.
He was past his denial, past the excuse-making he had involuntarily turned to when trying to justify the fact that he was saving Sakura, over and over again. He hadn't even hesitated -not in freeing Sakura from the perverse clutches of the Six-Tails, not in warning her of the battle to come, and not in traveling half way across the Shinobi Nations just to save and warn her of her impending doom.
-And he couldn't even begin to explain how frustrated he felt at her ignorant response to his warning.
Was she only saying this to spite him? It almost felt like it, but the kunoichi had to understand -this was all for her own good. Sakura was blindingly courageous, first to jump in the heat of battle (next to her idiotic blonde teammate, anyhow), if it meant saving her friends and family. It almost felt like she had purposely crossed paths with every Akatsuki member possible. As such, she was nearly doomed in crossing paths with Madara unless she made a conscious effort to run from him. Not that he knew why exactly Madara even wanted Sakura to begin with. That was another story entirely, one which would be the crucial piece to this puzzle.
Unfortunately, as things stood, he had no way of obtaining this information. Ever since Sakura had popped her little pink head in their base, Madara had spoke to him about their plans less and less, and not to mention after his joint mission with Kisame at the Fire Nation Gala he was sure even Kisame was being looked down upon suspiciously. After all, they were the most elite in Akatsuki -for them to have gotten caught? Still, it was a plausible situation, the only reason that Itachi suspected Madara to not have taken any action towards either of them.
But there was nothing he could do about this, he decided, just as he had finally arrived at the Akatsuki base. It was only a matter of time before Madara exposed him to be a traitor, and truth be told, Itachi was playing a dangerous game even now, just by returning to the base where he could not make up a cover story for himself if Tobi so much as asked where he had been.
Luckily, Tobi had not approached him immediately after, indicating to him that either Madara was too busy elsewhere, or didn't have anything to say to Itachi, something that could perhaps be a really good sign, or a really bad one. Yet, he was approached by one shinobi, in particular his blue-haired teammate who seemed entirely casual and even a little bored. Itachi could tell there was something he wanted to speak about, just by the look in his eyes. They walked casually alongside each other, nothing spoken between the two other than a "welcome back", until Itachi followed Kisame into the training grounds outside.
"Tobi had been asking where you had gone." Kisame began casually. "Konan stated that she had given you a bounty to collect."
"Ahh..." So Konan had covered for him -although thankful, Konan had indirectly incriminated herself by involving herself in his lies, an act that could eventually lead Madara to discover her true lineage. She was playing a dangerous game -they all were, for that matter.
Kisame scowled. "But where did you actually go, Itachi?" He was starting to become deathly aware of the mechanics of Akatsuki, and in particular that of the masked Akatsuki mascot. If Itachi's silence and refusal to answer this question meant anything, it was that he had gotten himself involved with something he shouldn't have, especially after making the connection that he and "Tobi" had left at around the same time. Whatever the masked nin had gone off to do (because he was sure as hell now that the hard candy was merely a childish cover up), Itachi had attempted to undo it, and the only reason he would do this was if it pertained to Konoha, and perhaps specifically to Sakura. So what had either of them gone off to do?
"Do you recall Deidara's encounter with the Konoha nin in Kumo?" he instead spoke, changing the topic.
Kisame blinked. "Hai?" What did that have to do with anything, after all?
"You'll find your answers there, Kisame." And so he left, deciding that he didn't want to be found conversing privately with Kisame in a secluded area -it would mean that they were speaking secretly, after all, something that would not land well for either of them if either Zetsu or Madara caught wind of it.
Kisame couldn't help but sigh, uncharacteristically irritated with his younger companion.
What had Deidara said again? Something about a caterpillar on Tobi's shoulder which had caused him to fall and reveal himself to the shinobi before them...? But Tobi, child-like or not, had no real reason to be fearful of a caterpillar, meaning that it had been an act.
The truth dawned on Kisame almost immediately as a sudden thought crossed Kisame's mind, all the while staring at Itachi's retreating figure.
Why had Itachi even returned?
They had been mutually called to Pein's office several hours later for a mission briefing, one which they hadn't necessarily expected nor welcomed.
"You're to capture the hachibi."
"The reconnaissance mission failed. This hardly seems like the time to go after him." Kisame's eyebrows furled in confusion. It didn't make any sense to him, even if he wasn't one to question Pein's orders on any other occasion.
"We no longer have any time to wait. As we speak, Konoha is drafting up treaties with Kumo. If we don't strike now we may never get our chance." Pein stated.
But even as Kisame wanted to argue against it, Itachi silenced him. "Hai. We will go immediately." As he said this he inconspicuously flashed Konan a glance, able to see the uncertainty in her eyes. "Let's go, Kisame." he ordered. Alas, Kisame had no room to argue, especially not in front of Pein.
Nobody in the room moved until Kisame and Itachi were out of the base and well on their way, and after several minutes Madara finally emerged from the shadows. "This mission will fail without reconnaissance." Pein alerted Madara.
"Maybe so." Madara stated. "But it will be a necessary sacrifice." he said no more as his figure was once more absorbed into the shadows. He had things to do, after all.
He had given Orochimaru his opportunity. Now it was up to him to finish what Orochimaru had failed to. Yet, he could not do this with Itachi free and able to intercept him (again, as Madara suspected). No, he needed to keep Itachi occupied, enough time for him to slip in, eliminate every Haruno left, and return to the base before Itachi even suspected him, or had time to do anything on the matter. As such, he truly had no choice.
But onto other more pressing matters, it was finally time to start moving his pawns.
Konan waited a long time to speak, long after Madara had disappeared. "He can't be trusted..." it was a fact, one which both she and Pein knew. So why did he insist on playing with fire if the chances of getting burned, especially this late into the game, were so excruciatingly high?
"I don't trust him." Pein stated. "He is but a tool, someone to aid us reach our goal."
"Have you ever thought that maybe we're being used as his tools?" Konan countered. It was all she could say, all she could do to try and desperately reach out to Pein and make him realize that they couldn't do this for much longer. Pein may not be aware of it now, but Madara had just sentenced Itachi to his death and had waged a war on her family all in one swift decision.
"I will kill him once we obtain the hachibi." Pein stated. "As things stand, all he has done is run us in a circle trying to prevent treaties instead of actually capturing these Jinchuuriki. I no longer have any need for him." And so he stood to leave, in the midst of making his plans, leaving Konan there with a deceptively calm expression.
'I fear it'll be too late by then...'
It had been two days since Sakura had been relieved of the hospital, and as such her regular schedule of clocking in to the hospital had resumed, although word about a festival was going around in Konoha, a sort of celebration for the successful unification of Kiri, Suna, and Konoha, with Kumo soon to follow. Sakura knew this to be part of an act though, a way of convincing not only her people, but the people of Suna and Kiri as well, that with this new formed alliance they were stronger than ever, and that they would defeat Akatuski. It was convincing, Sakura had to admit, and definitely lifted the spirits of the civilians, who had been more than spooked to have either seen or heard the news of Orochimaru within their very walls (of course, because Orochimaru defecting from Akatsuki had been top secret information), and as such all believed this to have been an attempt at either destroying the village or capturing Naruto. Luckily for them though, Sakura and Kakashi had spotted the threat and accordingly eliminated it, cries of joy and respect going out to the two aforementioned shinobi.
Of course, Naruto had been less than pleased to find out about Orochimaru's attempted kidnapping (as he knew it to be), and had the unpleasant realization that Tsunade has specifically ordered him away from the village, knowing that something was probably going to happen.
But he supposed he couldn't be too mad, seeing as Sakura-chan was just fine and dandy, although a little on edge and more snarky than usual.
But how could she not be? This had been but the very first wave. Who knew what was to come in the days that followed?
Nevertheless, the hustle and bustle in the streets did much to cover up Sakura's tense demeanor, seeing as everyone was hurrying this way and that to prepare for the somewhat last minute festival that would be arranged within the week.
"Itachi, what's going on?" he could no longer keep his anger and curiosity at bay. It was not like Pein to send them off so suddenly (they usually had at least a week's worth of warning time beforehand), and not to mention so blindly -if there was one thing he had learned, it was that Pein genuinely cared about their success. Them dying meant losing good men and having to obtain new ones, after all. But this? He was potentially sending them to their grave, for they knew not what they would encounter or who, or even how many. Would the hachibi even be there to begin with?
Something was up, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Itachi, supposing that it was safe enough to talk openly, decided to indulge Kisame. "This is to keep us distracted." he stated.
Distracted? Distracted from what? Yet, Kisame didn't even have to ask this question, for it seemed that Itachi would finally explain to Kisame what was going on.
"My cover has nearly been blown, Kisame. He needs me busy and away from Konoha to make sure I don't intervene." It wouldn't be long now. His time in Akatsuki had all but expired, and a lot sooner than he had anticipated -and for entirely different reasons as well, truth be told.
Kisame's eyes widened at the revelation. As he had suspected, these were not Pein's orders; rather, it was Tobi's, and he was going after Sakura. But why? Although he was starting to come to terms with Tobi's real identity, for the life of him he could not understand what was so important about specifically going after Sakura.
"As for the question I'm sure you're asking yourself, I have not the slightest clue either. I've been asking myself the same question." Itachi stated.
A sudden chill went up Kisame's spine, a forewarning of what was to come. "We need to go warn her." he stated, with all the intentions in the world to switch their course and instead go to Konoha.
"Our mission is to capture the hachibi." Itachi ignored him.
"Itachi, if she's in danger she needs to know." Kisame scowled. "Furthermore, why do you even care about this mission? You know as well as I do this means nothing to you."
"She does." Itachi confirmed, not even blinking, an indication that Kisame had been right all along, and he had in fact gone off to Konoha but a week earlier to save the oink-haired kunoichi. He had warned her, meaning that last week would not be the only attempt at her life. "And until my cover has been completely blown, I will keep working this angle." For as long as he could, he would remain the eyes and ears inside of Akatsuki for Konoha -it was the least he could do for a nation he loved so dearly, he supposed.
"Itachi, we need to-"
Yet, once more, Itachi cut him off. "We need not do anything, Kisame. I gave her my warning."
"Well... is she gone then? Safe?" If she knew of the danger to come then surely she would have booked it out of Konoha already, right? But Itachi could not give him an honest answer. He had warned her, as he had done several times before, and she had always heeded his warning -why would she not now? At least, he sincerely hoped she did, for her sake. Kisame took Itachi's silence for what it truly was -uncertainty, something which Kisame could not stand for, and as such, regardless of Itachi's objections on the matter, he switched his course.
If Itachi wasn't going to warn her of the danger to come, then he would, Itachi's opposition be damned.
Yet Itachi sensed this change in him, his eyes narrowing. "Kisame, why are you doing this?"
"Why?" Kisame raised an eyebrow, his anger slowly but steadily growing. "I'm doing this because you chose your path and I am respecting it. Why are you so caught up in obtaining a Jinchuuriki for a man you don't even trust? For a man that just tried to kill her? For an organization you don't even follow." Itachi took this to mean that Kisame now knew of Tobi's real identity, although he wasn't surprised to find out -Kisame was intuitive, and as such could piece the information together given the time.
"This goes further than respecting my path, Kisame." Itachi stated. And it was true. Kisame may not know his path, know his true alliances, but why did that even concern the shark-nin at all? Why was he going so far out of his way for something even Itachi wasn't sure he wanted to do? He was trying to avoid the mixing of business and pleasure, after all, at least until he could no longer avoid it (although, given his past actions, he could hardly say he had been doing a good job at it). This was not him avoiding it. This was him seeking it out -going out of his way to find it. To find Sakura, and throw away his well-planned future, and strict rules.
"I'm doing what you would be incapable of doing for yourself, Itachi." Kisame dismissed Itachi, no longer willing to hear his argument. He had made up his mind, and no convincing on Itachi's behalf would stop him now, not after everything he had experienced and witnessed because of him and the pink haired kunoichi.
"I don't need help." Itachi's eyes narrowed.
"Even if you did you wouldn't ask for it." Kisame shook his head. "Let me do this because I care for you, Itachi." He knew, deep down inside, that Itachi would regret this decision; that if they didn't do something now, Sakura would end up dead and the guilt would absolutely tear at Itachi's remaining conscious until there was nothing left of it. And for the life of him, Kisame could not allow this. He had made a friend in the Uchiha boy, and truth be told, in the Haruno girl, and it almost hurt him to see the destiny these two burdened themselves with. He had seen the look in Itachi's eyes eleven years ago when he first told Kisame that Sakura had been dead -it had been lifeless and desolate, a look he would gladly prevent from occurring a second time if he could.
Besides... there was some things he needed to tell the kunoichi, among that a thank you, for saving his life not just once, but twice. He would go see her, with or without Itachi. "If you want to go capture the Jinchuuriki, I'm not going to stop you. With or without you, I intend on going." and it was settled with that, even if Itachi's glare said otherwise.
She needed to know the truth, even if it came from him.
Regardless of Itachi's incessant remarks of "We should not be here" more or less, Kisame had led them straight to the Village Hidden in the Leaf. Plus, if Itachi didn't want to follow him he didn't have to, a clear indication that Itachi, as much as he denied it, wanted to be here as well. Yet, even if Kisame knew this, he decided against voicing out this fact; it wasn't like it would help anyhow if he did.
There had been a festival occurring, a perfect scenario for them to henge themselves and sneak in undetected, just as the last rays of the sun began to disappear over the horizon of the Hokage monuments.
It hadn't been too hard to find the Haruno Compound, although finding Sakura had been a little harder then they had expected, considering she had not been there, and as such they had had to look elsewhere in the village. They were atop a rather large Sakura tree, casually eyeing the civilians and shinobi alike that passed by them, with a genjutsu cast over them so as to not alert suspicion, until a certain bob of pink-hair was finally spotted, casually making her way towards their very direction, presumably coming from the hospital, given her current attire.
Yet, she was not alone, her blonde Jinchuuriki teammate and the younger male Uchiha alongside her, one rambunctious and the other calm and collected. Yet, as she came closer and closer to their current location, she seemed to freeze, an act that hadn't gone unnoticed by her teammates, nor the Akatsuki members.
"Nee, Sasuke-kun, Naruto, you guys go on without me. I just realized I forgot something at the hospital."
"We'll come with you Sakura-chan! Dattebayo!" Naruto didn't even bat an eyelash at Sakura's comment, already turning around. Truth be told, he had hardly, if ever, left her side since he had found out of her encounter with Orochimaru.
Sakura pursed her lips, scowling at her blonde teammate. "Last I recall, I did not ask for a protective detail, Naruto. If I wanted one, I would have asked for it. Plus, if you plan on eating with us, then you better go and help Mikoto with whatever she needs."
Sasuke glanced from Sakura to Naruto. "Sakura's right. You've mooched long enough." Clearly, Sasuke could see that Sakura wanted to be alone, and he allowed her this wish, if only because he knew how insufferable Naruto could be after spending long periods of time with him. And so, despite his complaints, Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the collar and dragged him away from Sakura, who merely smiled and silently mouthed a thank you to her Uchiha teammate. She waited until they were clearly out of view, until she casually walked to the very same tree the Akatsuki members were currently perched on, and then leaned on it casually, almost as if she were resting. Her eyes were closed, her hands behind her as she enjoyed the slight breeze.
It almost seemed like she didn't know they were there, but suddenly she spoke. "Why are you two here?" despite her harboring no ill will to Kisame and knowing Itachi's innocence, she could never be sure that they weren't here for her dobe; this was all just a precaution she simply had to take.
"How'd you find us?" Kisame asked, genuinely curious. They were still perfectly masked by Itachi's beyond perfect genjutsu, and as such it had been rather surprising, after all.
"You two are perched atop my tree." Sakura stated. "There's no way I wouldn't sense to powerful chakra sources standing on top if it." she mused. "But, I suppose if you guys were here to attack Naruto, you would have done it by now." she shrugged, pushing herself off the tree. "Drop the genjutsu and follow me. You won't attract any attention tonight." Clearly, they wanted to talk to her, and she was willing to hear them out. If they came all the way out here, then surely it was important, she told herself, despite her loud thumping heartbeat or the near frantic thoughts racing through her brain.
She didn't wait for them to follow her, knowing that they would. They appeared beside her moments later, and just as she had promised, they blended right in, regardless of the fact that they were two unfamiliar henge'd faces in Konoha. "What's this festival for?" Kisame asked.
"To celebrate a successful unification between our country and that of Suna and Kiri." Sakura stated, flashing a quick glance to Kisame, and then to Itachi, before returning to the road before her. Truth be told, it was unnerving to be walking alongside them, in particular Itachi (she had been less than kind to him the last time, after all), but he didn't seem to indicate even acknowledging her at this rate. "But again, I ask you why you are here." she was genuinely curious; if Itachi was here to warn her once more, she could understand that, but why did Kisame need to be here as well?
"Well...-" Yet, Kisame didn't even have time to explain himself as suddenly another figure began to approach them, a slightly taller female with light, bubble-gum colored eyes and a vibrant, wavy heap of blue hair on her head.
"Sakura-chan~! I'm back!" Despite the two strangers beside Sakura, Marika hadn't wasted any time to hug the life out of her younger sister. She had just arrived from visiting Shisui, after all, and had rushed back here as quickly as possible upon hearing the news of Orochimaru's attack in their very own home. "I missed you so much! You had me so worried, don't ever do anything like that ever again!"
Sakura cleared her throat, embarrassed by the affection she was getting in front of the two S-Class missing-nin. "Marika-neesan, not in front of our guests..." After all, she was the clan heir, so to have her elder sister doting over her like that? What kind of image was she presenting?
In response, Marika couldn't help but laugh. "Gomen, gomen." As such, she finally took the time to glance at their new companions, two shinobi wearing a jounin flack and usual Konoha attire. She blinked, once twice. "It's nice to see you two again, Kisame-san, Itachi-san, although I must admit your presence here is rather unexpected, not to say that it is unwelcome."
Kisame blinked. "Seriously, you too?" he grimaced. She looked right through their henge! Hadn't so much as batted an eyelash, and was even able to properly differentiate between the two of them!
In response, Marika simply grinned. "It's hard to forget the chakra patterns of those who have saved my sister in the past, gomen." But yes, how could she ever forget her encounter with Hoshigaki Kisame? He had been neither friend nor foe, a simple nuke-nin who had been at the wrong place, at the wrong time (or right place, depending on the argument), but he had still gone out of his way and saved Sakura in her time of need -an act she would never forget, regardless of the reputation this man had garnered himself over the years. "Were you two joining us for dinner at the Haruno household?" she blinked in question, never mind the fact that the men before her were S-Class missing nin.
"Marika-neesan." Sakura scowled. Why was her sister speaking so informally with them? As if this was Kakashi and it was normal for them to be invited to dinner?
Marika blinked twice in confusion. "Oh, gomen... I figured this sort of thing happened often enough for you to be walking with them so casually within the village." Marika shrugged, although her statement was honest. "I wouldn't be surprised if it did, anyhow."
"Well it would explain why you don't seem even remotely afraid." Kisame snorted, an act which made Marika tilt her head in curiosity and confusion.
"Why would I be afraid of you two?" her question was spoken so genuinely that it nearly took both shinobi aback. "Like I said, you two saved my sister. You forever hold my gratitude; you are my friends."
The mention of the word 'friends' struck a chord within Kisame, although he hadn't shown it. Truth be told, he had never had any friends before, other than his Uchiha partner and the pink-haired kunoichi for the briefest of times, and for someone he had only met on one other occasion to be so willingly open and vulnerable around him was surprising -and abnormal, not to mention. He rather... strangely enough, liked it though...
Nevertheless, Sakura's long sigh brought him back to reality. "I wasn't at all certain if you were going to stay for long, but if you are, why not join us for dinner?" She didn't know why she was doing, why she felt it was okay to invite them in, but she figured that perhaps, if anything, Mikoto would be glad to see her son (and as such she told herself this was all for Mikoto and Sasuke, even if Marika knew better). There was no way she wouldn't recognize him, henge or not. Plus, Marika might as well have invited them anyway what with her outburst.
Kisame and Itachi looked at each other, Itachi clearly ready to decline her offer. But upon seeing this, Kisame knew that he had to do something and as such cut Itachi off before he had any chance to speak. "We'd love to! We wouldn't be imposing, right? I mean, we're not exactly welcome here..."
Sakura rolled her eyes, knowing that this wasn't true at all, but decided she didn't particularly care if Itachi felt uncomfortable with it -it was time he faced his family once and for all. "The only ones attending dinner will be my kinsmen as well the as the Uchiha Clan, Naruto, and Kakashi, none of which will attack, regardless of your identity, if it is discovered." Sakura assured them. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to prove Hiroto and Kakashi wrong about Kisame, she supposed.
"Kisame." Despite Itachi's warning tone, Kisame ignored him effortlessly. "There is much to discuss with you, Sakura." Kisame stated.
"Is it something that can wait until after dinner?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.
Kisame shrugged. Truth be told, dinner had never even been part of the plan -but now that Sakura mentioned it, he was getting pretty hungry. But regardless of that, they were on a time crunch, and not to mention their current location proved dangerous, because if they were found out by Leaf shinobi it would mean a small war erupting in the village, and if Madara discovered them then it meant that they would be seen as traitors to the Akatsuki cause, and as such would probably be eliminated. "I suppose."
And so, despite Itachi's reluctance and Sakura's inability to look at him straight in the eye, the four shinobi walked on towards the Haruno Compound, Marika carrying on most of the conversation.
By the time the four shinobi entered the Haruno Compound, it was already far too late to turn back. After all, they could finally sense the chakra patterns huddled up within the household, and if they could sense it, then this meant the same for the people residing within them in regards to their own presence. "I know you probably don't feel comfortable with it, but you should definitely meet everyone. You'll get a kick out of seeing Naruto and Sasuke bicker, I guarantee it." Marika tried to ease their qualms as best she could. Truth be told, as awkward as the scene before her was, she knew that all of them probably needed this -Sakura and Itachi more so. It had been too long, for both of them, to go on ignoring their feelings and pushing aside their wants for their duty, and Marika wasn't blind to it. Nobody was, except for Naruto and Saki, to be honest.
Kisame sensed what Marika was trying to do, and eagerly acknowledged her suggestion. "Yes, I'd love to meet Itachi's family." But even though he said this, his blood pulsed with uncertainty and panic.
What was he honestly doing here? And why was he walking into a house filled with people, all of which enemies to his cause?
'No.' Kisame shook his thoughts away stubbornly. 'I have made up my mind.' And as he thought this he flashed a glance towards Sakura and Itachi, both collected although he knew this to not be true for their inner selves. And as such, he accompanied Marika, regardless of Itachi's reluctance to continue forward.
Before either Sakura or Itachi could act, they were suddenly left alone as Kisame and Marika stormed off, leaving the two in utter silence. She knew Marika would probably try this, but she hadn't truthfully expected Kisame to be so eager to comply as well.
The silence between them lay heavy, so thick Sakura felt like she could cut it with a butter knife. "I'm sorry..." she muttered under her breath, but a whisper on her part, although Itachi had still heard it. "I had no reason to lash out on you for trying to help me last week..." she was truthful. But, honestly, it was frustrating and near infuriating how he only talked to her about the ultimate danger they were in, even when she had been willing to help him countless of times. She had apologized to him about her deceit in the past and in doing so opened herself up to him, despite how fearful she had been, and he had turned against her and pushed her away. And it hurt, just as much, if not more, as it had hurt when Sasuke had abandoned her on a cold, hard bench and in doing so, abandoned the only home he had ever known.
But she supposed that she was used to this rejection...
"Ah.." It was a short reply on Itachi's behalf, but one that alerted Sakura that he was listening.
Regardless of her feelings, Sakura wasn't about to make this about her. He came here for business, and as such would not pressure Itachi to meet his family like she had done before. "I'm assuming you don't want to go in there." Sakura stated calmly. "I won't force you to if you don't want to." If he hadn't wanted to see Sasuke back in the gala, chances were now was no different. And Sakura honestly had no right to deny him of this; she couldn't even begin to understand how hard this must be for Itachi, facing his family knowing that he was the reason for all of their misery. And not to mention the begrudging fact that he could not have that life (at least, not for now). "I can bring you out some food, if you'd like, or we can get down to the real reason you came here so you may once again leave." 'As you always do...' Sakura added as a resentful, lingering after thought.
Itachi didn't respond, not that Sakura had honestly expected one. He was a man of few words, not speaking unless necessary, after all. Besides, she supposed his silence said all it needed to. Yet, as she was about to change the subject, suddenly he parted his lips to speak. "I'm not certain any longer..." he was truthful.
So long, he had been denying himself from seeing his otouto and his okaa-san, and even now, when they finally knew of his innocence, he still hadn't dared even glance at them because he knew that it would only ever make it harder to say good bye in the long run. But it had become increasingly hard to say no, especially after seeing his younger brother and mother at the Gala, after having spoken to Saki and having them but a mere minute's walk from his current location, all amid the happiness and joy of the festivities. And even though his mind told him no, he shouldn't, his heart was reaching out to grasp hold of the love and company he had denied himself for so long, if only for the sake to protect them from either himself or the shadows playing in the background.
Itachi's mere statement made Sakura's eyes widen. "Itachi...?" He looked at her then, fully facing her, something he hadn't done in who knows how long. What did that even mean? And why now, of all times? Furthermore, Itachi only ever spoke to he when necessary, and once everything had been said and done, he would always leave promptly without giving Sakura any time to say anything else. So why was tonight different? Why was he not gone already? So many questions raced through her mind, but for the life of her she could not find the answer to any of them, and she knew she would get none from asking Itachi.
"I had been ordered to do it. During the massacre."
Sakura's eyebrows scrunched in confusion; why was he bringing this up now, of all times? What relevance did that even hold to this conversation they were having? And what of being ordered? Of course, she already knew that Danzo had made him do it. So why-
Almost as if he could read her thoughts, he added, "Not about the massacre, Sakura. You."
It felt as if she had been struck by lighting at his statement as the reality sunk in. Someone had ordered him to kill her. Had it been Danzo? No, it was improbable, but regardless of that, why was he even mentioning it now? "What? I don't understand..." it felt as if a brick had hit her in the face -why bring it up after so long? 'Does he still feel guilty?' It was the only logical reasoning she could think of, although Itachi never made much logical sense to her anyway.
"You were seen as my potential weakness, someone who would cripple my resolve in the long run, and as such it was either I kill you or he does." Sakura was becoming more and more aware of the fact that this 'he', was the driving force that had been trying to kill her since so very long ago. "I ultimately decided it better for you to die at my hands rather than his own." And his unspoken explanation for such a decision, no matter how much it had hurt him, had been that he preferred her to die by the hands of someone who would never forget her, rather than someone who saw her as a mere obstacle, a thorn at his side. Sakura deserved better than that, and as such he had taken this responsibility upon himself. Whatever he had done to her had been better than anything Madara would have had in store for her, after all.
She would have died out of love, and not at the hands of the institution of evil.
Tears welled at the corner of Sakura's eyes, as she tried her best to prevent them from falling. She thought she had been over this, after the several months and years that had passed since that night, but clearly, both of them still remembered with vivid detail what had happened the night of the massacre. "It hadn't been me..." she muttered, almost as if guilty that Itachi had gone through the belief that he had killed her, even if for the briefest of moments. "The person you killed, that is..."
Itachi raised an eyebrow. How could it not have been? Their chakra patterns had been identical; they were the same people. Then again, he supposed it wasn't too improbable. If it had been her in that fire years ago, then she wouldn't be standing here now, so it must have been someone else, although he could not understand who it could have possibly been.
But Sakura shook her head at this, reading Itachi's train of thought. "It's more complicated then you'd begin to understand." she stated. "But it hadn't been me." But, even if she wanted to explain further, suddenly two figures appeared from the household and began walking towards them, forcing them both to shift their attention to the approaching figures.
"Dinner is ready, Sakura." one of them called out to her, as they began approaching her. Truth be told, they had been curious about the sudden strangers in the compound, regardless of how friendly Marika acted around the one currently introducing himself to his family. In addition, she had left Sakura alone with a strange nin, which didn't bode well with either him or his blonde companion.
"Yeah Sakura-chan! Come on!" Truth be told, Naruto just really wanted to eat.
But upon one look at the nin, seeing Sakura's slightly pink eyes and the rigidly stiff posture of the shinobi (and not to mention the very thin coat of chakra around him, indicating a henge, he knew exactly who it was. As such, he froze where he stood, alongside Sakura, who was not at all surprised that Sasuke had figured out the identity of the nin before her nearly instantly.
"Who is this, Sakura-chan? I've never met him before." Naruto stated casually, his hands in his pockets. Furthermore, how dare he befriend Sakura without first introducing himself to either Naruto or Sasuke?
Sakura blinked. "A friend of mine, Naruto." she brushed his comment aside. "Come on, let's go inside." She grabbed him by the arm and led him away from the two Uchiha, allowing them room to talk privately -finally. "We'll be inside, whenever the two of you are ready to eat. Don't make Mikoto wait too long though."
"...Hn..." it was the only thing Sasuke could mutter, his gaze falling on the nuke-nin he knew to be his brother.
Sasuke didn't know what to say; what to do, even. They were standing, facing each other, just a few meters apart, and all they could do was just stare at each other. And even though Itachi wasn't physically staring at the real Itachi, but rather a henge'd form, it was enough to know his brother was there, ready to face him after everything that had occurred during the past eleven years. Of the massacre and his appearance at the hotel when he was but a genin, of their encounter when they were on their way to help Gaara fight off Deidara (which, thanks to their reinforcements, made them flee without any serious fights or casualties), and everything else in between.
Yet, for the life of him, despite all the things he wanted to say, all the things he needed to say, he was but a breathless and nervous image of himself. But, he had to say something, but the only thing that could come to mind was two simple words. "I'm sorry..."
But just by those words Itachi could see the vulnerability in his eyes, hear the pain in his heart, and it made Itachi want to reach out and grab his brother, and embrace him in a manner he hadn't been able to do for over a decade. "It is I who should be sorry, Sasuke..." he spoke as formally as he could, trying to restrain himself. It had been him who ripped away Sasuke's childhood and happiness, and it was him who left him in the dark, a liability to Sakura that forced her to pick up the broken pieces in his steed.
"No." Sasuke shook his head adamantly. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be Sasuke, for having hated his brother despite his ultimate innocence. "I should have believed in you." Sasuke acknowledged bitterly. He knew his aniki. Better than anyone did (except for maybe Shisui). For Sasuke to believe that Itachi was truly capable of these atrocious acts? It was a betrayal in itself, truth be told. "I couldn't be any prouder knowing that my aniki single-handedly stopped the destruction of Konoha and a start of a new Shinobi World War..."
But that did it for Itachi, just hearing the word "aniki" coming out of Sasuke's mouth, and he could no longer help himself as he rushed to Sasuke's side and embraced him suddenly, the tears he had been hiding, falling to the floor away from Sasuke's view. For the briefest moments, he could feel it, that emptiness in his heart fill just the slightest bit at the words of his brother -only in his dreams had he believed he would hear those words, and feel the touch of Sasuke once more embracing him with just as much, if not more, fervor than Itachi.
The two brothers stood there for a minute's time before pulling away, both equally embarrassed to show their tear-stained eyes in front of the other. Even if not much had been said between the two of them, their embrace had spoken volumes about their relationship, about the bond that they shared through blood.
"Please take care of Sakura..." It had been an unlikely request from his brother, one that seemed to nearly insinuate to Sasuke that Itachi expected himself to not be there for the job.
"That is your job, Itachi." he denied. "I left that job to you eleven years ago. And you can't take it back; Sakura's too much of a hassle. I'd rather not deal with her." he scratched the back of his head in near embarrassment at his words. "She's scary and dangerous, and always gets into trouble. She's absolutely terrifying when she wakes cranky, and she loves chocolates and hates roses, and loves the sound of laughter- you should be taking notes, Itachi. If you plan on sticking around for the future, that is."
But Sasuke didn't stop there, and he went on a giant tangent of all the odd quirks and tid-bits of tendencies that made up Sakura, regardless of how odd they were.
"In conclusion, Sakura is a needy woman, a very, very complicated one. As such, I will not be liable for her in your steed."
Sasuke's implication was clear to Itachi, and he couldn't help the small smile the formed on his face, a genuine expression he hadn't made in who knows how long, because he sure didn't.
Kami, he had missed his brother.
Mikoto knew something was up the moment Marika brought in a stranger to their home, someone who was clearly not a Konoha-nin despite his hitai-ate. Mikoto had lived here far too long; if he were a real shinobi of the Leaf, she would know him, or at least have heard of him. Plus it didn't help that he was henge'd, of which she knew Marika to be aware of. So who was the nin and why did he have to hide himself? And what was his relation to either Sakura or Marika?
She supposed she got her answer when Sakura returned with Naruto, leaving Sasuke outside with another nin, one she also could not recognize, but still donned a genjutsu similar to that of the stranger in her home. But seeing the expression on Sakura's face as she returned, and the hesitant glances she kept sending towards Sasuke, Mikoto knew something was up, and as such also kept an eye on her son, until she saw the two figures embrace. The act made a sudden thought strike down upon Mikoto, a highly improbable theory, were it not for the fact that Sasuke had hugged the stranger.
Sasuke doesn't hug people (an exception of Saki and his mother, of course)
As such, she waited a few minutes until all the food was finally placed on the table, and then she pulled Sakura aside briefly, just as everyone was sitting down for dinner. "Sakura, is that...-" Frankly, she didn't know if she should ask; didn't know if she wanted to even get her hopes up.
But just by the look in Sakura's eyes she knew what the answer had been, and without so much as a warning sign Mikoto took off her apron and ran outside.
Her boy. It was her boy!
Tears streamed down her face, whether she willed them to or not, as Sasuke and who she knew to be Itachi watched her figure. And she didn't care if it was out of character for her son or if Saki and Naruto stared at her oddly for storming out suddenly, but she ran directly into the arms of her eldest son and held on for dear life. "Itachi-kun..."
Even though his reunion with his brother had been cut short, he accepted this hug whole-heartedly and took in the smaller woman in his arms. "Okaa-san." he greeted curtly. Frankly, he didn't know what else to say. He hadn't spoken to his mother in roughly eleven years, since Saki had first been born.
Mikoto didn't know how long she had held on, hugging her son to her heart's content, but eventually she let go. Dinner was waiting, and if they stalled any longer people would become grumpy (namely Naruto, Hiroto, and Kakashi), although everyone by now, minus Saki and Naruto, were eerily aware of the identities of the two rogue nin, and as such waited respectfully for the greeting. "Drop the henge, will you?" she smiled up at him. "And come join us for dinner." The only people there were the Harunos' and Kakashi and Naruto respectively -none of which would tell a soul of his being here, nor would they feel threatened. There was much she wanted to tell her son, much she wanted to hear from him, but she bit her tongue. There would be time for that later.
He seemed hesitant to comply, but with Sasuke's nod of reassurance, he made the hand sign and released the henge.
And as such, the Haruno bunch (minus Daichi and Sayuri) that had gathered at the front of the house plus Kisame watched on as they began approaching, the Uchiha household matriarch and her two sons. "Is it really safe to drop this henge?" Kisame muttered, his statement not exactly meant for anyone.
"Of course." Himawari stated. "Our compound is protected by Sakura-chan's bloodline. If an intruder with malicious intent steps even one inch into our compound, she will be the first to know."
Kisame supposed he had seen as much when Sakura had discovered them, but even so, he felt reluctant to do what Itachi had just done. For Kami's sake, he was a giant man, blue in color, with sharp teeth. And despite Marika's insistence-
"Kisame, you have nothing to worry about." Sakura seemed to have read his thoughts.
"But the Junchuuriki... and Itachi's younger sister-"
"Naruto is aware of Itachi's innocence, as much as we are. And everyone here, save for Saki, know that I allowed you to break free. And Saki will not recognize either of you. Just remove your coat and your hitai-ate." Sakura stated, turning back and returning to the compound. "Anyway, I'm ready for dinner."
"But-" Kisame got ready to argue.
"Oh come on Hoshihaki-san. Stop being a baby and lighten up." It had been Hiroto, who slapped him playfully on his arm as he began to turn around and walk back into the house.
Kisame blinked. Once, twice. Was he... was he just called a baby?
That did it.
He undid his henge, removed his cloak and hitai-ate, and promptly sealed them in a scroll, and with a sigh of discomfort and a lingering thought of 'Why am I doing this again?' he stepped foot into the compound.
He held his breath as Naruto and Saki laid eyes on him, and even if Naruto's eyes frantically searched for Sakura, a kunai already being grabbed, he saw Sakura shake her head at him, an indication for him to cease his efforts. "They are guests tonight, Naruto."
"They? Who's they-" He got his answer as soon as Mikoto and Sasuke returned to the compound, with a man he recognized trailing behind them.
Uchiha Itachi
Clad in casual ninja attire, his cloak and headband gone, just like Kisame.
"W-What are they..." he couldn't even finish his sentence, astounded by the mere fact that two Akatsuki members would be eating with them.
"They have business to discuss with me after dinner, Naruto." she stated as she approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder as her head swooped closer to his. "Onegai, Naruto... Sasuke-kun and Mikoto need this..." she whispered in his hear, seeing how his grasp on his kunai had not loosened.
The realization, although taking a few seconds for Naruto to process, made him concede, and as such he returned the kunai back to its holster. He gave a small nod, and looked away in embarrassment. If Sakura had placed her faith and trust in these two men, then he had no choice but to do the same.
Meanwhile, Saki had been staring oddly at the blue-haired nin, already sitting at the dinner table across from Sayuri. She leaned in, her voice hushed. "Is his skin really blue, Sayuri-nee?"
Sayuri could have snorted at Saki's first concern. What about the five foot sword on his back?! "Hai, Saki."
"Zugoi!" As such, she could not help herself from approaching the aforementioned nin. "Why's your skin blue? And are those gills on your face? Why are you so tall?" But just as Kisame was about ready to open his mouth, Saki's eyes widened. "And your teeth! Are you a shark senpai?!"
"..."
"..."
Frankly, he had never seen a child look up at him with such sheer astonishment in his life. He turned to stare at Itachi. 'Is this really your sister...?'
"..." by the look Itachi was returning to him, it almost felt like Itachi was answering yes.
"Alright, alright, everybody take your seats, lest the food gets colder than it already is." Mikoto settled down the bunch.
"Hai, Okaa-san!" Saki was the first to return to the table, quick to eye Sakura. "Sakura-oneesama! Sit over here!"
"Wait a second Saki-chan! Sakura-chan is sitting next to me, Dattebayo!"
"But what if I want Sakura all to myself?" Marika joined in just for the fun of bickering, even as Sakura rolled her eyes and walked to the table, successfully ending the argument and sitting next to Saki.
"Grow up already, Naruto no Baka." she sighed, but the smile was clearly present on her expression.
And even though Naruto was about to snag the seat next to Sakura, Kisame had been the first to grab it, if only because he didn't know how comfortable he would feel sitting next to people he didn't know. Itachi reserved the seat alongside him, Sasuke following promptly afterwards as any dutiful younger brother idolizing his aniki would.
Within the minute, the remaining seats had been filled up, and with Kakashi's popping of the sake bottle, their feast had started and everything resumed to its usual commotion, despite the inclusion of the Akatsuki nin.
Kisame was surprised to find how casual this dinner had been, despite his presence there -how cheery and even vulnerable this shinobi left themselves in front of them, despite knowing that they could easily attack at any moment, take the Jinchuuriki, and flee. But with their happiness, Kisame was eventually able to relax himself, despite the major treason he was committing against the Akatsuki, and even indulge himself in a few rounds of sake.
After dinner had finished, Mikoto had left to clear the table, and Itachi had stood and excused himself momentarily, making his way to the outside of the house, towards the back. Sakura, Marika, Himawari, and Sayuri began to clear the table alongside Mikoto, but just as Sakura had picked up her plate, Mikoto had approached her and placed a hand on Sakura's own, forcing her to stop. "There are other things for you to do right now, Sakura." and as she stated this she glanced towards Itachi's figure, forcing Sakura to look as well. Mikoto eyed Sakura, a small smile framing her features. "Go to him, Sakura."
Sakura blinked in confusion. What did she mean go to him?! And do what? "But Mikoto, I-"
Mikoto shook her head. "He's waiting for you."
Because what other reason would he have for stepping outside? Clearly, he wanted to have a word in private, and it sure as hell wasn't with Kisame, or Sasuke, or even herself.
Although she frowned nervously, Sakura gave a hesitant nod, and handed off her plate to Mikoto.
Kisame watched this small interaction, not missing the way that nearly everybody (Daichi, Sayuri, Naruto, and Saki excluded), watched her go.
Kisame could have snorted at this.
Were they all rooting for them?
Itachi sensed her approaching, slowly so as to warn him beforehand. His back was turned towards her, facing the forest that consumed the backyard. She approached him, standing alongside him with a few feet of space in between the two of them, indicating her reluctance to get too close to him. Silence ensued, although it wasn't awkward or tense. It felt as if exhaustion had sank over them, truth be told. They were tired of lying, of running away, of denying themselves, and of playing this game of cat and mouse. And truth be told, they didn't see each other nearly enough to have all of this tension between them.
Knowing Itachi and his lack of communication skills, Sakura decided she would start the conversation. "I haven't seen Sasuke this happy in a long time." she stated calmly. "I'm glad... you two have finally talked things out, even if just briefly..." It felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders; all she had wanted was for Sasuke and Itachi to rekindle their bond, and for Itachi to realize he didn't have to walk down this lonely and desolate road by himself. They were in this together -on the same team, and it was about time for him to realize it. And through this meeting, hopefully Itachi would come to accept this, and he would consider trying to reintegrate into Konoha, of course with in due time and with Tsunade's blessing and the Haruno and Uchiha Clan as back up for moral support.
"You never gave up on me, Sakura. Why?" he questioned her.
She blinked in confusion. Why, he asks...? "I only did what I knew in my heart to be right. You're a good guy, Itachi, and you deserve a good life, especially after everything you've been through for the sake of this country... I couldn't let you go down this path when I knew there was another way."
He didn't respond, at least not immediately, and when he did it hadn't been at all how she had expected him to. Because how could she have possibly seen it coming when he suddenly turned to her and grabbed her and pulled her to him, his arms wrapping around her and pushing her flat against his chest. "Arigatou..." it was but a whisper, not that it mattered because of their proximity, and it made Sakura deathly aware of her small stature compared to his tall and lean figure. She couldn't help her senses from taking in everything about him, his touch, the feel of his sturdy chest on her cheek, or the way that his warmth wrapped around her, or even that familiar scent she could recall to be inherently Itachi's, even eleven years ago. He had changed so much, developed into a full grown man, but all of these things were so inherently Itachi-esque it hardly felt like things had changed at all, a refreshing reminder that this was still the Itachi she had developed feelings for over a decade ago, despite the frigid distance that had split them apart and had kept them at arms length for several months since her reemergence.
For Kami's sake she could feel his heart beat, thudding strongly and with a slightly quickened pace!
"Mikoto! Mikoto it happened!" Marika exclaimed in a loud whisper, trying to capture Mikoto's attention without alerting the two shinobi currently outside. Nearly in the blink of an eye Mikoto was next to her, alongside Himawari, Sasuke, Kakashi, Kisame, and Hiroto, snooping as best they could from the door without actually going outside.
And even though Mikoto didn't say a word, simply smiling at her eldest son and the kunoichi that had forever changed their lives, thoughts were racing through her mind about how this should have happened long, long ago.
"Okaa-san? What is everybody looking at?" She had been wondering where everybody had gone, and upon a little bit of searching, discovered them snooping at something, although she couldn't see past them to figure out what.
"Saki-chan!" Mikoto exclaimed loudly, laughing. "I-It's nothing." Mikoto brushed her aside, ready to grab her hand and lead her away. "Come on Saki-chan, let's put dessert on the ta-"
"Mikoto I think they're about to kiss." Marika exclaimed loudly.
At the mention, a glint appeared in Mikoto's eyes and she was back to her usual position, Saki pouting all the while, trying to get around the bunch. "Who is? And where's Sakura-oneesama?" She questioned, but nobody seemed to tell her, their focus and gaze fixated elsewhere. As such, she huffed her chest indignantly. If no one was going to tell her, then she would find out on her own. As such, she pushed her way past the crowd, wedging herself in between them as best she could.
Sakura didn't know long they had been huddled up in a tight embrace -it could have been seconds, it could have been hours, hell, she didn't know; she was too preoccupied with her racing thoughts of Itachi to keep track. But when they pulled apart, Sakura had expected him to release her and return back inside, but he didn't and it nearly made her want to pass out, because he still held on to her then, although the space gave her time to look up at him in confusion, but for Kami's sake, he was staring at her with a smoldering, serious expression in his eyes, just inches from her own face, as if he were seriously contemplating doing what Sakura thought he was contemplating doing and just the mere thought made heat rise to Sakura's face.
But he didn't do anything other than stare at her, even if his actions screamed otherwise. This was all just too much for her, and she needed to but an end to it, or at least figure out what was happening between the two of them, before she passed out. "I-Itachi, what are y-you-" but her voice hitched in her throat as Itachi suddenly released her, a thump catching their attention as they turned to stare at Himawari, Marika, Hiroto, Sasuke, Saki, Mikoto, Kakashi, and Kisame simultaneously haven fallen by the door.
"..."
"..."
"O-Oh! Itachi! Sakura! There you are! We wanted to all come here and alert you that dessert was ready!" Mikoto laughed nervously. "But Hiroto, that dunce, fell and made us all fall accordingly!"
"G-Gomen!" Hiroto apologized rigidly.
"S-Silly H-H-Hiroto-nii..." Himawari laughed nervously.
"..."
"..."
"Anyway, dessert's waiting, bye!" Almost as if on cue, all six shinobi seemingly vanished into thin air in the blink of an eye.
Silence ensued between the duo, and almost as if it were planned, they both looked at each other, and upon meeting each other's gaze turned away frantically. "L-L-Let's go i-inside." Sakura declared all too loudly, leaving Itachi alone as she stormed into the house, not that he seemed to particularly mind the sudden disappearance of the kunoichi, his heart pounding strongly against his chest and his stomach stirring in a sort of obtrusive manner that left him feeling vulnerable with abnormal feelings he hadn't felt in a long, long time.
Yes, what was he doing?
Dessert had been eaten somewhat robotically, a frantic sort of laughter and talk filling the room to try and ignore the fact that all of them knew what Itachi and Sakura had been thinking about doing (and may have possibly done, if not for the interruption of the aforementioned shinobi), not that Naruto, Daichi, Sayuri, or Saki understood why.
"Sakura-oneesama, is Itachi-san your boyfriend?" It had been a genuine question, given the way that Sakura and Itachi had been discovered; plus, it would explain why Sakura, despite her beauty and all around amazing-ness, still did not have a boyfriend (and why her and her Sasuke-nii hadn't already been dating).
Sakura choked, although she couldn't tell if it was on air, food, or her own saliva. She stuttered around for words, trying to calm herself, but luckily it seemed that the limelight would be taken off of her for the time being (she dare not look at Itachi to see his expression at the statement).
"Don't be silly Saki-chan! Sakura-chan is my future wife, Dattebayo!"
Saki blinked, unimpressed by the answer. After all, Naruto had been preaching the same thing for years now, and given Sakura's response every time, she knew it would never happen. Nevertheless, something else caught her eye, as she stared out the window and noticed hundreds of lights in the sky. "Look!" she pointed excitedly out the window, catching everyone's attention to the sight before them.
"Oh yeah, the lantern festival was supposed to start right around now." Hiroto stated. "It's to commemorate all of the fallen shinobi."
"So pretty...!" Saki exclaimed excitedly. "Do you think we can go see them?" Saki stated excitedly.
Sakura frowned. Given their current company, they clearly could not set foot off the compound. "A-Anno..."
"It's fine." Marika smiled. "We can go to the lake. The view will be perfect." Marika stated with a smile. At least this way, the tension would disappear, of which she knew Sakura would be thankful for.
"Lake?" Naruto exclaimed with a grin. "Can we swim?"
"..."
"Oooh! Swimming?! Great idea Naruto-senpai! I'll go get my bathing suit!" Saki was gone in the blink of an eye.
Sakura sighed. How did things turn out like this? Nevertheless, at least the attention had shifted elsewhere from her relationship with Itachi, although Saki had brought up a good point.
What were they?
Needless to say, Saki (and partially Naruto), had suckered them all into their bathing suits, and while Sasuke went off to spend time with his elder brother and Naruto went to pester Kakashi into a bathing suit, this left Kisame alone with Mikoto to help clear out the table.
Truthfully, never in a million years had Kisame expected himself to be in this situation, helping his partner's mother clean the dishes. She seemed nice enough, a smile never leaving her features, despite the housework forced upon her. "Kisame-san, right?" she suddenly spoke, despite the awkward silence that had ensued between the two. Kisame looked up in confusion.
"H-Hai?"
Yet, the smile never faded from her features. "Thank you for doing this for Itachi." she stated, although Kisame couldn't understand why she knew it had been his decision and not Itachi's to come here and face Sakura and his family. Almost as if reading his mind, she spoke, answering his question. "Itachi would never willingly come see us. He's a stubborn man set in his ways, after all." she chuckled slightly. "Even after all these years, I know my son well. He's reckless, and prioritizes the safety of others over his own. Thank you for your continued support of my son." she seemed honest, her earnest eyes never leaving that of Kisame's. "And... onegai... keep watching over my Itachi-kun... he can be a bit of a pain in the ass, I'm sure, but he's a sweet kid deep down. I don't want him to end up hurt because he refuses to rely on others."
Kisame allowed himself time to let Mikoto's words sink in, but once they did, he couldn't help but smile at the Uchiha matriarch. "Hai... I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
Mikoto's smile got brighter, if possible, at his promise. "Arigatou, Kisame-san."
She seemed nearly eternally grateful to him, for some reason. What he would have done to have a mother like his, Kisame couldn't help but think.
Truly, Itachi was a lucky guy.
The walk to the lake had been quick, Saki racing ahead with Naruto, Himawari, and Hiroto, leaving Sakura, Sasuke, and the rest of the Haruno bunch to settle for a normal pace, with Itachi and Kisame just a way's further, and Kakashi and Mikoto leading the rear.
This time of solitude gave both Akatsuki members the perfect opportunity to speak privately, an act which Itachi took advantage of nearly immediately.
"We shouldn't be doing this, Kisame." he warned.
And even though Kisame knew this, he couldn't help but frown in disagreement. "Just a little longer." he dismissed Itachi's concern.
"We're already behind in schedule. If he finds out-
"Madara tricked me, Itachi, just like he has tricked everyone he has ever met. I won't play the part of his puppet any longer." Kisame stated in displeasure. He would do things his way now, Madara be damned. He needed this time, particularly because since the moment he set foot within that home, thoughts of Akatsuki or of his mission had been thrown out of the window, replaced with thoughts of friends and happiness. And he needed to experience this for himself, to understand what it truly was that he wanted in life.
Itachi said nothing more on the matter -frankly, there was nothing he could say to deter Kisame any longer.
Then again, he supposed he had no one to blame but himself for this.
Mikoto had set down a large blanket, the likes of which she, Kakashi, Sakura, Marika, Sasuke, and the two Akatsuki members sat in. Naruto, Himawari, Hiroto, Daichi, and Sayuri had long since gone in, indulging themselves in the cool water and the perfectly cool breeze the night had to offer them as they watched the never-ending sea of lanterns lighting up the night sky.
"Sakura-oneesama! Sasuke-nii! The water feels great!" Saki persisted, wishing more than anything to swim with them.
"Yeah Sakura-chan! Come on in, Dattebayo!" Truth be told, Naruto was just being a pervert, and wished to see Sakura clad in nothing but a bathing suit, and he was disappointed to find her dressed in her usual attire, although he could see the elastic straps underneath, an indication of the two-piece Sakura had underneath. How long had it been since he had seen Sakura in a two-piece? The thought nearly gave him a nose bleed in its entirety.
Himawari rolled her eyes, knowing Naruto's perverse thoughts, but nevertheless shouted at Sakura as well, but for entirely different reasons. Because she was there, able to be scantily clad in front of Uchiha Itachi, and it would be the most amusing thing in the world to see what he would do as a reaction.
And Hiroto, Marika, Mikoto, Kisame, and Kakashi all knew this as well, so it hadn't been long before Sakura had been pressured into going in, particularly because Marika began undressing her and dragging her into the water.
"Marika-nee!" Sakura shouted frantically, running from her elder sister as she tried to pull off Sakura's shirt.
"Come on Sakura! We came all the way here! Don't let it be a waste!" Marika snickered, knowing fully well that Sakura was only being self-conscious due to the eldest Uchiha.
But truthfully speaking, how could she not be? Especially after their embrace? After the way he had looked at her? With longing and a hint of passion and want? It had been too much for her pure mind to handle, especially because of the fact that it was Itachi. Nevertheless, she knew she would go in eventually, seeing as Kisame and Sasuke had decided to enter the water sometime during Marika's chase, and as such all of her friends and comrades (save Mikoto, Kakashi, and Itachi, who she knew would not go in), had already entered. With a sigh, she conceded defeat.
"Mikoto, I shall be leaving for now. I've got an early morning with Tsunade." he stated, although he knew Mikoto to not be paying attention in the slightest, particularly because she was eyeing her eldest son, who in turn was trying his best to pry his eyes away from Sakura -and failing miserably, might Mikoto add with great amusement. "Tell Sakura I say bye."
"H-Hai..." even if she said this, he knew she was still too distracted (hell, even the observant Itachi wasn't paying attention to him), and as such he decided to take his leave.
But how could Itachi not stare?!
It had occurred to him once before that Sakura was now a woman -a highly attractive woman at that, during the Gala. But this... the sight of her in a bathing suit, took it to a whole other level, so much so in fact that he felt emotions stirring within him, emotions he had felt towards the Six-Tailed Jinchuuriki, which he now felt towards the Nine-Tails, who was openly ogling Sakura without restraint. But, he supposed he wasn't at all upset by how Sakura handled the situation pummeling Naruto into the lake as he skid atop the water like a smooth, round stone. Then again, how could he be angry at the Jinchuuriki if what he was doing was hardly any better? Just the thought made him look away from her, although his gaze was soon enough on her once more.
And upon seeing this pleased expression on Itachi's face, Mikoto could no longer contain her amusement and finally laughed, an action which snapped Itachi out of his thoughts and had him staring at his mother. "You truly haven't changed a bit when it really comes down to it, Itachi." the smile she gave him was that of a blissfully happy mother, glad to have her son back.
Yet, Itachi could not understand how she surmised this by the way that he had been staring at Sakura (and with much embarrassment he acknowledged that yes, he had been staring at Sakura far too intently, and that yes, his mother had caught him).
"It's obvious that you still like her." she stated simply. Had Itachi been a lesser man he would have choked, but before he could deny his mother's statement she spoke once more. "You don't have to agree with me if you don't want to. I know this is probably embarrassing for you." He had never liked anyone (other than Sakura), had never openly admitted being attracted to a woman before, and as such she could only imagine how Itachi was handling these foreign emotions within him. "You know, Itachi-kun, for what it's worth," she changed the subject, a more thoughtful and serious expression on her face, "Had we went along with the coup, I would have done everything within my power, everything possible, to prevent Fugaku from slaughtering Sakura, if only to have her marry you somewhere down the line." her sudden statement nearly took Itachi aback. Why was she bringing that up after all this time? Yet, she did not stop there. "Alongside you, the two of you would have been able to properly lead the clan, despite the pressure from the Uchiha Elders and that of Fugaku."
Itachi remained silent for a long time, processing this information. "She is very intuitive and strong-willed." Itachi acknowledged. She handled surprises and tough situations rather well; she was strong, smart, and completely devoted to Konoha. "It would have been a smart move." he finally stated, knowing that Sakura would be a great clan head -in fact, she was.
Mikoto blinked, nearly amused by Itachi's train of thought. "I wasn't doing it for the politics, Itachi." she denied. "I was doing it for you. Because she helps to bring out the best in you, Itachi-kun."
And as she stated this, Itachi couldn't help but let his eyes once more land on Sakura, although he hadn't expected her to be staring straight at him as well from her location inside the water. She gave him a small smile, and it was at that very moment that it hit Itachi, just how stunningly beautiful she looked under the moonlight, and for the briefest of moments it all seemed to stop, the splashing of the water and the sounds of laughter and shouts, and it was just them, as if Itachi was completely captivated by her very being -which... he was.
And Sakura couldn't help but notice how intensely he was looking at her, and as such their moment was stopped as she looked away, a clear blush on her face.
And it was at this precise moment that Itachi was once more reminded of their past, their time together back when he was thirteen, and for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel so alone.
Maybe his mother was right.
Maybe she did help bring out the best in him.
Little by little, the occupants of the lake began to exit, either tired or pruny, but not Sakura, who, despite having been in there for over thirty minutes, still had a raging, wild blush on her face just by recalling Itachi's heated stare. Why was he doing that? And why now, when he had been nothing but nonchalant and stoic on any other occasion?
She couldn't come up with an answer, but more than anything, she didn't want to approach the shore and face him -what could she say? What could she do, for that matter?
So concentrated on her own thoughts, she hadn't heard Mikoto call out to her and exclaim that they were starting to head back. But she lay there, on her back, watching the night-sky, previously filled with lanterns.
But just as she was about to head back to shore she suddenly sensed movement and looked, seeing Itachi approaching her, using his chakra to walk on the relatively still water. She watched on curiously, wondering what it was that he wanted. She waited until he was but a few feet away from her, and then spoke. "Is there something you need?"
"We need to discuss our reason for being here before we depart."
Sakura allowed a pause between their conversation, a way of keeping the atmosphere calm. "I assume it has something to do with what you told me last time." Sakura stated.
"Hn"
Sakura sighed. "Alright, I'll meet you back at shore." And so she waited for Itachi to return to the shore before she settled for a quick swim, going towards the location where Mikoto had been-
-Only to find them gone, and her towel gone with them. And it was then that she once again became extremely self-conscious about her attire. 'I'm half naked in front of Itachi...' she let the thought sink in dreadfully. Even her clothes for gone, for Kami's sake, and she looked around frantically, hoping someone had left her something to wear.
But unfortunately they hadn't, and before she could apologize to him she suddenly heard a puff of smoke, and before she knew it Itachi had suddenly draped his Akatsuki cloak over her figure, successfully covering up the entirety of her body and then some. "A-Arigatou..." her blushing face could not be hidden, but he did not comment on it, as they quietly made their way back to the Haruno Compound.
Frankly, he had to give her the cloak -he would have driven himself mad seeing her like that with nobody else around.
End of Chapter
So, I'm hoping Sasuke and Itachi weren't too ooc, or that the scenario seemed far-fetched. At this point in time, Kisame has already made up his mind of protecting Sakura, and Itachi... well, I think it's clear where he stands x)
Furthermore, now that Tobi/Madara/Obito knows, he'll want to act fast to protect his plans c: If you guys have any questions about the story so far, any uncertainties or confusion, let me know! Things will start to get a little more complicated from now on, so its best you all know what's going on beforehand c:
I'm not going to lie, my favorite part about this chapter was probably the small scene with Mikoto and Itachi, as well as Mikoto and Kisame.
As a spoiler, i shall state that the next chapter will reveal mysterious of the Haruno Clan Massacre.
I'd like to make out a quick thank you to Stormy (Guest Reviewer) for refueling my motivation to update with her many reviews =]
And I'm interested to know if any of you guys can figure out what Kisame has to tell Sakura, other than warning her about the danger she was in ^_^
On another note, I have a question: How steamy do you guys want the ita x saku moments to get? XD How much would be appropriate, given their relationship/how long they've been apart? XD Im struggling with this XD
Comments, concerns, reviews, critiques, questions? Leave 'em all here! Any and all feedback is much appreciated~!
-MarzSpy