"Shut up. Some people have things they don't want to tell anyone, even if they're dying!"
- Ruka, Last Friends

"You might not return my feelings…but even so, I love you. But I want to support you. No matter how you change, I want to stay by your side! I don't want to lose you!"
- Last Friends

"Kisame, incoming!"

He instinctively jumped out of the way as a shower of white birds fell from the sky and simultaneously exploded. Deidara soared above Kisame at a safer level, watching the fight as opposed to taking a major part in it. Using the resulting smoke to his advantage, Kisame wove through it and killed three ninjas soundlessly- he was after all from Mist and used to fog.

Deidara scanned the field for another Akatsuki cloak. Kisame was taking down ninjas right and left with every terrifying swing of Samehada, but Deidara couldn't see Itachi anywhere. His eyes snapped to the drab stone gates that surrounded Sound as there was a loud bang.

Konoha had broken through the wall, he could see ninjas forcing their way through a gigantic hole in it.

He nosedived immediately and Kisame ducked as the bird went roaring over his head, the wind rippling through his cloak. Swearing, he began to follow Deidara because damn it, he didn't want Leader on his ass if Deidara went and got himself killed.

The bird suddenly seemed to stretch in an attempt to become more streamlined as Deidara leaned forwards as the bird shot towards the hole in the wall. It barrel rolled in the air, avoiding projectiles, and shot through the wall easily. The bird slowed until it was hovering over the battlefield and Deidara swooped over the ninjas, throwing kunai and explosives as he went. Kisame fought his way over to the area Deidara hovered above and the artist smirked down at him.

"Look who finally showed up," Deidara shouted down to him.

"Do you think you can fight on the ground without Haruno healing you every few seconds?" Kisame jeered, ripping through another ninja's chest as he did so with Samehada.

Deidara took the bait readily and landed on the ground beside Kisame, careful to avoid Samehada. He pulled a kunai from his pouch and pressed his back against Kisame's.

"You're getting old, fish man. I'm probably going to have to save your ass."

"We'll see who needs whose ass saving in a minute, brat."

Itachi wasn't fighting with his team mates. He had slipped through the wall even before it had been broken through and was headed towards the Sound kage's Tower. Any ninjas who had seen him had been killed on the spot and it was impossible for any civilian to see him at the speed he was moving.

The blue grey tower came into sight and he scaled the walls as quietly as possible up to the top floor. Using the metal of his slashed forehead protector to see through a window without revealing himself, he found that Orochimaru was surrounded by three ninjas. He formed a complicated genjutsu around them so that they wouldn't interfere with what he was about to do.

Orochimaru's subordinates went uncannily still and he glanced up at them, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. He immediately left his desk as he heard the window open quietly, pulling out a kunai and falling into a defensive position. The man he saw before him surprised him greatly and he even let out a startled laugh.

"I was actually expecting your brother," he confessed with an unsettling smile that was far too wide, revealing too many teeth.

Itachi didn't even bother to grace him with a reply and as Orochimaru watched, Itachi's body seemed to crumble away like a broken wall. It decomposed into grey dust that swirled around the room and Itachi was nowhere to be seen.

"You can't hide behind genjutsu, Itachi-san," he taunted.

The dust formed midnight ravens that began to circle him in a dizzying race. The rustle of a cloak caught his attention and he turned immediately to block a hit from the Sharingan master. Itachi disappeared into the wall of ravens again and struck at Orochimaru again and again.

Orochimaru let out a quiet gasp as Itachi slashed across his right arm. Orochimaru made a few hand signals and snakes began slipping out of his sleeves and his mouth. They began attacking the ravens that turned into air once they were bitten and he pushed through a hole in the line.

Itachi immediately delivered a roundhouse kick to his head and Orochimaru blocked it with two hands, leaving his back open. Tearing his foot away from Orochimaru's grasp, Itachi kicked him powerfully on his back and Orochimaru flew across the room. He hit the wall hard enough to make it crack and he stood up shakily, licking his lips.

"I don't know where you are right now, but your brother just arrived. You might want to stay away from him," Kisame warned Itachi through the earpiece.

Itachi stiffened and Orochimaru noticed. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he rushed Itachi who was put on the defensive as he blocked blow after blow. A terrifying light lit up Orochimaru's eyes and Itachi pushed against him roughly, flooring him with a quick sweep kick. A thin stream of blood began to run from the scar underneath Itachi's left eye and he ignored it.

Itachi grunted as he was pushed back and grabbed Orochimaru's wrist to block an oncoming kunai. He then snatched at his other wrist and activated his Mangekyou Sharingan when Orochimaru made the mistake of meeting his eyes in the metal of the kunai.

"Mangekyou Sharingan: The Art of Mind Torture."

Orochimaru froze, his eyes glazed over with genjutsu. The kunai dropped from his hands at Itachi's feet and the Sharingan Master stared at the dark metal for a long time. His reflection stared back at him and the kunai seemed to beckon for him to pick it up and end Orochimaru's life.

And then, he said to nobody at all, "His life isn't mine to take."

His Akatsuki ring suddenly began to glow as a message from Pein was projected into the heads of every member. "You are all to return to Konoha immediately, regardless of any orders from Konoha ninjas."

Back at the battlefield, Deidara was halfway through creating a second bird for Itachi and Kisame to ride on. Kisame was standing over him, just in case an enemy ninja decided to sneak up on them while Deidara was preparing their getaway. Since Deidara wouldn't be able to ride both of the birds and control them, he had to make sure one of them was programmed to head towards Konoha which took chakra and a lot of effort.

"Where's Itachi, yeah?" Deidara asked Kisame, a sweat breaking over his brow as he fed his chakra into the clay bird.

"He should be on his way," he replied and Deidara stood up, having finished the bird.

Deidara boarded his bird and explained to Kisame, "The bird steers itself. Ja."

My eyes flickered open and there was a loud exaggerated sigh besides me.

"So, sleeping beauty is finally awake," the most annoying voice I have ever heard said mockingly.

I shot up, ready to kill the silver haired man sitting in a chair beside my hospital bed. Hospital bed? Wait, why was I in the hospital?

"Tsunade-sama had you hospitalized since using all that chakra to heal Itachi-san and the other ninjas damaged your pathways. The treatment's finished so you can leave if you want," Kakashi explained.

"You…you bastard," I snarled at him.

He shrugged and said, "Don't get mad at me. Itachi-san was the one who knocked you unconscious."

- Sakura and I had instantly looked at him as the onyx pinwheels spun in a sky of dark red -

"That bastard," I hissed under my breath.

"It's nice to know you're capable of using that swear word, but a little originality wouldn't hurt," Kakashi commented and I glared at him.

He was unmoved by it however and continued, "By the way, your team is coming back to Konoha."

That shocked me. "What?"

"Their leader got angry because Tsunade-sama didn't ask him first if she could send them out to Sound. All of Akatsuki have been called back to Konoha, so we're screwed if they decide to turn on us once the war is over," he filled me in.

"And Naruto?" I demanded.

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively and said, "He's fine. Akatsuki doesn't know where he is. Anyways, that's not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk to you about your team…or more specifically, Itachi-san and Deidara-san."

My blood ran cold. This was a confrontation I had been dreading and I instinctively put on a poker face, not betraying anything. I waited for him to continue in silence.

His face hardened and his onyx eye grew intense. This was the real Kakashi now, the Kakashi that had been at the forefront of ANBU, the child prodigy capable of countless jutsus and cold blooded killing.

"We both know there's no way they won't attack Konoha for Naruto. Not now, but eventually they will," Kakashi began, "When that time comes, will you be able to fight against them for Naruto and Konoha? Regardless of any of the Akatsuki members you need to fight?"

His eyes were uncannily intense as he asked me the one question I had been dreading. "Will you be able to kill Itachi or Deidara?"

My voice froze in my throat and I couldn't bring myself to say anything. Even though I maybe, probably, really did love Itachi and Deidara was too close to me for us to just be friends, I-

Kakashi sighed disappointedly and leaned back in his chair. He asked, "You can't, can you?"

"Shut up."

How could he…how could he presume all of these things?

I shouted, "I'll do anything if it means protecting Konoha and Naruto! I'll always be a ninja of Konoha first before Haruno Sakura and even if I have to kill them myself, I'll do it!"

His voice was uncannily calm. "Then there is no problem."

It was as though another mask had slipped on over Kakashi as he smiled beneath navy blue fabric. He was no longer the intimidating ex-ANBU member, he was simply Kakashi-sensei now and he patted me on the shoulder.

"Get well soon, Sakura."

"There is nothing to worry about. Sakura won't let her relationship with Akatsuki get in the way if we ever need to defend ourselves," Kakashi informed Tsunade.

Tsunade nodded thoughtfully and dismissed him without another word more.

There was a definite shortage of ninjas in Konoha. Genin were running around doing chuunin duties, chuunin were running around acting for jounin and the handful of jounin that were there were overworked.

Which was exactly why Kakashi was performing silly little tasks like greeting the Akatsuki members.

"Welcome back. Where's the rest of your team?" he greeted Deidara at the gates.

Deidara turned and rounded on Kakashi. His eyes narrowed and he demanded, "Where's Sakura?"

"My, aren't you the angry one," Kakashi commented and this prompted Deidara to glare at him.

Kakashi shrugged and said, "I'm not sure actually. She was in the hospital half an hour ago but she's been discharged."

Deidara swore under his breath and immediately walked past Kakashi. A hand darted out and gripped him surprisingly tightly around the arm, causing him to stop in surprise.

Kakashi's smile was blatantly fake and his onyx eye held a warning. His voice was deceptively light but there was an order within it, "Don't go see Sakura now. She needs to be alone right now."

- it's kinjutsu and he was angry because she hadn't told him anything at all and why had Itachi known before him? -

Deidara snatched his arm away, scowling angrily. Digging a hand into his pouch of clay, he formed a small bird which he released into the sky. It grew bigger and he leaped onto it. Everything was pissing him off right now and all he wanted to do was see Sakura.

Itachi and Kisame approached Kakashi, having heard his warning already. They had entered through the gates while Deidara and Kakashi were talking.

Kakashi said jovially, "Welcome back, you two."

For a split second, Itachi and Kakashi's gazes met.

Kakashi's eyes were full of warning. Stay away from her.

As Itachi brushed past Kakashi, he murmured quietly, "Thank you, Hatake-san."

There was a knock at my bedroom door and I looked up instinctively, going over to unlock it. A small genin child stood awkwardly in the doorway, looking incredibly nervous as he avoided my gaze.

He fidgeted as he informed me, "Haruno-san, your team has arrived in Konoha."

"Thank you," I murmured and the boy ran away.

The knock at the window startled me and I turned around suddenly. Just as the boy had said, there was Deidara and I immediately went over and opened it. He pulled off his brass scope and tucked it into his pocket, then he looked at me.

The first words were the last ones I wanted to hear, "You've been crying, yeah."

Shit, I had forgotten my eyes were red and puffy. I turned away from him in a weak attempt to hide my face and mumbled, "It's nothing, don't worry."

"No, it's not nothing," Deidara insisted and touched her shoulder.

And he didn't understand and all I wanted him was to stop pushing, to stop protecting because-

I flung his hand off of me and snarled, "It's none of your business!"

He was momentarily stunned into silence and my heavy panting filled the room. Glancing away from him, I was filled with overwhelming guilt. He had just been worried and I had treated him so badly…

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," I murmured quietly to him and he inclined his head slightly.

He lingered awkwardly in my room, as if he was unsure whether or not he should go. I sighed and sat down on my bed, looking down at my hands as I clasped them.

"Somebody said something that upset me. That's all," I mumbled.

"…do you want me to go kill them?"

I stared at him in disbelief before bursting into a reply barely audible through my laughter, "No! Of course not!"

A small smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth and he shrugged. "Just so you know, I don't usually make offers like that, yeah. Next time you want someone dead, you'll have to ask Kisame."

"Damn it, is it too late to take it back?" I asked.

His smirk grew. "Yeah."

I would miss this so much if I ever killed Deidara.

The stray thought brought tears to my eyes and I glanced away suddenly, it hurt to look at him. Deidara looked alarmed and I forced a laugh, shaking my head as I tried to smile at him. He could read the lie in my face but I kept it there.

"Sorry, but can I ask you to go? I think," my breath came in a short gasp, "I think I need to be alone right now."

His hands were feather light on my shoulders as he leaned forwards and kissed me softly. I folded in on myself, crumpling against him like paper and my hands gripped his shirt for support. I would miss him so much if I ever had to leave him, I couldn't ever leave Deidara behind because he was always making me feel better, he was always there and I think I-

- kill Itachi or Deidara? and even though it would hurt me more than anything in the world, I would, I would, I would -

A sob escaped my mouth and I pressed my hands against my lips to stifle the sound. I shook my head, no, no, and he drew me to him in an embrace, his arms enveloping me like a protective shield. I could feel his hands clenched in the fabric of my shirt as if he never wanted to let me go and I gasped for breath.

The words spilled from my mouth, "I don't want you to leave me-"

"I won't-"

"-because if you turn against Konoha and we get orders from Hokage-sama to fight you to defend the village, I'm scared I won't be able to do it -"

"Sakura-"

"-I'm scared I can't stop you if you try to hurt Naruto because I don't want to kill you-"

"I love you."

The world stopped.

I looked up and his sapphire gaze was more intense, more serious than it had ever been before. I couldn't say anything, my voice had been lost somewhere and I couldn't find it again.

His voice was thick with emotion, "If Akatsuki orders me to fight Konoha, I'll run the other way. If they tell me to take the jinchuuriki, I'll help you fight against them to save him. You won't ever have to kill me because I'll never give you a reason to."

He kissed me and although a part of me was screaming that I loved Itachi, that this was wrong, another part of me was saying this was right, that I was happy. He pulled me closer and deepened the kiss.

And I let him.

Even though the kiss between Deidara and Sakura was driving her insane, a constant reminder in the back of her head, she knew she had to see Itachi. Even though it felt like she had betrayed him somehow, she needed to face him and give him what she had found. This wasn't just about him and her anymore, there was something deeper, something darker that had forcibly tied them together.

She knew instinctively where he'd be and, picking up the letters, she put them in the deepest pocket she had. Her footsteps were slow and reluctant as she walked to the Uchiha district, trying to sort out her mind before she saw Itachi again. Would he kill her for knowing about his role as a spy? If she gave him the Mangekyou Sharingan scroll, what would he do with it?

She was in the Uchiha district before she knew it and her feet were leading her to the riverside. When she got there, Itachi was standing at the edge sun dried dock once again, crimson eyes staring over the sparkling water. He knew she was standing there but made no move to turn around, and she pulled everything out of her pocket.

"Itachi, I found something for you," she began anxiously.

"Hm?"

She then asked, "Do you remember the bag I used to carry around? The one with the Sexy Ninja patch on it?"

"Yes."

"It tore the other day and there were two letters and a Mangekyou Sharingan scroll inside it. The letters have your name on them, one of them was from the Sandaime and I didn't know who the other one was from-"

Itachi turned to face her and demanded suddenly, urgently, "Do you have them with you?"

Nodding, she handed everything to him. His eyes narrowed as he realized the Sandaime's seal had been broken- meaning that somebody had read the letter and he looked up at her accusingly.

"You read one of them."

Sakura swallowed and rushed, "I was just worried it was something harmful to Konoha, I swear I didn't know at all about anything. I couldn't just give it to you."

He pulled the letter out of the Sandaime's envelope and began to read it. A different time, a different choice was offered there and at one stage, Itachi would have taken it in a heartbeat. Sakura watched as his jaw clenched imperceptibly.

There was a loud, horrendous rip.

Itachi began tearing the Hokage's letter into pieces, and those pieces into smaller pieces until they were nothing but white confetti. It was impossible to read now and his crimson eyes were dark as he released the paper into the air.

Sakura gasped, "No-"

The pieces of paper settled on the river surface like snow in summer and she watched them sink in horror. She wanted to dive into the lake and pick up all the pieces, but they were already ruined beyond repair. She looked back at him, her throat clenched, and Itachi's face was impassive again.

"No…no, why would you do something like that?" she asked him in a whisper.

He was silent and she could feel her eyes boiling with hot, desperate tears.

She began, "If you had kept it whole, we could have shown it to Tsunade-sama and you'd get a pardon for your crimes because you were acting under orders and you wouldn't have to be a missing-nin-"

"I did not massacre the Uchiha clan on orders," he interrupted her harshly.

"Then why?"

"Because I wanted to test my power and I hated them," he answered coldly.

"That's a lie," she insisted, "That's a lie, you left Sasuke alive."

"Stop trying to see things that aren't there," he told her irritably.

"Stop trying to deny they are! You must have been working for Konoha, the Sandaime and this Shisui person believed in you-"

"Enough."

The air was tense and Sakura stopped breathing. His sharp words hadn't been loud but they held far too much power. Her throat had shut in on itself and she looked down at her hands in frustration. Droplets of water trickled down her face and her fists clenched in the bag again.

In a ragged whisper, she finished, "And I believe in you."

Next chapter preview : Danzou

"Itachi, what the hell were you doing?"

"He's just been rushed to hospital, he had a heart attack."

My eyes flickered to the next file. 'Uchiha Massacre'

…Selandora?

Where've you BEEN?!
Um, well, I've sort of been busy. I've got a few exams coming up soon and whenever I have free time, I go and watch anime or Taiwanese dramas. I'm so sorry! I really couldn't bring myself to write anything, I would sit down at the computer and I would find that I really didn't want to write. I mean, I started writing for fun, so I didn't really want to start up until I found that feeling again. It's returned now and I'm so sorry for being selfish. :S

Wait, you said that you were tying up loads of loose ends.
Yes! Be prepared for the return of hundreds of flashbacks. Chapter 16 and 17 are all flashbacks from Itachi's point of view. Hopefully they sort everything out.

Selandora (apologizes again)