Hey all, thank you for your thoughtful and motivational reviews! I had a hard time writing this chapter and you all kept me going! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Complex
Chapter 21 : Into the Fire
Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi reached the village gates at about quarter to three – AM. After signing in with the on-duty chuunin there, the three walked tiredly down Konoha's main drag. They all stopped at Sasuke's side-street. An awkward silence hung between them. Finally, Naruto muttered a "'Night." and he and Kakashi turned from the lone Uchiha. Sasuke watched their retreating backs for a moment then turned, heading for his home. Meanwhile, Kakashi and Naruto walked together since their apartments were in the same general direction. Kakashi broke the quiet.
"I've been thinking about reporting Sasuke."
The blonde nodded. "And?"
Kakashi lowered his head slightly, eye still on the road in front of them. "There's not much to tell Tsunade, is there?" he spoke softly.
Naruto looked at Kakashi, anger burning in his eyes.
"Why the hell not! He tried to kill her!"
Kakashi threw Naruto a silencing glare.
"Did he ever admit to it?"
"Might as well have." Naruto hissed angrily.
Kakashi shook his head. "Sakura's obviously okay, and besides, the information you two collected on your mission went undocumented."
Naruto's eyes widened fractionally. "But Kakashi-sensei-"
"We have no evidence that we can use against him. Regardless of what we know, he's about to gain more credibility with the Hokage and the village, once we report that he offed Orochimaru single-handedly."
Understanding flashed across Naruto's face but he was still infuriated, and now frustrated to boot.
"Damn it! Are you serious? Tsunade baa-chan will believe us over him!"
"He'll never admit to it, Naruto!" Kakashi scolded him impatiently. "It will destroy his and Sakura's marriage if we interfere at this point!" Naruto's mouth slowly hardened into a grim line as he took in Kakashi's analysis of the situation. "Do you see that?"
After a few moments Naruto nodded despondently, accepting. Kakashi turned to head up the stairs as they reached his apartment complex.
"I'll see you later." he called, almost apologetically, after his former student. Naruto just nodded and waved at him, never stopping, just walking onwards.
Sasuke knew as soon as he passed through the gates to the complex that Sakura was not home. He trudged, sullen, to his house. Not bothering with the lights, the young man walked to his room and stripped to his boxers, collapsing heavily onto the futon. Coming home from his mission offered him no comfort.
He felt so alone.
His body was resting but his mind was racing. He had long since calmed from his episode in Sound with Naruto. Kakashi was a logical man, and after examining the situation, Sasuke knew that Kakashi would figure out that the Uchiha still had the upper hand. He also assumed that the masked nin would set Naruto straight. Hopefully Sakura would be home soon and they'd be able to fix the mess he had made of their marriage. Sasuke sighed hopelessly. There was nothing indicating that Sakura would divine the reason behind his choice of locale for her vacation, but he couldn't help and think on the words she had imparted to him so long ago...
"If you don't tell me about important things, that counts as lying."
Sasuke turned over in the bed, rumpling the covers. He couldn't tell her. He wouldn't tell her. He needed her.
Sasuke awoke early the next morning. Someone was banding on the door frame.
Loudly.
Sasuke groaned and disentangled himself from the covers, grabbing his pants and tugging them over his hips, fastening the buttons as he went.
"Coming!" he croaked. There was only one person who could be banging on his door this early. He'd gotten next to no sleep the night before and didn't appreciate being roused at the early hour. He slid the shoji open, but before he could get a word out, a red-eyed Naruto launched himself at Sasuke.
"The fuck Naruto?" Sasuke jumped aside just in time to dodge Naruto's swift punch. Just as quickly, Naruto rolled, then from a crouch shot his foot out towards Sasuke's shins, clipping one with his attack. Considering that his blond teammate hadn't said anything yet and kept coming at him, Sasuke figured he wouldn't let up anytime soon. Sasuke ran out of the kitchen into the courtyard, Naruto practically breathing down his neck. He leapt out into the open space, turning and facing Naruto as he landed, gravel sliding under his feet. Naruto never stopped coming.
"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"
Sasuke activated his sharingan as multiple Narutos attacked him from all sides, and he dodged and dispelled each one of them just as quickly as they attacked. The real Naruto jumped in before the last clones disappeared and as Sasuke turned to him, his punch connected with the pale nin's face, sending him flying. Naruto kept on, following him closely. Sasuke got his footing at the end, and sent a lightning fast kick into Naruto's side. The blonde stumbled sideways, rolling through the grass next to the pond and regaining his stance quickly enough to block Sasuke's first barrage of blows. Sasuke was pulling his punches, and it just served to piss Naruto off more. He dodged the next punch, throwing an elbow up into the Uchiha's chin, which Sasuke dodged using the body-flicker technique. From his new vantage point, Sasuke aimed a punch squarely at Naruto's kidney. But Naruto was fast too. He appeared at his opponent's side as Sasuke leaned into the punch, and he landed another hit on the Uchiha's aristocratic face. Sasuke braced for impact at the last moment, and his own fist shot into the jinchuuriki's cheek.
Naruto didn't hesitate or flinch. He grabbed Sasuke's hand deftly and turned, throwing Sasuke to the ground and straddling him instantly. Sasuke attempted to block the punches that Naruto was throwing into his now bruised and bloodied face but he couldn't catch them all. After a few seconds he changed tactics, letting Naruto get on top was a mistake. While blocking what he could with one arm Sasuke drove his knuckles into Naruto's ribs, forcing the blond to lean sideways to cradle his side. Sasuke took advantage of the opening and rolled with all of his might to the right, rolling over the top of the blonde and regaining the ability to stand on his own.
Naruto rose as well and ran, frustrated, at Sasuke, throwing his shoulder towards the opposing shinobi's stomach. Sasuke sidestepped the obvious, slow attack while grabbing Naruto's arm. He easily flipped Naruto onto his back, proceeding to wrap one leg around the struggling blonde's neck and the other under his arm and around his back, effectively trapping him in a firm triangle hold.
"What the fuck do you want now?" Sasuke spat, thoroughly annoyed. He didn't bother with blocking Naruto's weakened punches; from this angle the jounin had no advantage and with Sasuke out of range there was no way for him to continue his assault on the Uchiha. Naruto fisted a hand into the lawn, defeated.
"I have to avenge... Sakura-chan..." he choked.
Sasuke scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Revenge?" he murmured, searching Naruto's face. Suddenly, Sasuke threw his head back, laughing, disgusted. "Revenge?" he repeated venomously. "Do you know the meaning of the word? Naruto, you will never defeat me, I am revenge! You don't stand a fucking chance!" he screamed maniacally at his teammate. Sasuke released his hold abruptly and stood, Naruto immediately rolled over onto his hands and knees, coughing and spitting. Sasuke crouched in front of him, waiting for the blonde to raise his head and when he did, though the Uchiha remained stoic, Sasuke's sharingan was trembling with the force of his emotion. He looked to be thinking for a moment, then he rose, his silent anger rolling off of his body in waves. Naruto bent his head to the ground, hands pulling violently at the helpless dead grass there, tears soaking the ground under him.
"Sakura-chan..."
He sniffed and stopped his crying.
"If I don't stand a chance at avenging Sakura-chan, then you have to make it up to me."
Sasuke stopped but didn't turn around.
"You have to fix this!" Naruto was getting to his feet, yelling at Sasuke's back. "This is all your fault!" Naruto accused.
A cold silence filled the courtyard.
"I'll fix it. Sakura is fine." He looked over his shoulder darkly. "This is none of your business. Leave me alone." The whispered words were filled with hatred and promised more violence should Naruto protest his resolution.
Naruto dusted off his black pants and sleeveless shirt. "Fine." he nodded curtly.
Naruto had just about had it.
Still not completely satisfied, Naruto realized he didn't want to be within the village walls with his slimy, hateful teammate. Right now he was screaming inside, he still felt like a part of him wanted to rip Sasuke to shreds, he wanted Sasuke to hurt. But that wouldn't do. He had to get away, but there was something he had to do first. He may not have been the smartest ninja, but he was not insensitive. Naruto almost ran down the streets toward his destination wishing uselessly that he had managed to master a teleportation jutsu that didn't require any complicated rituals. He couldn't get there fast enough. Finally he turned down the lane, surrounded on all sides by lavish homes. The Hyuuga clan didn't have a complex per se, but they dominated the neighborhood there on the opposite side of Konoha from the Uchiha complex. Naruto made his way hastily to the largest home, at the end of the street, and soon he found himself standing on the doorstep expectantly, already having rapped the backs of his knuckles against the door frame with enough force to wake all of the clan members in the home.
Before long, soft footsteps padded along the corridors within. Naruto sighed in annoyance, it wasn't Hinata. Then again, when had Hinata ever answered the door at her house? Probably not once in her life. The door slid open, and before Naruto stood an irritated Neji.
"Is Hinata up? I need to talk to her." Naruto sounded confident.
Neji eyed him scrutinously. "It's not Sunday, Naruto." he finally disclosed.
Naruto rolled his eyes. Arguing with Neji at 6:45 in the morning was not on his list of preferred activities. "I don't care. This is really important." he huffed impatiently. "I don't have time for your bullshit today, Neji." Naruto frowned. "Really, I never do. But right now..."
Neji smirked bemusedly. "Would you care to tell that to Hiashi-san?"
Naruto crossed his arms. "If you don't let me in, I'm going to punch you to the other side of the house."
"If you try that, I'll gentle-fist you into the hospital, Naruto." Neji's eyes flashed, daring the blonde to take a step forward. Naruto's eyes narrowed as the pair stared each other down. Neji had been upset with the blonde for dating Hinata in the first place, and had been the one who revealed their secret relationship to the clan heads. Aside from that, he still harbored some of his superiority complex from his genin days, and as a special jounin, felt himself to be above everyone else. It seemed as though he was the only person in the entire village who was immune to Naruto's friendliness and warmth. Both ninja heard light footfalls behind Neji, and Naruto smiled triumphantly as his favorite kunoichi rounded the corner, with not a little trepidation in her eyes.
"Naruto-kun?"
"Hinata-chan!"
Exasperation flashed briefly across Neji's pale eyes and he sucked his teeth as he stomped childishly away from the genkan. "Five minutes. And I'll be right here." he leaned against the wall and stared at Naruto. Hinata nearly skipped to her beau, throwing herself into his arms. He blushed lightly, but held her close to him in a warm hug.
"I missed you..." he murmured into her ear. She nodded into his shoulder and Naruto ran his hand over her hair briefly, caressing her. They pulled apart from the embrace, holding hands.
"I have to leave again."
The happiness in Hinata's eyes dulled infinitesimally.
"It's complicated..." Naruto faltered, trying to explain. "Kami I suck at this." "It'll be a little more money for our wedding though."
Hinata nodded. As soon as Naruto and her relationship had been formalized it was assumed that the Uzumaki kid would be marrying the Hyuuga heiress, no questions asked. Their wedding had been put off for much longer than Naruto had wanted, but it couldn't be helped. Naruto was determined to buy Hinata her uchikake if it killed him. It was so personal, and he wouldn't allow clan heads or politics to interfere with his determination to do something special for Hinata.
"Naruto, why are you leaving? You look a little upset."
Naruto squeezed her hands. "I am. I need to get away for a little bit – away from Sasuke. Before I demolish the village trying to kill him." he growled, baring slightly sharpened fox teeth.
"Naruto..." Hinata whispered.
"Huh?" Naruto looked to her eyes and instantly calmed down. "She's right, he's not worth all of this anger." His eyes bled back to their natural blue.
"I understand. I'll miss you and..." she hesitated. "I love you!" Hinata threw her arms around his neck. Naruto hugged her back even more enthusiastically than before. He breathed deeply, face in her hair, inhaling her clean, floral scent.
"I love you too." he kissed her head softly.
Neji pretended to retch quietly in the background. Naruto didn't even acknowledge him. Yet he and Hinata knew their boundaries. If they got even a little touchy-feely they might not be allowed to see each other for awhile. Best to play it safe as long as Neji was watching. They broke apart and Naruto brushed Hinata's hair out of her face, that face he wanted to kiss so badly...
"I'll be back soon. 'Bye."
Hinata smiled as he turned and she waved at him until he leapt onto a nearby rooftop and ran towards the heart of the village.
He was going to ask Tsunade for a good mission to get his mind off of all the craziness around him.
Itachi woke just before dawn. The fire on the hearth had long since died, but the kunoichi who lay with her naked back pressed into his front kept him quite warm. His arm rested across her side and his hand lay across her hip possessively. He listened to her rhythmic, deep breaths and smiled softly. She always inspired calm feelings in him when he saw her sleeping. Her legs were intertwined with his, he noticed, her little toes wiggling occasionally in her slumber. He inhaled deeply, pulling her even closer and burying his face in her fragrant hair while wrapping his legs around hers, drawing her nearer to him in every way. In retaliation, Sakura fidgeted, fighting him for a moment, then she relaxed and gave in with a stifled giggle as he held her hands gently. She drew them to her chest, clasping them between her own and snuggled into the pillow.
"'Tachi..."
He kissed her nape through her pink strands lovingly.
"Morning, Sakura-chan."
"Hmmm..." she sighed.
He held her like that for a few more moments, then rose slowly, sidling over Sakura and stepping gingerly across the cold floor to the fireplace. Sakura immediately rolled the blankets tightly about her body and turned over with a huff, shrugging her shoulders against the cold in the house. Itachi quickly lit a fire. He threw on a loose, long-sleeved shirt.
"Sakura." he walked over to her and shook her covered shoulder lightly. "Time to get up. Let's eat."
Sakura sat up, slowly stretching her joints. She'd slept so soundly...
"Right, today I'm going to learn to fight the sharingan! Cha!" Inner Sakura cheered. She jumped out of bed and yelped as her bare feet hit the cold floor "Wow, it's cold!"
Itachi smirked and watched as she dressed hurriedly. Sometimes she could be quite peppy in the mornings. "When she wants to be." Itachi walked into the small kitchen that adjoined the bedroom. The small house was laid out similarly to a studio style apartment. By the time Sakura had dressed, Itachi had started cooking their simple breakfast of local fare. Black bread, hard boiled eggs, jam and coffee. Sakura sat at the small table and the silence was easy between them as Itachi made the toast and boiled the eggs. He set their plates down and joined her. With a quiet "Thanks for the food!" the pink-haired kunoichi tucked into her meal. She took a long sip of coffee and sighed after putting away the last bite.
"I can't wait to start!" her face was ruddy from the slight chill in the room, and her eyes shone with anticipation.
Itachi's eyes met hers. "This training won't be easy. You're past refining your basics."
Sakura didn't balk. "I need this. And you're kind enough to help me." She was determined.
"It's the least I can do." Itachi stood and the pinkette followed suit, gathering up their plates and utensils.
"We can talk theory while we wash up." Itachi grabbed a towel and Sakura nodded, flipping the tap on.
"The good news is that Sasuke most likely won't use a killing move against you. The bad news is that by the time you have to fight Sasuke, he will have gained the mangekyou sharingan." Sakura felt sad at the prospect, because that meant that Itachi would be dead. "The only way to avoid being caught by the mangekyou sharingan is by never setting eyes on the user to begin with."
Sakura stared at Itachi. "I'm going to be fighting with my eyes closed?"
"Yes." Itachi affirmed simply. There was no way around it. "I know you can do it. One thing that you have to your advantage is that I'm intimately familiar with Sasuke's fighting style. I trained him in the basics, so I can predict his moves."
Sakura shook her head as she handed him the last of the silverware. "What if he's changed?"
"It's not likely. If his taijutsu was anything like Orochimaru's then he wouldn't have made it this far."
"Oh." Sakura didn't seem convinced.
"I'll show you. Try to compare my style to Sasuke's." Itachi donned a light coat and the pair stepped outside into the cold. They started to go through their stretches and as Sakura stood to stretch her upper body, a pale pink and white plant caught her attention.
"Oh look, Itachi!" she walked to the edge of their clearing and he followed her.
"What is it?"
"It's a suruga-ran! I didn't think they grew at this altitude!" Itachi looked over her shoulder, as she was bending over the spindly plant. "Tenacious things, orchids." She leaned over the cluster of white flowers and inhaled deeply of its delicate scent. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Itachi didn't say anything. He wasn't much for plants but it was pretty, in its own way. "It's mostly leaves really..." but Itachi wouldn't interrupt her, even though she'd interrupted their stretching for a flower.
"Cymbidium ensifolium." she murmured softly, glancing over her shoulder at Itachi. "They taught us about it in our kunoichi classes. Flower arrangement and all that." She rolled her eyes, standing. "The story about it was interesting though."
"Oh?" Itachi raised an eyebrow in his curiosity as they walked back to their training area.
"Ha ha, yes, apparently the emperor of Wave had a young wife who didn't bear him any children for many years. One day as she was roaming the imperial gardens she happened upon a suruga-ran plant and after smelling it, she went on to give the emperor thirteen children! Can you believe it?" Sakura laughed and rolled her eyes again. "It's a cute story I guess, but thirteen kids? Come on!" she smiled at Itachi. "It's a silly tale."
Itachi couldn't help but smile back as they finished their stretches, and soon he stood a few feet in front of her, ready for their lesson to begin.
"Ready?" Sakura asked, dropping into a fighting stance.
"He'll attack emotionally first. So be on your guard constantly." Itachi walked up to her and grasped her hands, slowly lowering them to her sides. Sakura's posture straightened in response. "You won't be fighting like that, at least not at first. He won't spar with you... hopefully it doesn't come to that. However, we will work on a way for you to really fight him later." Itachi frowned. "It's going to be close quarters at the start, he's going to grab some part of you, and you need to be able to wrest yourself from his grip. Let me show you."
Itachi and Sakura spent the morning grappling, and he taught her to escape and avoid several holds. They had a light lunch and pushed on once Itachi was satisfied with her progress.
"Let's add another step. As soon as you see my attack coming, move in like you have been and close your eyes at the same time. Lower your stance and use my weight and the direction of my attack to your advantage. Once you've pinned me, cover my eyes with your hand." Itachi made to slap her across the face, re-creating a standard domestic violence situation. Sakura ducked under his arm at the last second and moved in while closing her eyes. She hooked her knee into the back of his and threw her arm across his chest and tossed his body backwards over her knee. He landed on the ground lightly, expecting her tactical movement, and Sakura followed him down, landing on top of him. For a few fumbling seconds she groped for his face. Her hand finally came to rest over his eyes. "That was a good start. The throws are becoming second nature." Sakura smiled at the praise, eyes still closed. Itachi was happy with her progress as well. "You'll need to practice finding my face, but soon it will also be an instinctive move. The idea behind it is that you'll drive whatever weapon you have at your disposal into his weakest point." Sakura removed her hands and got to her feet along with Itachi.
"He'll kill me." She was afraid of Sasuke.
"Not if you put both of his eyes out. Almost anything you can hold in your hand can be turned into a weapon. A pencil, a spoon, a kunai, your own fingers. Gouge them out. Don't think about it for even a second."
Sakura nodded grimly. She hated to think of destroying Itachi's eyes, but self preservation was her number one priority, it was the driver behind their training. They resumed their practice. Itachi came at her all different ways and as the days went by her skills improved significantly. Sasuke would be hard pressed to trouble her once she returned to Konoha.
In the meantime, someone else was watching the days turn into weeks with worry. Tsunade had waited a full three weeks for word from Sakura. The winter festival was only two days away, and Tsunade's apprentice still hadn't returned to Konoha, contrary to the plans she had spelled out to the Hokage in her letter.
"Sakura should have been home by now." Tsunade thought as she pulled the young woman's letter from her desk drawer. She had read it over many times, and if Sakura had promised to leave Atami within two weeks that would mean that she was two days late. Sakura should have written on the day she left, and she probably would have also sent a note upon reaching Hamamatsu. Tsunade stared at the paper in her hand as though it would give her the answer she was looking for. "Akatsuki in Whirlpool..." the thought had crossed her mind more than once. If they had gotten a hold of Sakura, the chances of her rescue would be greatly diminished. The paper crinkled in the Hokage's hand as her grip tightened on it. There was no point in acting rashly, but it made sense at this point to send someone to try and find her. Not just anyone would do, either. She cursed mentally as she had sent the village's number-one tracker nin on a mission just that morning. Kakashi would have found the kunoichi quickly. But Tsunade couldn't be picky and time was of the essence. She would have to send him. Tsunade threw the light paper onto her desk and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. She knew he wouldn't stay in the village anyway, not after finding out that Sakura was supposed to have been home two days ago. She hated to send anyone on a mission so close to the festival, but there was no choice at this point.
"Shizune!"
Soon Tsunade could hear her elder apprentice clip-clopping up the stairs in her trademark heels. The short woman pushed the door open and peeked her head in. "What is it?" Shizune frowned as soon as she saw Tsunade's troubled face.
"Please send an ANBU messenger to summon Uchiha Sasuke. I have a mission for him."
"Sasuke is already here, actually. He's been waiting downstairs." Shizune replied.
Tsunade sighed deeply and nodded. "That's fine. Send him up."
The door shut with a quiet click and Tsunade took advantage of the solitude, making sure to regain her composure before breaking the news to Sasuke. "Better not to get carried away with my feelings." Tsunade huffed to herself, but she couldn't stop the sinking feeling in her stomach. "I feel like I've already lost her..." Tsunade blinked back her tears. She was genuinely worried for Sakura. In many ways, Sakura was like the daughter she never had. She had often admired Sakura's determination and passion for her career and her friends, and it would be a huge loss if Sakura never came back. "Don't think about it that way. Sasuke will find her." Tsunade poured her hope into the possibility. Soon the door opened, and the sulky Uchiha himself stepped into her office. He took one look at the Hokage and knew that there was bad news.
Sasuke frowned as he stood in front of her desk and stared at the woman, hands in his pockets. He waited. Tsunade blinked at him a few times.
"Uchiha. Do you know why you are here?"
Sasuke bit his lip, exhaling heavily through his nose. "Better not be..." "I came to see if you'd heard from Sakura." he replied evenly, moving his eyes up to the papers on her desk. There was a letter from his wife there, he recognized her handwriting immediately. "She wrote you a letter?"
Tsunade swiveled her chair away from Sasuke uncomfortably. This would be more difficult than she thought.
"That letter is three weeks old." the blonde Hokage muttered, leaning to pick it up and hand it to the Uchiha. Sasuke quickly scanned it. "She should have gotten back to Konoha two days ago at the latest." "Any more word from her?" he reigned in his emotions. "Best not to jump to conclusions. This letter may be three weeks old but maybe there are newer ones..." he looked over the short letter again. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." That sentence was so different from the rest of the letter. It was almost as though she were sending them another kind of message, the emotion behind her last words was so different from the lighthearted tone of the rest of her message. Sasuke stared at the phrase, reading through it once more.
"It can't be. She didn't know something would go wrong. I'm reading too much into it." Sasuke lay the letter back onto the Hokage's desk gently. Tsunade let out a shaky sigh as the silence between the two got longer, Sasuke was waiting for her response.
"Well?"
"Give me a moment, boy." she snapped at him. "I'm thinking."
Sasuke waited stoically as she gathered her thoughts.
"Sakura should have been home two days ago." The words were even more painful for her to speak. "I need you to find her and bring her home. After taking down Orochimaru, this should be easy for you."
Sasuke nodded resolutely. "So she's gone..." he hung his head and slouched his shoulders. He had hoped that for once, things would go his way. He had hoped that she would come home happy and safe, that he would be able to forge a new future for them. But now his short-lived hope was disappearing, and all that was left in its wake was an empty, black loneliness. Sasuke clenched his hand into a fist at his side and swallowed tightly. Sasuke felt heat rising in his cheeks as well as an unfamiliar tickling sensation on his face. His breath hitched and he reflexively brought his hands to his face and they came away wet.
He was crying, in front of the Hokage.
Tsunade watched him with a certain awe. She had never seen Sasuke display emotion in front of her at any other time, with the exception of his wedding day. He was always serious and quiet, to a fault. It seemed as though he truly cared about his wife, despite the way he and Sakura's relationship had changed since their marriage. She'd picked the right man for the job.
Sasuke wiped his eyes on his jacket disbelievingly. He felt so humiliated. But more than that, he felt guilty. He had thrown her into harm's way and now something really had happened to her. He was responsible. It was all his fault. He felt shame in his heart, and he felt worry for the woman he loved. And the tears wouldn't stop. Tsunade grabbed a couple of tissues from the box on her desk and walked around to him. In many ways, she was the mother of the village, and today she would be Sasuke's mother. Tsunade wrapped an arm around Sasuke's trembling shoulders and carefully pried his hands away from his face. He looked into her eyes and stiffened, startled at the contact, but he didn't fight her as she wiped his face with the tissue. His tears were slowing, but he was still crying, hiccuping, and Tsunade could see the immeasurable depth of his grief in his dark eyes. He was hurting. On impulse, she gently wrapped her other arm around him and he gradually leaned into her body, resting his face on her shoulder and letting more hot tears flow. "Shh..." Tsunade rubbed circles on his back as he wept and in her own way, she was comforted by the fact that she could be there for the infamously stoic Uchiha. If he couldn't be strong, then he needed someone to do it for him, and who better than the Hokage?
Finally, Sasuke's tears subsided. As he pulled out of her embrace weakly, Tsunade met his soft eyes with a stern look.
"Bring her back."
He didn't need any more convincing. Sasuke nodded and tried to pull himself together. "I won't come back without her." "Dead or alive." the words went unspoken. With a nod, Sasuke walked to the window and left.
Later that same day, Itachi and Sakura had just finished lunch. It was an unusually warm day so they sat outside for a few minutes, just enjoying the rugged beauty of the wilderness of Lightning country.
Itachi's hand was in Sakura's and he smiled good-naturedly at her. "Two sandwiches today, huh?" his face neared hers and he planted a small kiss on her reddening cheek. "You were hungry?" Itachi smirked slightly as he kissed her cheekbone and then her temple, setting his other hand gently on her waist. "Shut up, Itachi!" Sakura huffed jokingly, swinging her legs up into his lap. She held his face and, no longer holding hands, they embraced each other warmly. Sakura kissed Itachi on the lips, smiling as well.
"I love you, Itachi." she whispered, taking his thin lips between her full ones again.
"Mmm. I love you too." Itachi had long since done away with any reservations concerning his feelings about Sakura. Their relationship was about enjoying every moment and living what was left of his life to the fullest. Neither knew how long their time together would last despite their mutual hopes for eternal love. There came a point where reality met their relationship and they both knew it would end violently. Thus they shared all aspects of their relationship with as much love as possible. The heated, passionate moments. The quiet, deep conversations in the night. The tears of sadness and longing for a better way. It was all part of what they had become.
Itachi picked Sakura up bridal-style and she yelped, her loud laughter ringing in the clearing afterward. Itachi put her down with a gruff laugh of his own and Sakura pouted.
"We really need to finish training. There's just one more thing for us to do." Itachi reminded her. Sakura stopped her pouting immediately and turned to run into the clearing, and Itachi playfully swatted her butt as she ran away from him, laughing all the way. He chased Sakura into the training area and finally grasped her wrists in between his after a short, puckish struggle on Sakura's part. He looked into her flushed face and noted her messy, short hair and her white teeth. "She looks so sweet." He gazed into her shining viridian eyes for a moment and smiled sadly. He thought that he would miss her, if one could miss someone in the afterlife. "Enough of that." He let her wrists go. Sensing the change in mood, Sakura waited for his instruction, quickly composing herself.
"We are going to train with the sharingan today."
"Finally!" Inner Sakura cheered. "It's been three weeks already!" The thought that she had officially gone missing two days before didn't even cross her mind. She had more important things to think about.
"Okay!" She tried to stay calm but she was still nervous about facing the sharingan. Although Itachi would never hurt her, it was a dangerous weapon.
"We can only do this a few times. The mangekyou sharingan takes a lot out of me, and I need my chakra for other things." Sakura could understand this. If they were attacked, which was always a possibility as missing-nin in a foreign land, Itachi would rely on his chakra to get him through a fight.
Sakura nodded, ready and waiting for his first attack. Itachi kicked towards her and Sakura closed her eyes instantly. She lowered her stance from her relaxed standing position and moved in to throw her arm behind his leg, using the force behind his attack to spin him in the air in front of her. Itachi intently analyzed her system for a weak point that he could use against her with his sharingan. As his body turned upside-down he noticed an odd concentration of chakra, larger than usual, toward her middle. There was no time for him to react though, in a split second she had him on his back and she had moved in for the kill, her hands were covering his eyes.
She let him go and his eyes bled to black as they stood. "Was that okay?"
"Yes." Itachi hesitated for a moment.
"What is it?" Sakura noticed his pause and awaited his criticism.
Itachi shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Ano, Sakura, could you just stay still for a moment?"
Sakura nodded and suddenly she felt stupid with her hands hanging uselessly at her sides. Itachi stepped back and away from her, indifferent to her discomfort and instead focusing his attention on drawing chakra to his eyes. It was unmistakeable now, he must have been spinning quite rapidly for it to have appeared to him as one chakra source during her attack. At her center of gravity was a large gathering of compressed chakra, and several centimeters below it was a smaller body of chakra. It was somehow different from Sakura's and his mouth opened slightly as he realized that it had a signature unto its own. Itachi walked slowly to Sakura, who now wore a worried look on her face. He turned off his sharingan and took her hands into his.
"Let's stop for today." Itachi led her back to the house.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked. "Is there something wrong with me? Why were you looking at me like that?" Her voice rose in pitch and he could feel her hand stiffen. He stopped walking and looked her in the eyes. Those beautiful, deep sea-green eyes. "Please just listen to me for now. I'll explain everything in just a moment." Sakura looked upset, she was confused and felt left out, but for now she agreed tacitly and followed him into the house. Itachi went straight to the bed and sat down on the edge, patting the space beside him. His eyes pleaded with her to stay calm and listen and despite her urge to yell and argue, she complied. Throwing a tantrum wouldn't get her anywhere, and it looked like he was about to open up to her anyway. She sat next to him and poked at her ragged cuticles. Itachi sighed.
"Sakura, I hope this doesn't upset you. I don't know what to think yet." he was very honest with her. She kept on with her repetitive fidgeting quietly. "Have you noticed anything different lately?"
Sakura examined her hand nonchalantly. "No. Why?"
Itachi sighed again.
"Dammit, Itachi just tell me!" Sakura hit the bed with both hands, shaking her head frustratedly.
"Fine, fine!" Itachi grabbed her upper arms and turned her toward him. "I think you're pregnant." His face was very close to hers. Immediately Sakura burst into tears.
"Pregnant?" she broke out of his grasp and walked away from him, then turned back to face him. "Are you kidding? Is this some kind of joke?" she was yelling now. She wiped her face on her shoulder. "Is this a test? Are you going to attack me to see how I operate under stress? Because now would be the time!"
"It's not like that." Itachi rested his forehead in his palm momentarily, searching for words. He stood and faced Sakura, then lost his nerve and walked into the kitchen, pulling himself up onto the counter to sit. He felt so insecure, he'd never felt anything like it before. "I don't know what to say. I'm telling you the truth."
Sakura faltered, her mouth opening and closing. Finally she leaned her back against the wall and slid down onto the floor, face in her hands. "What am I going to do? Sasuke is going to kill me for sure now."
Itachi narrowed his eyes. "No he's not. That's what all our training has been for." he pushed off of the ledge and walked over to her, confidence filling him once again. He crouched next to her, wrapping his arms around her. "You're going to be fine, and I still love you." He kissed her head and she continued to cry without responding. "I'll be here for you for as long as I can be, and then more if possible." Sakura's face turned to look at his. "I'm going to protect you no matter what. You and the child you carry." Tears continued to leak from the corners of Sakura's eyes but at least she was listening now. "Sakura," Itachi kissed her face where her tears rolled, their strong, salty taste coating his lips and the tip of his tongue. "This child was conceived out of love. Not manipulation, not lies, and not for anyone's personal gain." Itachi smoothed Sakura's hair and kneeled, pulling her close to him in a tight hug. "You know how I feel about you and I know you are being truthful when you say you love me. Don't you want a baby?" It felt so strange for him to say such a thing, but in all actuality he wanted to be a father to their baby as well. He felt his stomach twist with sorrow at the prospect of not being there for Sakura when their child was born.
Sakura nodded into his shoulder, sniffing. "Yes, Itachi, I want our child." he could tell that she was being earnest, but she followed her affirmation with a choked laugh. "Are we going to live in hiding forever now?"
Itachi was at a loss for words again, so he just held her silently. Sakura spoke again after her crying subsided.
"Are you really sure?"
"About staying with you? Absolutely."
Sakura shook her head. "About the baby?" her voice wavered.
Itachi tried to smile but ended up nodding instead. "Feel the chakra signature out for yourself. It's different from yours."
Sakura's eyes took on a faraway look as she tried to discern the tiny chakra signature within her own, and when she felt it she exhaled with a soft, "Oh." It had grown so gradually inside of her that neither she nor Itachi had noticed it, but now that she knew what to feel for it was obvious. The couple sat quietly for a few moments, thoughts about the future racing through their heads. Suddenly, Sakura barked a halting laugh.
"Well, I guess we know it's not my fault that Sasuke and I don't have any kids yet!" it wasn't a funny comment, but she laughed quietly anyway. "Stupid." She shook her head. "Well, no more fighting for me. Thanks for teaching me while you could, Itachi." She kissed him lightly, still feeling vulnerable. "I'm glad you're with me. And you're right, no one will hurt me or our child, no matter what. I'll protect umm... it, to the best of my ability!" She picked herself up, both physically and mentally, and so did Itachi. Sakura looked around the house and finally her gaze rested on the eldest Uchiha. "We're going to fight with everything we've got and no one can stop us from carrying on the will of fire! Right, Itachi?" She put her hands on her hips. As an afterthought, she followed her declaration with a fiery, "Right, kiddo?" and she put a hand on her flat tummy and looked down at it, rubbing herself lightly.
Seeing Sakura like that really made Itachi fall in love with her all over again. Her eyes flashed with passion and confidence and she showed on the outside what a strong woman she was on the inside. She still had a feminine delicacy about her, but the way she carried herself warned everyone around her that she meant business. Sakura wasn't afraid, and she wasn't fragile. She was definitely a kunoichi who bore the will of fire, and Itachi didn't doubt for a moment that their child would be just as strong-willed as its mother, if not more so. He was proud of his little family. He stepped forward and scooped Sakura up into his arms, spinning her around, hugging her and kissing her. Without missing a beat, she kissed him back and he set her feet on the ground. They stood there together, happy for once.
"Let's celebrate. We've got rice and cabbage. I'll make you some onigiri. You can make me some tea and a couple of eggs."
Itachi laughed genuinely. "Okay."
Since the food was easy to cook, the pair were soon munching away at their impromptu celebratory snacks.
Itachi swallowed a mouthful of seaweed onigiri.
"Oh, I have some interesting news."
Sakura looked surprised. "What is it?" she took a bite of her soft-boiled egg.
"Winter festival is in two days."
Sakura took a quick sip of her warm tea. "Two days!" she stilled momentarily. "Then I've been missing for two days as well."
Itachi nodded in agreement. "But that's not why I'm bringing it up. The Akatsuki are celebrating the festival at the main base. We hold the celebration every year." He looked at Sakura. "You can come... I'm sure you'll be safe, since you're with me."
Sakura sputtered. "Safe?" she paled. "After killing Akasuna no Sasori?..."
Itachi nodded. "I've been a member since I was thirteen, remember? I know everyone. They know not to cross me. We'll be fine, especially now." He looked at her meaningfully as she chewed on the toast he had made for her. She really seemed to like eggs and toast lately, and he wondered now why he hadn't noticed her change in appetite before. Probably because he'd eat anything that looked and tasted like food. He looked up from Sakura's plate and realized that the pinkette was staring at him.
"Look at it this way, you'll be able to meet everyone before I get sent on missions with them again. You'll meet my partner. If I get sent on a mission, that means you do too. You'll have to accompany me as my medic and my 'hostage'." He explained the facts calmly.
Sakura sipped her tea some more. She realized that as a kunoichi of the leaf, she couldn't easily turn down the offer. It didn't look like she really had a choice in the matter anyway.
"Okay, I'll make the best of it, I guess." Sakura smiled weakly. "Yay." Inner Sakura cheered sarcastically. "This should be interesting."