Oh dear, oh dear. Oh my. I am so sorry. It's been soooooooooo long since I've updated. :( I do have legitimate excuses, I promise. And in what rare free time I've had, I've been writing, still. But... I'm sorry :( I'll explain my reasons at the end of this chapter. That way you can just start reading.
And since it's been so long, I'll sum up briefly how last chapter ended: Neji had just decided to head towards Itachi and Sakura's home after getting a mission to massacre his family. This chapter picks up immediately after last chapter.
Enjoy :)
Chapter Twenty-One: Lies
It was three thirty-three when she opened the door, glaring fiercely at whoever was knocking. There had better be seventy ninjas dying since they were waking her. She had been pounded by Tsunade-sama that day and she was freaking exhausted.
Sakura reeled back, seeing Neji.
"Oh. Do you need Arata?" He shook his head mutely, wiping a strand of soaked hair away from his face. "Um. Well... uhh... Come in?" He nodded, stiffly coming into her house, though she noticed that he checked his surroundings before entering. "Is something wrong, Neji? Are you hurt-"
"I need to speak with Itachi." His voice was raw and there was something clipped in the way that he spoke that alerted her to the seriousness of the situation. She nodded and rushed up the stairs, briefly wondering why his hands were clenched so tightly. His knuckles were white.
As she figured, Itachi was sitting up in bed when she opened their bedroom door. He ran a hand through his hair, throwing on a shirt as he followed her downstairs. He had already heard Neji's request so she did not need to speak.
Itachi offered Neji a seat on the couch, while Sakura hurried into the kitchen to make tea. Neither of the men spoke; Neji seemed to be gathering his thoughts, while Itachi waited for him to speak. Sakura was able to make three cups of tea before either man spoke.
It was Neji, after thanking Sakura for the tea, who finally began to speak as to why he was there.
"I thought... I thought with this plan to reform the Hyuuga Clan, that everything would work out. Tsunade-sama had given it her blessing and with Naruto going to become Hokage soon... Everything was looking up. That was what we all thought." He opened his clenched fist, showing them the scroll. "Help me, Itachi. Help me, please." Both of their eyes widened as they saw the scroll.
Assassination of the Hyuuga Clan, S-rank.
"Y-you... No." Sakura shook her head, closing her eyes. Neji nodded, handing the scroll to Itachi. He unrolled it calmly, though there was something in his eyes that Sakura had never seen before. It was not anger, nor fear, nor hatred... it was something else, though. An acceptance? A horror? She wasn't sure.
"Tsunade signed it," Itachi told them, his jaw clenching. "The Council has done it again."
"Tsunade-sama would never willingly sign this!" Sakura exclaimed, standing up. Her tea clattered from her hand, the glass shattering on the floor. Both men looked down at the tea, almost fixated on it. It was something to distract them. She paid it no mind, glaring at them. "I know Tsunade-sama! She's like my mother. She would never, never, ever agree to this!" Neji pried his eyes away from the tea, looking at her. Itachi focused on Neji once he began to speak.
"She wasn't in the meeting," Neji told them. "I think... I think something has happened to her. But I don't know what to do with this." His eyes looked pointedly at the scroll. Their eyes glanced at the horrifying document, then focused back on Neji as he moved. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to remain calm. Still, Sakura and Itachi could tell that Neji was frayed from the inside out. It looked like he wanted to become hysterical.
After all, he had just been ordered to massacre his family. And if he refused, he would be killed.
"Neji, they will not stop at this," Itachi told him, sitting the scroll aside. "They considered my mission a failure because I spared my brother. They will make sure that this time, there is no loose ends. Someone will be sent out to kill you and Hinata, as well. The entire Hyuuga Clan will be wiped from existence."
"Why, Itachi? Why are they... I don't understand. My clan has done nothing wrong!" Itachi gripped his pants, deciding to confide into Neji his deepest secret. The one that only Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Tsunade knew.
"The reason the Council ordered the massacre of my clan was because they were planning a rebellion. They wished to overthrow Konoha. I betrayed my clan by reporting their activities to the Hokage to prevent a civil war from breaking out. Your clan, while not planning a rebellion, is doing something the Council cannot have at the moment. Your clan has switched power from the hands that supported the Council, into Hinata's reforming hands that will always stand by Naruto's decisions. By wiping out the strongest remaining clan in Konoha, the Council is trying to guarantee their power will remain. Your clan is breaking rules, they believe, by changing. What are the charges against your clan?" Neji looked down at his knees, closing his eyes.
"They pulled out a scroll. It seemed to be some law made many, many years ago. It was a signed agreement that the Hyuuga Clan will put forth to the Konoha Council their next heir, or heiress, to be voted on before the heir inherits the position. In this case, because my uncle did not put Hinata-sama up for a vote, the clan is at fault."
"That's not enough for an entire execution!" Sakura exclaimed, standing up and pacing around the room.
"There must be more," Itachi pressed. Neji looked up at Itachi, swallowing hard.
"...My uncle... There has been talk going around in some of the upper parts in the clan now that Hinata-sama is Clan Head... well, that there might be some sort of rebellion brewing in the clan. Which, if the Council got any sort of whiff of the schisms developing, because there are three large factions breaking in the clan, it would be the perfect excuse to execute them."
"What's happening?" Sakura asked him, leaning against the window, watching outside. She was worried that spies would come to watch them.
"There is the half that supports Hinata-sama, which is most of the Branch clan. We call them the Reformers. I am part of this group. Then, in the other parts of the Branch, they want me to become the leaders and completely overthrow the Main parts. We call these the Extremists. There aren't very many, but they are dangerous. I've been working on integrating them to Hinata's side. And finally, there is the half that hates what we're doing. This is mostly the entire Main half of the clan. They want Hanabi-sama to become Head. We call them the Loyalists." Itachi nodded, encouraging him to continue.
"Well, with these three factions, there has been a lot of talk about leaving the village. Especially on the Extremest side. It would have been easy for someone to tell the Council about us. I have no idea who is on who's side in that clan. All I know is that Hinata speaks to very few people in the clan; not even her sister or father. Mostly, I see her with Ko. He is solely loyal to Hinata-sama and would do anything for her."
"In essence," Itachi cut in, his gaze piercing, "your clan is on the brink of revolution. You're divided and arguing with each other. Hinata is trying her best, but she can't rally the clan together. You're trying to throw your support to her, but you can't appease your own followers. And the Main part is completely out of reach with the rest. Correct?" Neji nodded, looking down at his lap. "And all it takes is a few exaggerated tales of what is going on within your clan. The Council, who has likely been waiting for something like this to happen, can completely eradicate your clan by claiming they were plotting revolution and rebellion. And with them gone, who's there to defend them?"
"What do I do, Itachi?" Neji's voice cracked and he gripped his pants tightly. "They'll find someone else. They'll do something else. I can't..."
"We need to plan this strategically," Sakura spoke up, leaning against the window. "Shouldn't our first priority be to find Tsunade-sama?"
"Yes," Itachi agreed. "But we must be discrete about it. We must choose carefully who we tell about this mission. Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, Kakashi, Sai, and Shikamaru. I would say Shizune, but I believe something has happened to her, too." Both shinobi nodded to Itachi's statement. "Undoubtedly, they will do something to rid themselves of Team Seven. You are too nosy and, especially you, Sakura, see Tsunade-sama too frequently. I expect you all to be sent on a long mission of some sort. Probably tomorrow morning. So we must act fast on our own." Itachi glanced at the clock, frowning.
"Sasuke will be home in the morning," Sakura told him. "At least, he should be. The mission shouldn't have lasted that long. They're only genin, after all."
"Is Naruto on a mission?" Itachi asked the two. Sakura shrugged, having not spoken to Naruto in the past few days.
"He was, but he should be back soon," Neji answered. "Hinata-sama and Ko went with him."
"First thing in the morning, then," Itachi told them, "is to find Shikamaru, Kakashi, and Sai. Hopefully Sasuke will have returned by then, and maybe Hinata and Naruto. Neji, right now, your priority is to keep this silent. Act is if you are planning to go through with it."
"How... how do I do that?" Itachi returned his question with a grim smile. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his blue eyes. For a few seconds, both Sakura and Neji could have sworn that his eyes turned a furious violet.
"As it turns out, I have ample experience in that." His voice was tinged with irony. "You need to withdraw into yourself. Isolate yourself from friends; including Tenten and your team. Take as many missions as possible. However, when you do spend time with your team, or with Tenten, or anyone else you love, you must be as affectionate as possible. Be vocal in the clan. Protest loudly; be disrespectful. Get angry. As the date approaches, become more and more silent. Stop seeing everybody. You... will become..." Itachi trailed off, closing his eyes. "The turmoil... You don't want to be around anyone. You'll be snappy and moody; no one will understand you."
"Itachi..." Sakura spoke softly, hesitantly approaching him. This was the first time he had ever mentioned anything regarding the time before he killed his clan. As she placed a hand on his shoulder, he opened his eyes, looking hard at Neji.
"We will meet tomorrow. We must be absolutely discrete. We will meet where there will be no eyes from anyone." Smirking, he turned towards Sakura. "Remember all those security measures we placed in the hospital?" She nodded. "How many safe rooms are there? Without any doubt that no one could see us meet?"
"Oh, you're right! We have a special safe-room, isolated from the rest of the hospital. It's for detaining important political leaders that may be assassinated when they are ill. There is absolutely no one who knows the location, besides Itachi and myself. He's the one who's been helping me buff up my security. For this reason, I know the security of the hospital like the back of my hand. I know where it's weak and how you can all get there to meet."
"Excellent." Smiling at Itachi's praise, Sakura eagerly went on to explain.
"We can act as if you are all coming in to see me. As patients. I'll slip you the way to get to the room and plans while I examine you. This way, we'll all be able to meet there tomorrow." Neji nodded. He opened his mouth to say something, but all three of them turned sharply towards the window. Swallowing hard, Sakura rushed to the window, closing the curtains. She gestured for Itachi to turn the light out beside him; the room was plunged into darkness.
"You need to leave now!" Sakura hissed at Neji. "People are starting to come this way. They're going to be watching you." Without another word, Neji disappeared in a poof of smoke. Taking a deep breath, Sakura collected the two empty tea cups, stopping to pick up the shards of the broken one. Itachi helped her wash the tea off of the floor, and then he followed her into the kitchen, both of them silent. The weight of what Neji had told them was finally beginning to register.
It was the Uchiha Clan Massacre all over again. Sakura closed her eyes, ferociously scrubbing the tea-cups. She had sworn to Itachi that the village had changed. That Tsunade-sama would never do something like this to him again. She was so naive!
Itachi caught her wrist, turning her around to face him. Tears were welling up in her eyes, and she looked away from him.
"Sakura Haruno," he began in an eerily quiet tone, making her eyes shift back to look at him, "do not even begin to blame yourself for reviving me. Yes, it is a repeat of what happened. But, that's good. You have my experience to call upon. After all, I am the only man who knows what is happening and what is going to happen in this situation." She nodded.
"Still... to think in this day-and-age that something like this would happen..." She closed her eyes. Itachi reached over, brushing a strand of her namesake hair behind her ear. He cupped her cheek, leaning down and pressing his forehead against hers.
"We'll get through this together. This is finally my chance to do the right thing," he told her. "This time, I won't make the same mistakes. This time, I'm not alone. And it's not my hand to murder the innocent." Sakura took a deep breath; Itachi's spicy scent filled her nostrils. "Sakura, I am sure that we can handle whatever happens. Together." There was almost a desperate tone in his voice. As if he were pleading with her not to abandon him. As if he were asking her to stay with him, through it all. She smiled softly, leaning up and pressing her lips to his.
Their kiss was soft and chaste. It was long, but nothing short of comforting and reassuring. She was going to be with him through the thick and thin. There was nothing that would pry her from his side. Not in this matter, at least.
"Haven't we been in this entire ordeal together from the very beginning? Nothing's changed, right?" He smiled, pressing his lips to her forehead.
"No, nothing has changed. We're still in it together."
It was hardly five o'clock in the morning when the annoying messenger bird tapped on the window of their bedroom. Sakura groaned, starting to roll out of bed to retrieve the letter. Itachi placed a hand on her hip, silently telling her that he would get the message. They had only just fallen asleep; not even thirty minutes of sleep since Neji had awoken them that morning.
She waited for him to rejoin her in bed or tell her to get up, but neither happened. Eventually, his silence unnerved her and she cracked an eyelid to look at him. He was standing rigid, his back turned away from her.
"I've got to go, Sakura." She sat up, carefully watching him. "The Council has summoned me for a mission." Her eyes widened and she lept up, grabbing his sleeve.
"No!" she told him, her eyes pleading. What could the Council want with him? What would they do? Did they know about Neji confiding into them?
He hugged her to his chest, placing his chin on her head. He absentmindedly rubbed circles into her back.
"You know I have to go. To not go would look suspicious." She nodded, keeping her grip on his shirt. "Sakura. I'll be back. No matter what, I'll be back." Swallowing away her tears, she nodded, gnawing on her lip. "Go back to sleep." She shook her head, burying it into his chest. He ran a hand through her hair, finally lifting her face to him. He kissed her forehead, wiping away a stray tear. "I'll be fine. Sakura," he looked intently into her eyes, "go to sleep."
She had forgotten about his Sharingan! Without warning, she slumped against him, his dojutsu just as powerful as ever. Gently, he tucked her back into bed, pressing a final kiss to her lips. Taking a deep breath, he dashed out of the house and towards the Council.
Whatever they wanted, it would not be good. Not in the least.
"Don't you have work today?" She slowly opened her eyes, trying to clear her fuzzy thoughts. Sasuke stood at the edge of her bed, his head cocked at her confused. "Sleep in?" Her eyes widened, and she glanced at the clock. It was nearing 8:00, but that wasn't what made her panic.
"Itachi! Where is that bastard?" Her fists clenched, fury in her veins as she remembered how he had knocked her unconscious with his dojutsu. She hated when he used his Sharingan on her; hated when anyone used their Sharingan on her. "Is he home?" Sasuke slowly shook his head, regarding her curiously. "Shit! Shit! What do you mean no?"
"I haven't seen him," Sasuke ventured carefully.
"Fuck!" Sakura cursed, throwing her sheets aside. Sasuke stepped back, bewildered as to her fury and panic. He was used to Sakura having a relatively calm persona, and definitely not this frazzled state he was seeing in front of him. "Damn it!"
"Sakura?" Sakura was already stripping off her T-shirt and shorts, trying to find her kunoichi outfit. Sasuke averted his eyes, having no desire to spy on his brother's girlfriend in an indecent state. He knew he loved Sakura, but he would never endanger his relationship to his brother. And Sakura had always been that tottering point where both brothers never wanted to discuss.
It wasn't like Itachi wasn't already aware of the fact that Sasuke loved her. And it wasn't like Sasuke wasn't already aware of the fact that Itachi knew. But both brothers ignored the issue; if it didn't bother anyone, why make it into something? Sasuke knew how far he could go with Sakura without stepping on his brother's toes. He adhered to that line religiously.
Sakura pulled on a pair of black shorts, simultaneously pulling on a red shirt. Balancing precariously on one leg, she pulled on a shinobi sandal, gritting her teeth.
"Sakura?" Sasuke tried again. "What's going on?" Pulling her final boot on, Sakura began to speak rapidly.
"Neji was ordered to kill the Hyuuga Clan last night. He told Itachi and I as soon as he left the Council. Tsunade approved the mission, but Neji said she wasn't in the meeting. This morning at around five, Itachi was summoned by the Council for a mission. He knocked me out with his damn Sharingan; he hasn't returned." Her retelling was brief and concise. It took Sasuke a few moments to take in all the information she threw at him; when he finally wrapped his head around the entire situation, he was pissed. "Itachi should have been back by now. No mission briefing takes three damn hours." Sasuke picked up on a low mutter of curses out of Sakura's mouth. She hadn't been this angry in a long time.
She had certainly inherited her mentor's potty mouth, though, Sasuke noted dryly.
"That damn bastard! If he hadn't knocked me out with that damn Sharingan, I would have been able to go find him sooner. Oh... Oh... fuck!" Sakura exclaimed, leaning her head against the wall. "What if he's been captured, Sasuke? What the hell do we do? What if we're too late?" She had an edge to her voice; a panic that was throwing him off. It was like looking at a younger Sakura- one that was easily spooked and scared.
"Sakura, can you sense him?" Sasuke responded dryly, raising an eyebrow. She blinked, straightening up, and then nodding, flushing with embarrassment.
"Yeah. If I concentrate really hard, we can probably trace the chakra link. It's not as strong as it used to be, but he's still in the village. So I can still find him."
"Then let's go." She didn't have to be told twice. They dashed out of the window and even Sasuke had trouble keeping up with Sakura's break-neck pace. She was leading them around the village, dashing over roofs, flipping over branches, and practically flying over the roads.
When she finally skidded to a stop, Sasuke was perplexed as to where they were. It was on the outskirts of the village, in the forest surrounding the gates. Actually, if Sasuke were to be specific, it looked to be the forest right behind the Uchiha Compound. And sure enough, they both found Itachi sitting on a tree branch, staring off into space.
Sasuke turned to look at Sakura, who's face had flushed a splotchy shade of red. Her fists clenched and there was something scary in the anger he could feel from her.
"Itachi!" Sakura yelled, stamping her foot. Sasuke stepped out of the way of the tiny cracks that filtered through the ground. "What do you think you're doing?" She was ready to murder him. "You knocked me out and then you never come back? You're out here lazing around in a tree and I've been so worried. What the hell?" Sakura stepped up to the trunk of the tree, holding up a fist. "I can't believe how selfish, rude, inconsiderate-"
"Sakura, shut up," Sasuke told her harshly, looking up at his brother. There was something wrong with him, very wrong. There was a vacant, hollow look in his eye. He was disturbed; it was as if he were in a different time. "Hey, what happened?" Sasuke called up to him. Hearing his brother's voice, Itachi's eyes flickered to him.
"I received a mission," he told them. Sakura stepped back, cooling down. They waited to hear what Itachi would say. "The Council has learned from their mistakes, it seems. This time, they made an insurance so that their plans wouldn't fail."
"W-what happened?" Sakura asked him quietly. His eyes remained on the sky, gazing far off.
"I am to kill Neji and Hinata. The Council has received information that the two are planning a rebellion in the village. Once I have definite proof, or by the third of June, I am to execute the two. In essence, I am to wait until after the Hyuuga Clan Massacre."
"Well, maybe we could make this work!" Sakura exclaimed, her mind already reeling with new plans.
"That's not all," Itachi told her. "I am to kill Sasuke. Soon."
"Me?" Sasuke asked, swallowing hard.
"Yes. You." No wonder he was upset. Of course, Itachi wouldn't say he was, but they could both see it. It was just like the past repeating. He was assigned to murder people close to him, again. Past memories had to be resurfacing. Sakura lowered her eyes, ashamed at how she had yelled at him.
"As I was out," Itachi began, finally looking down at the two of them, "I managed to deliver messages to the shinobi we requested. Shikamaru, Kakashi, Sai, Naruto, and Hinata are all set to come to the hospital at 9:00. They will be sporadic. Sakura, you must go to work now. Sasuke, you are to follow her. I will be the last one to come." Sakura nodded, smoothing down her outfit. She gestured for Sasuke to follow her.
"Itachi," she spoke softly, getting his attention. "I'm sorry. I love you, okay? Everything will work out fine." And with that, Sasuke and Sakura took off towards the hospital. Itachi stared after her form, closing his eyes.
"If only..."
Sasuke stood casually by the medical counter, watching the incoming shinobi. None of the nurses bothered them, as they all knew why he was down there and not in Sakura's office. After a very loud and public stream of curses and a violent kicking of Sasuke down the hallway, everyone knew Sasuke had been relegated to the lobby area.
But why he was actually there, that was only known by Sasuke and Sakura. They had staged the fight so that Sasuke could give directions to incoming shinobi. It was a simple plan and so far, it had been extremely effective. Already, Sasuke had sent Naruto, Sai, and Shikamaru up to Sakura's hidden room to meet. When everyone had been sent to the room, Sakura would come and retrieve Sasuke to come with her.
Kakashi walked in, whistling. Sasuke sighed, raising a hand in greeting.
"Hey. What's happened with you? Been kicked out?" Kakashi asked him lightly. Sasuke sighed, nodding.
"I was being too disruptive, apparently. She grabbed my ear and dragged me down the hallway, before kicking me, literally, in the ass." To show, Sasuke moved his hair, showing Kakashi the bruise on his ear. As Kakashi leaned in, Sasuke slipped him a piece of paper with the instructions to Sakura's secret room.
"Brutal. You should know better than to mess with her at the hospital." Sasuke stood up, shaking his head.
"Sometimes I wonder how such a gentle nurse can be such a brute outside of healing. She's a living oxymoron." There was a smirk on Kakashi's face. "Speaking of which, didn't she force you to come in today?" Kakashi nodded, sighing.
"Mandatory check-up, she said. Apparently, she's been going through her files and getting all the shinobi that need check-ups."
"I've seen a bunch of people today, so that explains it. Eh, well, go on up to her office. She'll be happy to see you."
"Of course. Good luck, Sasuke." Sasuke gave a wry smile back to his sensei.
"Thanks, I'll need it." Kakashi disappeared into the hospital, while Sasuke returned to leaning against the counter. The time was dwindling; the other shinobi needed to come quickly. He knew they were still missing Neji and Hinata. Was that it, then? No, Itachi had to be there, too. But since Itachi knew where the room was, he was probably already there. Who knew, maybe Hinata and Neji had already entered the room. Sasuke had no idea. He was simply stuck there, waiting.
It had to be about fifteen minutes later when Sakura came down the stairs, offering a peace smile towards him. "You can come back to my office, now. Just be quiet, okay?" Sasuke nodded and they both walked calmly away from the lobby area. As soon as they turned a corner, spotting no one watching them, Sakura tugged on his sleeve and the two rushed down the hallway.
She opened a closet door, shoving him in, and followed in after him. Using her chakra, she climbed up the wall, pushing open a hidden trap door and sliding inside. Sasuke followed after her. From there, they were pressed tightly between two walls. Sakura slid through the slits, using her elbow to push open another door. Squeezing into the room, they finally found themselves with all the other shinobi. Neji, Hinata, and Itachi had already made it into the room.
"This was a back way. The way I would take political leaders is through another hallway and room; but this way is less noticeable. It's for a quick escape and for hiding." The room was rather small (they were all squished together), but definitely hidden. There were no windows and no noticeable doors. It was eerily quiet, even with all shinobi pressed together in the room.
"We have a situation," Sakura began, taking charge. She spoke quietly, looking intently at every shinobi. "As we all are aware of the truth of the Uchiha Massacre, we can speak freely here about what is happening. First, has anyone communicated with Tsunade-sama at any point today?"
"No, I was supposed to see her today; they said she was in an emergency meeting. I went ahead and received my scroll from one of her helpers," Shikamaru told them. Hinata nodded, echoing his sentiments. Sakura pursed her lips, turning to Neji.
"We haven't seen Tsunade-sama since last night. And this is important because Neji received a mission to execute the entire Hyuuga Clan." None of them could school their emotions. Everyone who had yet to hear about the mission had some sort of visible expression on their face. It was a mixture between wide eyes, to open mouths, to fear. "It gets worse. Itachi was called in today to receive a mission. He is to kill Neji and Hinata, as well as Sasuke. Both missions are to be completed by June third. Tsunade-sama has approved both missions, at that."
"The Council was the one to deliver the missions," Neji told them. "They are the ones behind it, obviously." There was an uneasy murmur in the room. Even Naruto, who typically would have responded loudly and violently, was subdued.
"We need a plan of action," Sakura declared the obvious, looking around. Shikamaru groaned, pressing fingers to his temples. "Things are getting progressively worse."
"Still, we have a pretty steady time window," Kakashi remarked. "It's only the fourteenth of May. We have a few weeks."
"Unless they escalate further," Itachi put in, closing his eyes. "They've learned from their previous mistakes. With me, I was the only one to enact the plans. This time, they have back-up. Had Neji never been privy to the truth of the Uchiha Clan Massacre, there is no telling what he would have done. You can't say you wouldn't have done it, because before I was assigned the mission, I would have said the same thing." Itachi's eyes were hard, but there was something beneath them that was raw. This was not easy for him to speak about; everyone could see that much. "Assuming he had followed orders, killed all of his clan, besides Hinata, then on his part, everything would work out. He would figure that his name would be cleared and he could continue to live in the village. His mission is nearly the exact wording of my own mission. I was promised a spot back in the village; a spot as a hero. Yet, even then, the Council did not plan that. And they are not planning it for Neji, either. In my case, they were simply expecting me to be killed. If not during the mission, then by ANBU who would come after me, or by their own missions later. This time, the Council is preemptively striking. I kill Neji as soon as he kills his clan. And I take out Hinata, too." His eyes shifted to Sasuke.
"But there is one person who knows the truth about the Uchiha Clan Massacre. And that would be Sasuke. I take Sasuke out, then no one would connect the dots. Oh, sure, they figure by this point, Naruto probably knows the truth, too. But with his best friend and wife murdered, Naruto isn't going to be trying to connect this murder to the Council. He's going to see it as Neji snapping, as the ANBU doing his duty, everything being a poor, fatal mistake. Kakashi and Sakura may know the truth, but neither will speak of it. Or, you two will be taken care of before that is possible."
"This time, the Council is covering all angles," Kakashi muttered. "There won't be any mistakes and pardons like last time; everyone who knows anything will be eradicated." A cold chill swept over the room.
"But we have an advantage over them," Sakura began. "We have Itachi, whom they think is dead. No one has figured Arata's connection with Itachi, or if they suspicion it, they don't any longer. He's been here over a year. Furthermore, they didn't believe Neji knew about the Uchiha Massacre. That puts us at another advantage. And thirdly, we all know about it. So we're at least a few steps ahead of the Council."
"So what is our plan?" Naruto finally spoke up, looking around. "What is our first priority? Find Tsunade-sama and fix her?" They all nodded.
"That would be the best plan. Once Tsunade is back on our side, we can go after the Council through her. Until then, we keep everything quiet and monitor the actions of the Council. Be vigilant in everything," Shikamaru declared. "And we need to keep in constant contact in some way. Let's set up a chain of communication. Sakura and I will go between one another. Through Sakura, she will spread information to Team Seven and Itachi. Itachi can spread it to Neji; or Naruto can spread it to Hinata, who will speak to Neji. If Sakura is not available for communication, I will speak directly to Naruto or Kakashi, who will take the role of Sakura. Remember, don't go out of your way to find us. Keep natural looking lines of communication. When we need to meet, we will meet here."
"Good plan!" Naruto grinned, slapping him on the back. "Now, how do we go about this thing with Tsunade?"
"Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto are optimal for this mission," Shikamaru told them. "Especially Naruto and Sakura. Both of you are forceful and very close to Tsunade-sama. It'll look natural if you're searching for her. Do what you can." Both shinobi nodded. "Kakashi, you keep popping into her office, like you normally do. Eventually, your presence will unnerve the Council. It should force them to make another move. We need to see what else they are planning if we are to easily stop them."
"Good. Then with this, let's go out there and stop them," Sakura declared, grinning. "We can do this!"
Sometimes, her positivity killed her. It was lunch-time, and deciding to take this time to drop in on her mentor, Sakura was sorely disappointed with her results. In then end, it was the biggest waste of her precious hour.
She was so sure that she'd come in demanding to see Tsunade and everyone would sort of freeze and get all nervous and point her towards the direction of the Council. There, Sakura would make the Council members sweat as she demanded to see her mentor. Or, she would go to Tsunade's office and see an impersonator of Tsunade. Where, of course, Sakura would confront this imposter with difficult questions that no one except Tsunade could answer.
What she wasn't expecting to see was a completely normal Tsunade sitting at her desk, easily answering all of Sakura's questions, and acting as if nothing had happened. Sakura was in a bit of a bewildered predicament. Obviously, she couldn't demand to know why Tsunade had signed the Hyuuga Massacre, because if this was just a clone, then the Council would probably find out. And they would know that Sakura knew, which compromised everything. And the more Sakura talked to Tsunade, the more Tsunade became suspicious.
It was an epic fail. The Council was... much smarter than Sakura gave them credit for. Obviously, that Tsunade had to be a clone of some sort. But there was... nothing anyone could do about it. Because it was surely controlled by the Council; they couldn't say anything to her!
So, she was back in the hospital, brooding at her desk. Itachi was leaning against the wall, silently mulling over everything she had told him.
"We could always destroy the clone," Sakura suggested. Itachi shook his head.
"No, they would simply replace her. It is an easy cover story as to why Tsunade-sama would have a clone, too. She has made clones of herself several times before in the past and has been caught." Sakura frowned, tapping a pencil against her desk.
"Now what?"
"We will have to approach this in a different way."
"You two could just... not do the mission."
"They would get someone else who would do it." They lapsed into silence again, neither having a great idea as to what to do next. Within a few minutes, both shinobi, annoyed, looked up, having noticed an incoming presence. As the presence got closer, the two shinobi stood up, looking curiously out the window.
"Is that Naruto?" Sakura asked him. Itachi nodded. She sighed, opening the window as the blonde skidded into the office. "What's the rush?" There was something serious in Naruto's eyes that took away Sakura's joking nature. He wiped the sweat off of his brow, frowning severely.
"We have a big problem. And they are coming here now."
"What?" All three of them turned to the door as it opened, the two Councilors and a squad of ANBU surrounding them. "Naruto? What's going on?" Sakura asked him. Naruto's eyes were wide and he placed a hand on Sakura's shoulders, facing the Council.
"Sakura Haruno you are being arrested for multiple counts of criminal activities and treason. You have tampered with official documents for the Hokage; read classified scrolls and information; conducted experimental jutsus under the nature of kinjutsu; and placed an illegal amount of seals on your person. Furthermore, you are involved in the release of a known criminal, and under treasonous charges, you have willingly broken rules of his probation by enabling the act of a forbidden jutsu on Sasuke Uchiha's person. By reactivating his Sharingan and then disabling it, you are trying to cover your previous crimes. For this, Sakura Haruno, you are being arrested." Sakura's eyes widened and she turned wildly to Naruto.
"W-what's happening?" He gripped her shoulders tightly, closing his eyes.
"Naruto Uzumaki, for your own covering-up of this operation on Sasuke Uchiha and your involvement in his release, your position as Sixth Hokage is being revoked, considering this matter is an offense of the utmost severity. We do not have to call an official meeting with Clan Leaders- instead, we can simply revoke the position." Sakura could feel Naruto's fingers twitch, digging into her shoulders, and his entire body tense behind her. "Furthermore, for spying on meetings that you have no part in, we are placing you under house-arrest. You are not to leave your home for six months; if you do, we will place you in prison."
"Naruto?" Sakura asked again, looking at him. Itachi stood deathly still in the corner of the room, watching. "Naruto?"
"Seize the traitor," Koharu told them, gesturing for the ANBU guards. Sakura gripped Naruto's hand, looking at him and then towards Itachi.
"What happened, Naruto? Naruto? NARUTO!" ANBU cuffed her, gripping her tightly, dragging her away. "Arata! Please- I- Stop! Stop! What's happening?" Sakura tried to reach out to them, but her hands were bound tightly behind her back. Koharu and Homura looked at her, shaking their heads. As she was dragged out of her office, she could see the remaining ANBU begin to escort Naruto away, and Itachi's furious look as he stepped out of the way.
Right before one of the ANBU knocked her out, Sakura saw her boyfriend look back at her. His eyes, usually the brightest of blues, had turned to reddish-violet. She could even make out the pattern of the Sharingan because of how bright his eyes were glowing. That brief second of eye-contact was enough to send her into his Sharingan world. She closed her eyes, knowing as she was pulled into his jutsu, that they were not defeated yet. This was only the beginning of what was to come.
XxX
I know it's been since April since I updated. And I know this was such a short chapter. Next chapter will be sorta short, too. But...! If we're lucky, I might just update this weekend. Just to make up for everything.
Now, to explain why it's taken so many months. Even last chapter, I was late in updating- I believe I mentioned how busy and crazy my life was. Well, everything sort of erupted in the month of May. This has been my senior year of high school, so I spent the last few weeks of April studying like crazy for AP tests; after two weeks of hellish AP testing, I had prom, awards ceremonies, final exams, and a bunch of other shizz that I've blocked out. For the last few weeks in May, I would go to school, come home and study/work/etc, and go to bed. I don't even remember what happened in May until after my graduation because I was so stressed. Now, I finally wrapped up everything with school, fallen into a routine at work, and finished my vacation. So now my updating schedule should be back on target.
Granted, considering this story only has like four chapters left, it's not that big of a deal anyways lol Speaking of which, around Chapter Twenty-Four, maybe even Twenty-Five, I'll pose the question again about continuing this story with a sequel. I have decided, definitely, how to end this story, and it'll be open-ended enough that if I wanted to, I could create a sequel. But just think about it for now and when I ask, I'd love to hear everyone's opinions! :)
Now, for any notes with this chapter. One thing I would like to bring up, not necessarily a note, per se, but just a funny fact about the reviews from last chapter- I got so many people saying that Neji's mission was so unexpected, and then, I'd get other reviews that were like, "Meh. Totally cliche. How typical." Haha, I didn't know how to react. I was so flabbergasted that I just sort of grinned and went on with my day. I have dropped hints about what would happen for awhile, but I didn't make it completely obvious, I thought? Sometimes, I just can't predict what you guys are going to tell me! lol
1. Sakura's freak out panic attack on Sasuke- when she woke up and realized Itachi wasn't back, she sort of freaked. Even Sasuke was like, "Woah, she's ooc!" The reason for this is mostly because Sakura has reached a point where she's expecting everyone to know that Arata and Itachi are one in the same. When he knocked her out (something that is always a sore spot for her) and then hadn't returned three hours later, she just went to the worse thought which was, "Oh God, they know that he's Itachi and they're going to kill him!" That's why she's freaking out so much lol
2. I'll explain this much more next chapter, but the reason Naruto didn't even try to protect Sakura as she was being arrested was because he knew exactly what was coming. Same thing with Itachi. They knew by trying to fight off the ANBU guards from arresting Sakura would just endanger her and them even more.
Anything else, be sure to ask! :D
Next chapter:
As Sakura remains in prison, her team outside desperately tries to make a counterattack. But, before things can get better, it must get worse. Quick thinking, planning, and friendship isn't always enough. Things have become a lot more real now...
Chapter Twenty-Two: Backfire
Well, tell me what you guys think! Thanks for reading and sorry for such the long delay! :)