Chapter 37 – When Darkness Comes

"Getting into trouble again?"

For the sake of everyone else and not wanting to create an atmosphere, Sakura didn't react negatively to the rhetorical question. Instead, she smiled up at Itachi like nothing was wrong and went back to staring holes into Minato's doors.

Her clothes were tattered and torn in various places, drenched in her blood from the vicious winds Temari had summoned to attack them and because of this, under his gaze, she felt judged. Horribly judged.

What the hell even was that battle? It hadn't been serious – she hadn't been serious and it could have cost her life or worse, it could have potentially caused a major threat to the village having vengeful Suna-nin running around wreaking havoc. Fighting against friends… It had never been possible for her.

"Izumi asked that I give you this," Itachi murmured, holding out the red haori and with a faintly shaking hand, she accepted it, bringing it close to her chest. "Are you okay?"

Why was he trying to talk to her now? After all that shit about how he was going to hurt her and break her heart or whatever… Why now?

"Fine," she replied curtly.

There was a sigh, one that was followed by Itachi glancing around them at the group (who all quickly averted their eyes so that they weren't caught staring, though were totally caught anyway), before saying to her, "After your meeting with Hokage-sama, come and find me, Sakura."

No, she wanted to say. Absolutely not. There wasn't a chance in hell that she was going anywhere with him, not when she knew he didn't feel the same way as she did. It would only hurt her further. What Sakura needed was time. What she needed was space to get her head straight and to lock away her heart until it stopped hurting, until she had well and truly moved on. It could take a while and it would possibly hurt in the process, but it was possible. It had to be. She needed it to be.

"Understood," she instead replied.

"Well that was painful," came Shikamaru's drawl once Itachi had walked away.

She grimaced and was incredibly grateful when the doors to Minato's office opened, because while that situation wasn't any better, it was certainly more endurable than her turbulent relationship with Itachi. Being a kunoichi had its difficulties, but overall was simple. Being a… love interest? Was that the word? Either way, it was in no way simple. It was agonising.

They each walked into the office, Sakura holding her breath at the look of great disappointment on Minato's features. To the side stood the three sand siblings and beside Minato stood Naruto, with his arms folded over his chest and his lips pursed, eyes narrowed a fraction. Gaara also looked majorly unimpressed and she couldn't decide who seemed colder in that moment.

Standing close to Hinata and away from Temari in that moment would probably be for the best, as the blonde still seemed pissed – even more so because of her brother's interference. Not long after Gaara separated them, Naruto had come bursting into the training fields, demanding to know just what in the hell was going on, because it was too early for their bullshit.

Again, she was grateful. Since his training, Naruto had become great friends with Gaara and they understood one another. Together, they were more than capable of stopping the fighting.

However, one thing she couldn't stop herself from doing when Minato's eyes met hers, was the return of her own unimpressed expression, one that silently screamed I told you so, because she had. She had told him that something such as the situation they were currently in, was going to happen. It merely happened a lot sooner than she'd anticipated.

Minato looked away and she huffed to herself.

Sakura 1 – Hokage 0.

"I have informed your Kazekage of what happened," Minato began. "Until his response, you will remain in the village and will be watched over by ANBU."

She felt Temari's eyes glance over to her, but Sakura refused to meet her gaze. Those teal eyes were still filled with anger, still lit with the fire of hell that threatened to burn them all alive, should she be given the chance. Placing both Temari and Kankuro under lockdown was a wise idea, even if they swore to not cause any more trouble. It would give others peace of mind.

"And what about the criminals?" Temari demanded. "Our father-"

Gaara cut her off, icy blue eyes narrowing a fraction and with them, she was certain the temperature dropped. "Our father was in the process of demanding an audience with the Hokage," he stated coolly. "There was no need for your dramatics. He had it under control."

"Under control?" she snapped in reply, falling out of line to glare viciously at him. "You call letting the bastards who tried to capture you-"

"Oi, have your domestic elsewhere," Naruto snarled. "You're wasting my dad's time by bitching about something you know nothing about!"

"Know nothing about?" came Kankuro's angered growl.

"Those criminals," Sakura couldn't help but snap, "rescued us all once before. That includes Gaara-kun. Why would Nagato-san kill someone working for him to save Gaara-kun?"

That silenced them.

Sitting forward and resting his elbows on his desk, Minato remained unimpressed, his blue eyes searching each of theirs in turn. "Had it not been for Gaara-kun, there could have been – no, there would have been deadly consequences for attacking Konoha-nin in their own village." His eyes narrowed. "In response to the unavoidable end to your battle, the Kazekage would have demanded retribution."

Just when Temari opened her mouth, Shikamaru cut her off coldly, saying, "Don't, Temari. I told you back then and I'll tell you now: it was two against hundreds of shinobi. Even if you got by us, you wouldn't have stepped foot inside the village. You're lucky Uchiha-san was stopped – she would've killed you without hesitating."

Inwardly, Sakura frowned. She wondered how Izumi's ninken was. Should she have asked Itachi when he handed her the haori? She personally knew how it felt to fall victim to Temari's fan, as at that moment in time, it was taking everything to remain upright and not succumb to the injuries she'd sustained. Her entire body was aching and demanding relief and there was nothing Sakura wanted more than to heal herself. However, she wasn't going to give Temari the satisfaction of seeing that. It could wait until she was at home, if any of the injuries even needed healing. If they weren't life threatening, they could heal naturally.

Shit.

She needed to meet Itachi afterwards.

"Shikamaru-kun is right," Minato murmured. "It doesn't matter who you hold ties to in my village. If you posed a threat, my shinobi would defend Konoha without hesitating, just like you would for Suna." Breathing out a sigh, he then told them, "I will arrange a meeting with the Kazekage and do what I can to keep the altercation from reaching the public. We don't need the treaty becoming more unstable."

"And those… people?"

Sakura bit her lip to hold back her growl of annoyance.

"Those people are my friends and sibling disciples," Naruto said coldly. "If you have a problem with them, you can take it up with me. You're not getting anywhere near them."

Temari tsked and looked away with clear agitation.

Kankuro scowled.

"I stand by Naruto," Gaara added, not caring in the least when his siblings glared at him with utter frustration and disbelief. "I remember when they saved us all. We are indebted to them, Temari, Kankuro. At the very least, we should hear them out. Don't you agree?"

The blonde continued to glare at him for a few moments before she eventually gave up, nodding with a sigh.

"Hokage, please accept our sincerest apologies." There was as much emotion in his features and voice than there was in a rock, but they all knew that was just who Gaara was. It didn't make what he was saying any less true. "Know that our Kazekage will punish them appropriately."

He nodded once. "Until his response, please understand that I must keep them away from my villagers."

"I understand."

It was kind of sad watching ANBU taking Temari and Kankuro away and deep down, Sakura knew they wouldn't even be able to go to the bathroom without being watched, but again, it was their own fault. According to what Gaara told them, they'd acted without the consent of their Kazekage, which was a huge middle finger to their dad. The offence could even be punishable by death (in Suna's laws, at least), as they'd been well on their way to starting another war, but she hoped the Kazekage wouldn't go that far.

Rubbing her forehead, Sakura sighed and left the Hokage tower. Her head was aching something vicious and it certainly didn't help matters that she was exhausted and beaten up. Hopefully, Itachi wouldn't keep her too long, because all she wanted was to go back to bed.

Green eyes scanned the crowds of people as she mixed in with them, widening fractionally at a familiar face. Considering he was an Uchiha, perhaps he could tell her more about Izumi?

"Obito!"

He visibly tensed at her voice, and even more so when she suddenly linked her arm through his, clutching his elbow securely so he couldn't run away from her.

"Morning, Sakura-chan." Obito smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head. Vaguely, it amused her that he didn't think twice about her startling appearance. "It's been a while since I last saw you."

Instead of replying immediately, she raised an eyebrow, settling him with an unimpressed glower. However, Sakura wasn't there to discuss his rare hospital visits and the fact he was way behind on his physical exams – yes, plural. How he got away with it when engaged to a medic, she'd never know.

"I have a question about your clan's jutsu."

The nervousness made way for uncertainty and he frowned down at her. "I'm already labelled a traitor for giving Kakashi my Sharingan. I'd rather not give them any more excuses to hate me-"

"I just need to know if you've heard of a specific fire style jutsu, since you're an Uchiha I feel most comfortable with." He was still frowning despite her attempt to butter him up, but giving the fact he wasn't outright rejecting her, she continued with, "Is there a jutsu that pretty much covers the user in fire?"

Compared to Kakashi, Obito was an open book for everyone and not just his precious people. It was quite amusing when comparing the pair of them, really. "I know who you're on about." Rolling his eye, he continued walking, seemingly escorting her. "Izumi-san is a talented girl, but that jutsu is useless. It's all for show to make her opponent back down."

An intimidation tactic, huh? "But isn't that just a waste of chakra?"

"Not when it works a great deal of the time." Glancing down at her, he raised an eyebrow. "Tell me: where you threatened by the jutsu?"

Well, yes, in all honesty. If Izumi was capable of summoning that much fire without being burned, what else was she capable of? It looked like she was a demon who was literally on fire. How was that even possible?

"Believe it or not, there are many Uchiha who wish for peace, such as Itachi-sama and Shisui. Izumi-san happens to be one of those people. Using that jutsu often gets her out of fighting unnecessarily."

Izumi wished for peace? Ha! And Naruto was growing tired of ramen. It ludicrous to even think about. "And what about you?"

"Me?" He smiled warmly at her. "I'm going to be Hokage one day, so of course I wish for peace. One day, it's not going to be just a wish, because I'm going to make it a reality."

Flashbacks suddenly overwhelmed her and Sakura sucked in a sharp breath as she relived the Fourth Shinobi War, as she witnessed Obito slaughtering hundreds to create his new reality. Even Neji…

"Sakura?"

Her eyes snapped to his and she did her best to swallow down the panic. That wasn't going to happen. Obito had Rin in this timeline, though she couldn't help but worry what would happen to him if he ever lost her. Would he resort to the lost and desperate man he'd been in the other Itachi's world?

"How about some tea?" he offered, smiling. "You look… lost."

"Thanks, but I have to go and meet a friend," she regretfully turned him down. There was nothing she wanted more than to sit down, drink tea and once more get to know Obito, as there was no telling how much had changed since the last time she spoke with him. "Another time?"

Obito nodded and patted the hand holding onto the crook of his elbow. "Next time we speak, however, I want you to stay out of that head of yours." Laughing, he told her, "You're becoming too much like Kakashi."

That wasn't the first time she'd heard those words and it made her gut twist sharply. "That so?" Despite her amused smile, Sakura felt cold on the inside. Was she really becoming so cool and unapproachable? Hadn't Naruto been exaggerating? "Well, I'll make sure to do that as long as you make sure to actually turn up to your physical next week." At his pained expression, she rolled her eyes. Guys were so dramatic! "You're such a baby. Kakashi-sensei doesn't kick up half-"

"I get it, I get it!"

"Do you?" Sakura yanked on his arm as she came to a stop, forcing him to stop, too. "I don't think you understand the risk you're causing yourself by not getting checked out."

"Sakura-chan," he almost sang her name teasingly. Smiling, Obito said, "I'm marrying a medic-nin, remember?"

"A good one! So why isn't she on your case about this?" she demanded.

The second his cheeks began to fill with a blush, Sakura paled and took a step back, slowly bringing her arm back to herself as though one sudden movement would cause something horrific to happen. The blush was creepy, in all honesty and she knew exactly what was going through his mind. She'd seen the same blush on Kakashi's cheeks when he read that damned book of his – well, sort of saw the blush.

"Pervert!"

"Wait, Sakura-chan! It's not like-"

She raised her hands and took another step away from him when he reached for her. The realisation and pure horror on his face would have been amusing had she not been totally creeped out. "I don't want to know." Green eyes looked anywhere but at him. "What happens between you and Rin-san is your own business."

"But that-"

"Sakura?"

While she didn't want to see him any time soon, Sakura found herself incredibly grateful for his intervention, going as far as grabbing his hand and quickly ditching Obito, who was still horrified that his dirty thoughts had been seen clearly.

"Why are we running?"

At least he wasn't stopping her. They both knew that, should he have wanted it, he could have stopped her. "Creepy Obito has made a reappearance."

"I see." She glanced over her shoulder to see he was looking over his, but when their eyes met, he told her, "We are far enough away from him now. You should be safe."

What a relief. Coming to a stop in her run and doing her best to ignore the curious stares they were receiving from other villagers, Sakura released her hold on his hand and smiled up at him shyly. They'd made it around a corner and were closer to the market stalls now, the busy chatter and flow of the crowd forcing them to speak a little louder, to stand a little closer.

"Sorry, Itachi."

"You have nothing to apologise for." His eyebrows came together minutely and he looked at something over her shoulder. "If Obito-san is bothering you-"

"He's not." Damn, had she just gotten him into trouble with the new patriarch of his clan? "We were talking about his physical exams – or lack of – and how, since he's marrying a medic, he should be forced to keep on top of them and-" Sakura cut herself off and blushed. "Sorry. I'm rambling."

Much to her relief, it brought a slight smile to his lips. "It is a habit I am used to by now."

That was true, she realised. In the beginning, her tendency to stray away from their topic, or say more than what was actually necessary, had always irked him. He was a man who stuck to saying what was necessary and never saying anything that didn't need to be said. Now, however, it hardly seemed to register with him until she brought it up.

Why did that make her want to smile?

Careful… She warned herself. Those damned palpitations were back. They were entering dangerous territory. It was that smile of his… No, it was his eyes. No. It was him. Itachi always made her smile even when he was pissing her off and it-

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, trying to distract herself. He'd made it perfectly clear that he didn't want her in the way she wanted him. There was no use in torturing herself any longer.

"Perhaps you would like to heal yourself first?"

Glancing down at herself, she examined her wounds with a critical eye. The worst of them were already dealt with (Naruto had demanded it, much to her annoyance, and Temari hadn't looked sorry in the least about causing her pain), though only to the point where it wouldn't cause her any trouble going about her day. Everything else was left to heal naturally, as she didn't want to waste chakra. Sasuke was right, even if he'd said it several months ago now – she would start fainting again if she recklessly used all her chakra again and again.

"I'll be fine." Hesitantly, she glanced up at him and offered a smile. "They don't even hurt that much anymore."

Itachi didn't argue with her, instead nodding. "We should go somewhere more private."

Her heart skipped a beat, no matter how hard she tried to calm herself. Why did he want to speak with her privately? Was it about the other day? About their argument? About their shaky relationship? Did Itachi want to confess to her, like she had him?

Stop!

She was getting in way over her head. It probably wasn't anything to do with that. Being the gentleman that he was, Itachi probably wanted to apologise for what had happened. There wasn't going to be a confession.

Sakura walked behind him rather than by his side. In the back of her mind, she knew that it meant she was submissive, that it meant she relied on him to protect her and she followed his orders, but… They weren't equals. While she could now walk side by side with her boys, she couldn't do that with Itachi. He was on a completely different level and always would be. She didn't deserve to walk beside him, especially not after such a pitiful battle earlier.

They were out in the forest by the time they came to a stop and Sakura could sense that there was nobody around for miles. Sure, it made her nervous, but it also caused a sinking feeling in her stomach. Being alone with him was harder than she'd thought possible. Why…?

Turning, he regarded her silently for a moment. His dark eyes felt as though they were piercing holes into her head, like they were seeing exactly what she was thinking and how she was feeling.

Itachi sighed. "I want to apologise not only for yesterday, but also for my reaction to your confession. It was wrong of me to order you to retire with me."

See, a pessimistic voice hissed in the back of her mind. He doesn't want to confess to you. But there would be no crying. Sakura breathed in deeply and nodded. "It was. You of all people know how hard I've fought to get to where I am today, Itachi."

"I know," he replied quietly. "It was selfish of me, but I was worried about what ANBU would do to a person like you, Sakura." At her disbelieving expression, he continued, "I don't mean that in a bad way. You are a happy person who enjoys spending time with loved ones. I do not want ANBU to dim your light, or put it out altogether."

"What does that even mean?" she asked in exasperation. Light this and light that! What the hell did he and the other Itachi mean by that?

He smiled. "You are capable of lifting the spirits of others without even trying and you guide them on their darkest days back into the light."

Sakura frowned at that. "You're calling me a… a lighthouse?"

The sound of his laughter unfortunately had her heart skipping beats again, had her holding back the urge to smile. "I would say more like the stars or the moon – without them, the night sky would be pitch black. The world is a happier place for many, because of you."

That wasn't fair. There she was, doing her damned hardest to fall out of love with a man who apparently didn't love her back, and then Itachi had to go and say things like that. How was she supposed to get over him?

Still, she had to know… "Have I made your world happier?"

Even if he said no, even if the answer made her want to curl up and die, she had to know. Even if he didn't love her, if she made him happier by simply being around and being a friend… It would make the pain worth it. It would make is so worth it.

"My world has been much brighter since you came into my life."

Darkness.

His world was shrouded in darkness and he felt numb to it all. Numb to the pain he caused others, numb to the torture his little brother went through, and numb to the ever-present loneliness he felt.

Since Sakura's death, he'd been wandering aimlessly. Konoha was almost chaotic since her death, with their Hokage at the head of it all and demanding justice, with Uzumaki Naruto screaming about avenging his dear Sakura-chan's death. News had travelled fast about her death and it stunned him, though didn't completely surprise him, that other nations grieved, also.

She was a beacon of light. In the short time (even eternity seemed too short) he'd known her, Sakura had lit up his world like no other. Until she entered his life, Itachi had honestly had no idea how dark it had become, but then there she was, shining brightly and making him see that there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

But now she was gone and… that light had disappeared with her.

There was no escaping the darkness.

"Sakura?"

"Sorry," she mumbled, blinking fast like that alone would get rid of the memory. "Is that all you wanted to meet with me for? To apologise?"

She needed to get away. Her control on her emotions was getting weaker and weaker – and that was without the other Itachi's memories plaguing her mind. If he kept being so nice to her… she would end up in tears, that much was certain.

"No." Although he still looked suspicious about her behaviour, Itachi reached into his pouch and took something from it, surprising her with how it could even fit in such a small space. "Your mask is broken."

No way…

"You-" Sakura shook her head, staring down at it in disbelief. "This is…"

Gods, she wanted to cry.

"My mask," he finished for her, smiling faintly. "As of today, I have officially retired from ANBU."

It was hesitantly that she accepted the mask styled as a weasel, holding it carefully. "Are you sure?"

"You are the only one I want to have it." The slight smile slipped to an even smaller smirk and like herself, he kept his eyes down, staring at the mask. "I know you won't let me down."

Never. She would never let him down. That was what Sakura wanted to tell him more than anything, but instead, she murmured, "Thank you."

It was pathetic, but it was all she could say. If she said any more, the tears would start and there would be no stopping them. Crying over everything was incredibly tiring, but then again, this was nothing small or insignificant. This meant… It meant everything.

It meant that Itachi was seeing them as equals, as her being good enough to wear his mask – a mask that was as infamous as its owner.

Gods, she was going to cry!

"You have no idea how much this means to me."

He shook his head, appearing tired. "I do."

He did? He understood her feelings for him? Why did it feel like that wasn't true? Why did it feel like he didn't understand in the slightest how she felt about him?

"Do you?" Sakura couldn't help but ask. "I don't think you do understand." At his silence, at the clenching of his jaw, she took that as her cue to continue. If Itachi hadn't wanted her to speak, then he would have silenced her or walked away again. "I love you," she told him weakly. "And I think I'm always going to love you, but…" It hurt too much to look at him and Sakura sucked in a breath, trying to control the need to cry. "I can't… let you keep hurting me like this."

"Sakura…"

She shook her head. "No, let me say it. If I don't say it now I never will." Sighing, she met his eye, frowning. "I'm not going to keep fighting for a man who clearly doesn't want me," Sakura murmured, throat tight. "I've tried to get to know you and every time I tried, you knocked me back. I confessed… and you rejected me." Through her pain, she smiled sadly. "I can't be friends with you anymore, Itachi. It hurts too much.

"I've realised that you're not the one doing the breaking, I'm breaking my own heart by being in love you with."

"That is why…" He sighed and glanced down at the ground, his eyebrows knitting together. "My world is too dark for you, Sakura."

"Then I'll light it up," she argued. Was that him saying she meant something to him? "Let me light it up!"

Itachi smiled at that, though still wouldn't look at her. "You're contradicting yourself. You say you won't fight for someone like me, yet you clearly aren't ready to let go."

It hurt. His words hurt like hell, but at the same time, she knew he was right. Despite her words, the last thing Sakura wanted to do was let go and give up on him, not when she knew he felt something for her. He'd said it himself in his own roundabout way.

"Do you want me to?" Her words were quiet and weak.

For the longest time, there was no answer and for those tortuous minutes, she was certain he was going to give in and accept his feelings for her.

Eventually, however, her heart was broken all over again when he murmured just as quietly, "It is for your own good."

For her own good.

Entering her apartment, Sakura looked around languidly and sighed, shutting the door softly behind herself. It always felt so empty nowadays, like it wasn't a home, but instead somewhere that simply held her belongings, somewhere she stayed every now and then when between missions. It felt cold and impersonal.

"For my own good," she repeated to herself.

The keys to her apartment were dropped into a dish not too far from the door as she went over and over her conversation with Itachi.

What right did he have to say something like that? She was big enough and strong enough to make her own decisions. If she wanted to give her heart away to him, then that was her decision to make, not his. Saying that… Sakura supposed it was his decision to accept her feelings, even though she wanted nothing more than to throw them at him with everything she had, so that he wouldn't be able to brush them aside or ignore them any longer.

Walking over to the altar in her living room, she slowly knelt in front of it, gazing at the picture.

"Gods, Ino. I wish you were here. I could really do with some advice. You know better than anyone how difficult Uchiha men are." Frustration had her fists clenching against her thighs, had her scowling shakily as Sakura fought against her emotions yet again. "Can't you send me another sign? What the hell even was that, huh? Is that your way of saying I should be with him?"

The silence only angered her further.

"Well you're wrong," she snapped. "He doesn't want me, Ino! He said his world's too dark for me."

Belatedly, Sakura realised she was yelling at a dead girl's picture and forced herself to stop, her head falling into her hands. How low had she fallen? Was that what love did to a person? Did it reduce them to nothing more than an emotional wreck?

"Just tell me what to do," she begged in a trembling voice. "Please, Ino-Pig."

A/N - Guys, I feel like I can't win here! Some of you were upset with how I was portraying Izumi, and now others are upset because she's stronger than Sakura. I haven't had the chance to read Itachi's story yet, so I don't really know much about her other than what was seen in filler episodes. Sorry for the really short update!