It was only after Hinata had directed her visitors to the temizuya pavilion for initial ceremonial cleansing that a terrible thought struck Sakura. She froze in mid-motion, the contents tipping out of the wooden ladle she held in one hand.

"Wait. Purification rites are meant to cleanse all influence of evil." Cool water dribbled uselessly over her outstretched left hand and back into the stone basin as her head whipped towards to the raven-haired man standing next to her. "But your blood is bound intimately to the curse."

Pouring a little water in his cupped palm, Itachi moved to rinse his mouth before turning to her. 'Your point?' his arched brow seemed to ask.

"That means… that means – if this somehow works – you might get obliterated along with it!"

Itachi set the ladle he'd used back down on its stand. He looked wholly unconcerned. "It is possible. The prospect is not unwelcoming."

Gut churning in sudden horror, Sakura grabbed his hand without thinking. "No!" she cried frantically. "You can't. I don't want—"

Abruptly, she stopped, shocked by the force of her own emotion.

Sakura swallowed.

'I don't want you to die.'

Itachi's fingers twitched in her desperate grasp, but he did not pull them away. "Death is infinitely more preferable to an eternal half-life of servitude," he replied quietly, as though he could hear the words that hung in the air between them, unsaid.

Sakura opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. In the end, there was nothing she could say to refute him. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Reluctantly, her hand slid away.

Wordlessly, Itachi turned and headed towards the courtyard, where Hinata was laying out a brush and ink set on a low table situated just in front of the main hall. With shuttered eyes, Sakura watched his retreating figure, before finally trailing after him. Sensing their approaching footsteps, Hinata gestured daintily to the opposite side of the narrow table where she sat. "Please, when you're ready, have a seat."

Itachi sank into seiza with ease, swiftly removing his sunglasses. From her knelt position beside him, Sakura stared at his proud profile, hit with a sense of imminent loss and staggering realisation. "Itachi—" she blurted out, awkward words forming haltingly on her tongue. "In case this works, I want you to know… I— I'm going to miss you."

The corners of his eyes softened, the deep stress lines etched into his face smoothing slightly. His expression as he regarded her spoke of something close to warmth. It was the closest to a true smile that Sakura had ever seen on his face.

"...I am glad to have met you, Sakura," he said.

.

A/N: Itachi and Sakura's actions at the temizuya is based on an actual Shinto ceremonial cleansing rite known as temizu. This symbolic purification is standard before worship, and was originally done at a spring, stream or seashore. Now, most shrines have an open-air temizuya pavilion (also known as a chozuya) housing stone basins filled with flowing water, for worshippers to rinse their left hand, right hand, mouth and finally the handle of the water ladle before approaching the main worship hall.

(And, to those who celebrate it - Merry Christmas! Blessings of joy and peace for the festive season.)