I know I left everybody at a bit of a cliffy last chapter, and that I opted to reveal the outcome of the attack in unprecedented ways. There is a reason, and it will be revealed shortly.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.
Chapter 25: Shimura Danzo
The days that had followed the Sound Attack, as it had officially been dubbed, had proven grey and dreary.
News of Sarutobi's death had spread like wildfire, and it had created an uproar. Of course, Tsunade had been there to quell most of the fear and confusion as everyone realized that Konoha's most beloved Oji-chan had passed; but she could not prevent it all.
The ceremony celebrating his life had been declared to be had three days after the attack. Three days, in which Konoha would be in ruins; Sakura had only had time to see her younger sisters briefly and make sure they were truly okay (just as Mikoto had promised) before she had been stuck on medic duty; she had hardly seen Tsunade either, nor Itachi, nor Shisui. Only Mikoto, who was among hundreds of the other patients she had had to heal and intern and dismiss -but Fugaku had expressly stated that only Sakura was allowed to care for his wife -and what the Uchiha Clan patriarch says, goes.
But Mikoto had been there roughly two days; between chakra exhaustion and her older age, it had taken her some time to recuperate and feel better. But this was not to mean her time bed-ridden had been miserable.
"Oh, you shouldn't have, Fuga-kun!" Mikoto practically squealed in delight, staring at a bento box that had been placed in front of her by said person.
Fugaku scowled dismissively -how dare she use that pet name in public? In the comfort of their own home was one thing -but in a public hospital room with thin walls, where just about anyone passing by could hear? His wife was incorrigible. He could chastise her now, but would it really do any good?
Probably not
Defeated, Fugaku settled with showing his wife miffed eyes.
"Shisui sends his best." Itachi spoke formally, watching the amusing interaction between his parents -particularly of his ruffled father who, although he would not admit it and Itachi knew he would have to take this information to the grave, had spent over two hours in front of a cook book attempting his best at what had been described as an "energy boosting dish" in said cook book he had gone out and bought with Sasuke and Naruto by his side, seeing as he had no maid or wife to tend to his younger children.
Two failed attempts later (and a Sharingan for good measure) he had delivered something adequate enough to be eaten. Needless to say, never again would he dismiss how delectable Mikoto's dishes were. It was clearly a craft he lacked.
Then a knock at her door alarmed them of incoming company -a nurse, although not one unfamiliar to them. "Mikoto-san," Sakura entered at once, shocked to see the presence of Itachi and Fugaku. "Oh, gomen, I hope I wasn't intruding." Sakura flushed slightly, her eyes not meeting that of Fugaku, sitting on Mikoto's bed, who was seen with a blush on his face and Mikoto latched to his arm. He seemed outwardly annoyed, the first sign of emotion Sakura had truly seen from him, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was her he was annoyed with for having barged in to their somewhat intimate position.
Fugaku cleared his throat and quickly stood -Mikoto merely giggling. "Nonsense, Sakura." The formality and nobility was back in the man. "Did you need something?"
"Umm, well... no." Sakura laughed hesitantly as she turned to eye Mikoto. "Mikoto-san, several more of the Uchiha have arrived with flowers wishing their best in your recuperation. I was simply inquiring if you wanted me to bunch these with the rest..."
Because there had easily been at the very least four groups of Uchiha who had come with get-well-soon cards and flowers and balloons of the like, although none dared to come visit personally, knowing full well Mikoto needed her rest and recovery. "Aren't our family just the best, Fuga-kun?" Mikoto sighed in contentment. "Onegai, Sakura, give them my most heartfelt thanks."
"Hai." Sakura smiled and nodded. Mikoto was truly exceptionally loved -even those not among her clan had been worried for her health. "I will leave you three to talk, then." But as she was dismissing herself, Fugaku once more cleared her throat.
"I would like a word with you when you have the chance, Sakura. I know Tsunade has you busy at the moment, but whenever you find yourself in the Uchiha Compound, please come find me."
Sakura blinked curiously, but turned and formally bowed towards the Clan patriarch. "Certainly, Fugaku-sama. My shift ends tonight at eight; I will make sure to come home directly. If it is not too late, we can talk then?" A blessing, since she had already pulled an all-nighter at the hospital without complaint.
"Iie. I will see you then." and with that, she was off.
Once she had left, Mikoto couldn't help but giggle yet again. "You know, you don't have to be so formal to thank her, Fuga-kun."
The half-tinted cheeks on Fugaku's face didn't hide his embarrassment -Kami his wife could look right through him. "Nonsense, Mikoto. Now is neither the time nor place for such a matter." As an afterthought, he felt he should tell her to drop the pet name, but again he decided against it.
Sure, perhaps it was a formality that Sakura would not care for, but he most certainly did.
Sakura had saved his wife, and furthermore helped to protect his children -his family, his clan. His village. And she deserved this recognition. Mikoto smiled calmly and reached out to grab Fugaku's hand and give it a slight squeeze. "If only more people saw this side of you."
"If they did it would be considered weakness," Fugaku calmly countered, and although his eyes were cold and hard, the smile on his face as he stared at his wife spoke otherwise. "In any case, Itachi was tasked to debrief you, if you feel up to it."
"Certainly." Mikoto stated calmly and she turned to look at her eldest son -she had of course been glad to see him, although it had been unexpected. What with everything that had happened, she had expected him to be too busy with other matters to be able to come.
"Tsunade-sama wanted me to confirm the story told by Sakura. You were engaged by Kabuto, who seemed to be after Naruto, correct?"
"Hai." Mikoto confirmed seriously. "Although," she paused momentarily. "I would think that if he wanted to capture Naruto-kun in earnest he would have pursued him personally, no?" Mikoto almost hummed out this thought. "His best chance at capturing him would have been before he reached Jiraiya-san."
"As were our thoughts." Itachi stated seriously. "We were concerned maybe it had been for Sakura, but if that had been the case we presume he would have targeted her immediately, during the Chunin Exam Finals."
"Ah, as were my thoughts too." Mikoto agreed with a nod of her head. "In any case, I would say he was more interested in me." A statement which she had pondered absent-mindedly, although the thought seemed preposterous. "But why would he be interested in me, right?" she shrugged.
Fugaku's empty hand clenched into a tight fist. If his wife was being targeted, then this was an entirely different business.
"This wasn't just an attack on Konoha." Fugaku spoke seriously -nearly maliciously. Because he doubted his wife was wrong -her intuition was always spot on, and if the line of events she said was true, then clearly neither Sakura nor Naruto were their intended target.
And with this confirmation, Itachi nodded and stood. He approached his mother, and grabbed onto her other hand. "Gomen, Okaa-san. But I must go report to Tsunade-sama."
"Iie, go do what you have to. I'll be here with your father." Mikoto nodded in understanding. "And onegai, even though we both know she's fine, go inquire on Sakura's behalf. I'm sure she's still worried about you." She gave her son a small smile. She was sure he would have preferred to not have this conversation in front of his father, but if Fugaku would not be spared from her oozing affection, then he would not be spared from Sakura's either.
But of course his mother was right, in the end -because this had been the first time she had seen him since the attack on Konoha, and she had kept it strictly professional if only out of necessity for the time being. Mikoto had not been blind to the way that Sakura's eyes had immediately plastered on Itachi's figure and roamed his body -searching for any injuries, she was sure. The thought filled her heart with happiness and pride -Sakura was most certainly the kind of woman who would suit her family well.
"Hn." and with this thought, he turned and walked away, but not before bowing in respect to both his parents.
Then silence filtered throughout the room. Mikoto was looking out the window in foreboding; Fugaku tensed alongside her with a troubled expression in his face -now that Itachi was gone, they need not play pretend. "I am sure we will not be the only ones to put two and two together." Mikoto surmised.
"Ahh." Fugaku confirmed in trepidation.
The Sound Attack, if their assumption held any validity whatsoever of course, had more than one purpose. And although perhaps it did not seem like it, attacking Mikoto, if it was in fact done on purpose, had other repercussions. Mikoto was the glue that held the Uchiha main household together. Perhaps most pertinently, she was the glue that held the Uchiha and the villagers together; the cool to Fugaku's hot. The kind and collected face behind Fugaku's brash and un-quelled anger.
She was well liked, by villagers and shinobi alike, Uchiha and non-Uchiha.
Her downfall could have multiple repercussions; among them spurring on the anger of the Uchiha which was barely being kept at bay by Fugaku alone, a primary reason of which being because of the power behind his eyes.
Let us hope Tsunade can pull through and sort this matter out thusly, for the sake of their future.
Sakura internally groaned -Kami she was exhausted.
"Mikoto-sama sends her most heartfelt thanks." Sakura bowed before the Uchiha men and women. "She is currently with Fugaku-sama, and as such wishes for her privacy, but she is very grateful you have taken time out of your days to send your regards."
"Such is Fugaku-sama." one of the elder women spoke. "Truly a man who cares for his family." she praised.
It had taken little to dismiss the Uchiha thusly, as it had been done already with three other groups of Uchiha before them. But as she watched them leave, bow in place, she couldn't help the groan that escaped her lips.
Sakura was already not the most hospitable of people; dealing with the masses after pulling an all-nighter and having chakra exhaustion was not helping. The effects of the soldier pill she had swallowed earlier that day was already diminishing, and she still had several hours before the end of her shift. And her exhaustion was apparent too -she hadn't even sensed Fugaku and Itachi in Mikoto's room earlier. She was doing her duties on auto-pilot as it was.
But as she turned to walk away and continue on to her rounds, she nearly ran smack into somebody's chest. "G-Gomen-" she spoke in embarrassment, but as she looked up to meet the stranger, her eyes clashed with the onyx orbs she had familiarized herself with over the months. "I-Itachi." she greeted nervously.
-The blush had returned, as she took a step back to put some distance between them.
"Sakura." he greeted, calm and stoic as ever.
"Did Mikoto need something?"
"Iie." He denied calmly. "I wished to know how you were."
She was almost taken aback by his words. "I mean... I'm tired, but I'm fine." she gave him a small smile, her heart fuzzy at the thought that Itachi was here simply to inquire on her well-being.
"That is not what I meant." he stated, his eyes staring right through her.
And for the briefest of moments Sakura felt her vulnerability resurface -her fright and panic, her fear and exhaustion and confusion and trepidation (and Itachi definitely noticed); but in an instant she swallowed it down, if not because tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, then because a medic had suddenly approached the two of them. "Gomen, but a patient requires a round of blood work, if you're done with your current patient-"
"H-Hai, of course, I'll get right on it." Sakura didn't even skip a beat as she grabbed the patient file from the nurse's hand. Without warning, the nurse was once more gone -not only was she incredibly busy, but she'd rather not stick around while Uchiha Itachi was having what seemed to be a serious conversation. "Gomen, I have to go." she frowned slightly.
"Iie. You have responsibilities." So did he, for that matter. "We will have time to talk once you return home tonight."
Sakura nodded, smiling slightly up at the man. "I'm glad to see you're alright."
If they weren't in public, she might have considered giving his hand a light squeeze -perhaps more for her sake than it was his, but alas.
"Ahh. I will see you later, Sakura." It would seem that he would take action on his own though, lifting his hand and poking her on the forehead with his two fingers. She had seen him do this to Sasuke and Naruto plenty of times, and she was almost disappointed at herself by how quickly this was able to arise a response from her. She could not shake the blush that appeared on her features this time, but she would not pretend to not be embarrassed by it this time -Kami knew she had naught the energy.
And with that, they had parted ways, walking in opposite directions.
As promised, the moment that Sakura clocked out, she headed towards the Uchiha Compound with purpose, not that there was anywhere else that she was likely to go other than home. She would go home, speak to Fugaku, shower, and then spend some much needed time with her sisters; she was sure they were worried sick for her. But as she approached her home, she couldn't help but notice that the Uchiha Compound was bright, with nearly all the lights in the living room on -and she saw shadows, much more than usual.
Was there a meeting going on?
Regardless of her trepidation and her exhaustion (Kami she did not want to deal with any more people for the night) she trudged on and opened the door to the main household.
There had been Uchiha in the room -at least five of them, all of them males and a few of them older, around Fugaku's age. And as she opened the door and made her appearance apparent, they all turned to look at her.
They were calm -quiet and contemplative, and Sakura couldn't help but subconsciously fiddle with her thumbs. "Gomen, I hope I'm not interrupting." she bowed her head. "I was told by Fugaku-sama to come meet him."
"Hai." and as he spoke she was finally able to locate him among the sea of Uchiha -Kami all of them looked alike, although now that she actually focused on meeting their gazes, she noticed Itachi standing alongside his father. "Please, come in, Sakura. We were just about to discuss things in my study, if you would please follow us."
Sakura nodded, and with a bow she greeted them all and stepped foot into the living room, leaving her shoes by the door. The Uchiha were silent as they walked, making their way into Fugaku's study. Tea had already been prepared and set on the table -tea for six, which meant that they had been awaiting Sakura's arrival. The thought made her blood pump a little harder, out of nothing but confusion and nervousness.
They had all settled around the low, square table; the three unknown Uchiha on one side, Sakura across from them, and Fugaku and Itachi taking seat to the right of Sakura.
"Sakura, these men here are Ichirou, Katsuo, and Nobu. They make up the members of my personal council."
"It is nice to make your acquaintance." Sakura bowed properly, before eyeing them closely. They sat with powerful, broad shoulders similarly to Fugaku, screaming nobility in the same way that he and Itachi did. Ichirou, the first Fugaku had introduced, seemed to be older than Fugaku himself -slight graying appearing in his hair, although it did not seem to make him look older in the slightest -only wiser. Katsuo seemed a near replica of Ichirou, only younger and with less body tone -clearly they were brothers. And then Nobu, who was younger than both, perhaps no more than five years older than Fugaku. He had a warmer face than the other two, perhaps due to the long hair he donned which made him look less Uchiha-like, but it had the hardened expression intact nonetheless.
The men had not responded, but had sent a nod of acknowledgement her way.
"These men were alongside Itachi, Shisui, and me repelling the Otogakure forces, when one of our Uchiha brethren stumbled upon our fight and alerted us that Naruto and Mikoto's position had been compromised." Fugaku explained.
Sakura's eyes widened at the news. "That was why Shisui knew to come help us?"
"Hai." Fugaku confirmed with a small nod. "He also notified us that they had been able to retrieve Naruto and bring him to safety, only because of the intervention and aid of a Konohagakure kunoichi."
And it was at this very moment, that suddenly the three Uchiha who had not said a word to her yet, suddenly turned to face her and simultaneously bowed.
Sakura blinked -twice, thrice.
"Pardon?" It was all she could muster out, blinking at the obtuse display of respect.
"Sakura-san, you saved our matriarch from harms way." It was Ichirou who spoke, after several seconds of bowing. They had recomposed themselves thusly, but their hard and serious eyes had not left from Sakura's face. "As Fugaku's council, it is our responsibility -iie, our family's responsibility, to protect our Clan Heads. Our very sons and daughters had been assigned to protect Mikoto, as her security detail, whilst we stay alongside Fugaku and fought. And they had failed in their task of keeping her and the children safe. But you did not." the one called Nobu spoke.
"Please, this formality is unnecessary. I was only doing what I had to." Sakura half stuttered out, trying to dismiss their claims.
"You very well might have." Fugaku confirmed. "But we are a proud clan, Sakura. And we acknowledge those who have proven themselves worthy of it. You aided our clan, and furthermore our village. We will not be so prideful as to ignore it. If you had not intervened when you had, Shisui would have never been able to come to your aid and save Mikoto." Fugaku spoke knowingly.
"Futhermore, if you had not arrived and taken the place of our children, we know with certainty that they would probably not be alive today." Katsuo added on. As it stood, his daughter, along with several other Uchiha, were being hospitalized with numerous injuries. When he had checked up on his daughter, she had spoken with such regret and anger -that she had been so useless at the hands of their unknown assailant. Which meant that for his kunoichi to have been able to protect Mikoto by herself and stall until Shisui could arrive, was a feat to be acknowledged; but of course he had heard as much from rumors among his clan members and Fugaku himself.
Even so, Sakura simply shook her head and bowed. "You owe me no thanks, Uchiha-sama. In fact," she spoke to all of them there (Save Itachi, because she would rather die than address him in such a manner). "Your clan took my sisters and I in when we had no place to call home. This was not a burden, or duty for me. This was an act to protect that which I cherish." The Uchiha before her had not responded -had not even made a facial expression at her comment, not that she needed it. "I appreciate your thanks, but I assure you it is not needed. This is my home now, and I will do what I must to protect it."
"But we will give it regardless." Fugaku dismissed Sakura's claim. "I wanted to thank you for protecting my wife; my clansmen are extending their thanks not because I forced them, but because they acknowledge that you deserve it. We are not too proud to graciously acknowledge your help." And as he spoke, he finally stood. "In any case, I know you are tired, Sakura. Tomorrow will be Sarutobi's burial, and there is much for us to do. You should go and rest."
"I understand." she merely acknowledged with a nod and stood. She bowed once more at the Uchiha before her. "I thank you all for this time you took to speak to me. If there is anything you need, Uchiha-sama, do not hesitate to call for me."
With a nod of acknowledgement towards her, Sakura took this as her queue to leave and quickly dismissed herself.
The silence stretched for several seconds. "How is Mikoto doing, Fugaku-sama?" Ichirou spoke calmly.
"She is fine. She will be released tomorrow morning in time for the ceremony, thanks to Sakura's meticulous care." Fugaku explained -he had not left his wife's side until the hospital had closed it's visiting hours, and because of it, he had seen how well Sakura had taken care of Mikoto.
She was an extraordinary medic -definitely Tsunade's student, and it showed.
"How was it again that you came across such a kunoichi?" Nobu asked quizzically.
At this comment, Fugaku almost couldn't help the smirk on his features, although he turned to face Itachi instead -his clansmen did the same.
"I found her on the streets of Konoha -I hired her as a maid simply by coincidence." Itachi responded curtly.
At this, Nobu could not help the laugh that erupted from his lips. "Maid turned kunoichi, eh? I can almost say I'm not surprised, Fugaku-sama. She has studied under Tsunade-sama, has she not?"
"Hai; she is currently under her tutelage still. With luck, she will become a terrifying image of Tsunade." Fugaku acknowledged.
"Iie," Ichirou denied, "She'll become much worse if she's training under Itachi." He could almost laugh. What were the odds? "Do tell me if you happen to run into another insanely strong kunoichi, eh Itachi? Kito could use a good woman by his side too."
"Of course." As much as it was intended to be a joke, there was a subtlety there in the way that Ichirou phrased his statement that Itachi did not miss. And he would of course let it be known that Sakura was not up for grabs for anyone.
Their meeting had not been adjourned for a while longer. Itachi had stayed through obligation alone, as his Uchiha elders sipped tea casually and began discussing more pertinent matters.
"Who among the Elders do you think will make a big fuss over this?" Nobu asked.
"As of now, no one." Fugaku responded. "As far as Mikoto being injured, none apart from Tsunade, us, and your children should know how the events truly unfolded. Simply that she was injured in the line of duty whilst protecting Naruto."
"So you mean to say none should know Mikoto was the true target?" Ichirou reasoned out.
"Hai. Of course it goes without saying that your children should keep this confidential. I am sure they have already been debriefed by Tsunade, though."
"Even so, it will not hurt to remind them that this is of utmost importance to the Uchiha as well." Nobu stated with a nod.
"And as far as figuring out the motive for the attack?" Katsuo inquired.
"We will leave that in Tsunade's hands." Fugaku stated. "She is more than capable; our qualms are not with her." His personal council was more inclined to put their trust in him than the rest of the Uchiha Elders, but they were not as quick to trust outside of the clan like he was. Of course, that wasn't a surprise, given the events of the past under Sarutobi's reign. "The Sound Attack was not held simply for Mikoto's attempted assassination. Orochimaru must have had bigger aspirations. Whether he succeeded or not will be up to Tsunade to find out. We will simply have to hope she informs us on the matter when the time comes. If my wife may be in any potential danger, I will need to be the first to know."
And then silence ensued.
The meeting had ended roughly twenty minutes later -about time, truth be told. The last thing that Itachi wanted to do was sit there through a meeting discussing about how his mother had been a target of what could be considered a terrorist organization and that he had not been there to protect her. He had other pressing matters to see to; dealing with the fact that his mother was a target would be something that he would deal with on his own time.
He had walked his Uchiha elders to the door, and had proceeded to go towards his room. Truth be told, he had wanted to talk to Sakura, but seeing how late the meeting ran and how tired Sakura must be, he supposed that perhaps he should wait until the next time they both had some free time.
-At least, this had been his plan; however, upon turning the corner to the hallway, he found Sakura waiting for him right in front of his door. Her hair was slightly damp, indicating a fresh shower, and she was donning a simple pajama set. "Sakura," he greeted her, hiding his surprise, "was there something you needed?" he kept walking until he was in front of her.
"Ahh..." She hesitated, "well, umm, no, I guess not really..." she scratched the back of her head, looking for the right words. "You said we'd have time to talk, is all..." it came out as nothing but a whisper at this point, her hands falling to her side as she finally met his gaze.
He could see her vulnerability again. "Ahh" he confirmed with a nod. "I did not know if perhaps you'd like to sleep; you've had a long day."
Sakura simply shrugged. "I'm not that tired."
He could tell this was an excuse -that she was clearly exhausted but something was keeping her up, and as such he merely nodded and turned towards the door of his room and opened it. "Would you like to come in?"
She nodded wordlessly and followed him into the room. She stood in the darkness simply staring at him as he closed the door behind her and then shuffled towards his bed. He sat on it, stared at her, and then motioned her to join him. Of which she did, crawling onto the bed until she was sitting across from him with her legs tucked beneath her.
The silence stretched on for several seconds. "Did you sustain any injuries?" he began.
She nodded. "I ruptured both my ear-drums against the Oto-nin. That was the worst of it."
"Are they fully healed?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I didn't have enough time or chakra to heal them completely. I still have a slight ringing in my ears, but I should be able to heal it tomorrow morning."
"Ahh..." Of course leave it to Sakura to put in double shifts at the hospital before making sure she was fully ready to do so. Then again, it wasn't like she had had a choice -a ruptured eardrum was definitely not severe enough to pull her out of her obligations, especially not during such critical times.
"What about you?" she looked up curiously. She hadn't seen any injuries on his being when she had seen him earlier that day, but that was not to mean that they hadn't gotten healed already.
"A few minor injuries and some chakra over-use, but fine overall. Shisui and Chichihue had similar results." He chided in, knowing she had yet to see Shisui since the ordeal too.
"Ahh..." conversation between them feel silent once more.
"Have you checked on the kids? They were eager to see you." he shifted the conversation elsewhere.
"By the time I was free from the meeting, they were already asleep." She shook her head. "I have tomorrow off, so I'll make sure I talk to them properly about everything that happened...They must have been so scared..." she trailed off.
The silence stretched for several seconds. "And you, Sakura?"
Were you scared?
The question hung in the air for quite some time; he assumed that this was why she had sought him out, after all.
After what seemed like nearly a minute, finally she spoke. "Hai... I was." It seemed but a whisper on her a part, her hands gripping onto one another as suddenly she closed her eyes and she was brought back onto the battlefield from the other day. "I was so scared Itachi..." suddenly her voice grew more power, the quaking in her tone matching the quaking of her hands. "I was scared I didn't get to the kids on time... I was scared I couldn't protect Mikoto... I was scared that you-" her voice had hitched in her throat. She couldn't even finish her sentence.
Truthfully, Itachi had never expected for her to be so vulnerable over the situation. But he supposed that prior to her integration into Konoha, the worst she had to deal with was bandits and perhaps the occasional rogue. Nothing like this -nothing like Orochimaru and mass invasions and city-wide attacks where her sisters and everyone she cared for was simply out of reach. Nothing like these sorts of enemies, that were far stronger than any rogue she could possible ever encounter.
This was entirely new to her.
He placed his larger hand atop her two, and this brought Sakura's eyes open. Their eyes clashed, his steady, hers watery. Her lip quivered, as if she were trying her best to control her tears, and suddenly she realized that him simply holding her hand didn't feel right -she needed more.
He seemed to pick up on her hesitation, for in that moment he pulled her in to his arms. Her nose collided with the crook of his shoulder -whether it had hurt her, she didn't comment though. He placed his other hand atop her head in a gentle, soothing pat as he spoke. "I felt the same way during the Second Shinobi World War." Itachi admitted. He had been but 7 at the time, and he couldn't help but remember how useless he felt that day, simply clutching onto Shisui, hiding within the confines of the Uchiha Compound. "But this is why we become strong; to protect those we cherish. You need not worry about me, or the kids Sakura. We are all a part of Konoha now."
He would be the protector here.
And where he could not be, there would be others to take his place in the protection of his home and those he cherished.
Ino and Hinata were no exceptions to that.
New tears could have welled up in Sakura's eyes at the mention. Of course; taking care of Hinata and Ino had only ever been her responsibility. There had never been anyone she could share this burden with, and now within these very walls, she had found someone, nay, someones, who could help share that burden with.
"Arigatou..." it was all she could say, truthfully.
And in his arms she had remained for a long time; long after her sniffles came and went, long after her quaking had seized, and her breathing had once turned to normal.
Sakura had woken up surprisingly calmly -surprisingly restful. And not to mention in her own room, of which she knew she hadn't been in when she had fallen asleep.
-In Itachi's arms, her thoughts lingered on the smell of the man that still similarly lingered on her shirt. Of the warmth he gave off, the subtleties in his affections (and the not so subtle ones too), and of the way he comforted her without any qualms. With ease that made it seem like second-nature to him.
Had she not been in such a vulnerable state, she was sure she would have died of a nosebleed.
She had not had enough time to ponder such a thought though, because at that moment the door to her room had been opened -and thusly her two adoptive sisters had charged towards her and practically tackled her, tears in both their eyes. "Sakura-neesan!" they both cried in unison.
Tears instantly brimmed at the corner of Sakura's own eyes as a response. "Girls... Gomen..." It was all she could truly say, for having not been there for her girls, for not being able to communicate with them, and for not having been able to see them since the attack. "I was so worried... I left you two all alone, gomen." she apologized again.
"Iie, we were not all alone." Ino denied, wiping her tears to stare up at Sakura. "We had Naruto and Sasuke, and Mikoto-obaasama and everyone else."
"W-We were f-fine." Hinata agreed. "We w-were just w-worried for you."
Sakura had to swallow down the lump in her throat. "Don't worry about me; you know nothing is too tough for your onee-san." Even as she said this flashbacks of her interactions with Orochimaru flashed across her mind. "I'm perfectly fine, see?"
-But don't let her sisters know she had suffered from ruptured ear drums and chakra exhaustion, among other relatively minor injuries.
"Hai, you're right." Ino wiped away a tear that threatened to spill from her eyelids. "You'll always be there to protect us."
"Iie, I won't." Sakura denied, shaking her head. "But our family has grown bigger, Ino-chan. We no longer have to rely on just ourselves." Because she knew Itachi's words were true; that Mikoto's heart was pure, and that Fugaku's intent and influence held no bounds.
Her sisters were clearly comforted by her words, but they didn't have much more time to converse, for at that moment there had been a knock on her door. Of course, it had been a courtesy since her door was wide open, and Sakura looked up to see Itachi standing respectfully right outside her door. "Good morning," he spoke casually.
"Good morning," Sakura couldn't help the blush on her features or the brighter than usual smile -Ino and Hinata exchanged glances respectively, a look mixed with excitement and curiosity.
"Tsunade-sama wishes to see us before the funeral proceedings."
"Ahh," Accordingly, she didn't have nearly as much time to get ready as planned. Despite her reluctance to do so, she peeled the two girls away from her arms. "Alright, it looks like we'll have to continue this conversation later girls."
"Hai" they spoke in unison.
"Make sure to eat breakfast and get ready, and don't make things difficult for Mikoto, alright? Today is a very important day."
"We're not Naruto, don't worry." Ino assured her with a snort. Regardless, she and Hinata climbed out of the bed. "Come on Hinata-chan, let's go shower."
And so it had been as they walked out of the room, pausing momentarily to bow in Itachi's direction before continuing on their journey back to their room. "What is it Tsunade-shishou wishes to discuss?" Sakura spoke, copying her sisters and standing up from her bed, stretching her shoulders slightly.
"A debrief," Itachi responded. "Given your duties at the hospital, you haven't had time for a proper one."
-And he was to attend as heir to the Uchiha, standing in for his father, he knew, for as it was he was picking Mikoto up from the hospital with the intent of bringing her home and helping her get ready for the funeral.
"Good morning, shishou," Sakura greeted as she and Itachi stepped into her office.
"Ahh, good morning," she spoke dryly -this was anything but a good morning, but she would not make the comment.
Tsunade was wearing black -an outfit Sakura had never seen before, although she guessed that this was also an occasion she had never been present for. She too had been told to wear black for such a dreary occasion. "Itachi said you wanted to speak to us?"
"Ah. I wanted to brief you on what we suspect occurred during the Sound Attack." Tsunade stated.
"Okay" That was all Sakura could say, given the fact that she didn't really understand -what had occurred? Was that not already obvious?
"This will be kept from the public of course, and this information should be kept secret, but seeing how involved you guys are in this whole affair it would be best to keep you apprised of everything." She introduced, sighing as she stared out of her window. "We suspect that there were two motives behind this attack. The first being the elimination of me; the second, Mikoto."
This was clearly not news to Itachi, who's reaction, or lack thereof, was apparent. Sakura on the other hand, could not help but scowl in confusion. "I understand you, given you are the Hokage... but why Mikoto? I thought their target was Naruto?" she questioned.
"I think that was the guise -we are entertaining the possibility this was done as a means of hiding the real motive."
"What we have established is that there were many potential targets; yourself included." Itachi spoke. "However, if Orochimaru wanted to get his hands on you, he had ample opportunity to do so during the Chunin Exam Finals. If Naruto had truly been a target, there was nothing stopping them from pursuing him instead of fighting you and Okaa-san."
"But what would Orochimaru have to gain from attacking Mikoto?" Sakura couldn't quite piece it together.
-Of which neither Tsunade nor Itachi could blame her of, given the fact that she wasn't that well-informed on the political state of their nation.
"Well, there are three options, really." Tsunade reasoned out. "The first is that he was seeking a new Shinobi World War. Acts against our nation are typically dealt with through swift action and aggression. If you had not discovered his identity, this attack could have raised an issue on an international scale. As I see it, the two nations involved in all this were Kusa and Oto. But Kisagakure has a strict alliance with Iwa; taking any aggressive action would have forced us to deal with such a reality."
"Does this seem likely?"
"If Orochimaru is working on his own, no." Tsunade shook her head. "There is nothing for him to gain from doing this; the organization he supports and occasionally aids, Akatsuki, is another story. They propser during times of war, and it would be useful for them to have us fighting each other instead of focusing on their destruction. However, from the information we know of Akatsuki, they work in pairs; if this was an act done for their agenda, it is likely we would have seen two Akatsuki members working under their name."
"And of the second option?" Sakura asked, understanding how the major power of Iwa could tip the scales and cause another war to erupt -and although she had only heard bits and pieces throughout her time in Konoha about the infamous organization known as Akatsuki, it did not seem like this was their typical MO, persay. From her understanding, they were typically hired mercenaries.
"The second and third options, which could be seen as occurring in tandem, is that Orochimaru was motivated by an secondary party attempting to plummet Konoha into chaos and have it destroy itself from within and although less likely, we have to consider that this so-called second party is internal."
"Internal? Someone from within Konoha is conspiring against us... with Orochimaru of all people?" Her eyebrows furled at the seemingly incredulous option. Orochimaru had to single-handedly be one of the worst things to ever come out of Konoha. And Tsunade was trying to suggest that someone within its very walls was conspiring with him?
"Perhaps conspiring against the Uchiha in particular." Tsunade confirmed, her eyes narrowed. "Have you discovered if these claim has any merit?" she addressed her question to Itachi. In response though, he merely shook his head. "There has been no underground activity."
"Wait, wait, wait." Sakura shook her head. "What do we mean by this? Underground activity?" There was underground activity... in Konoha?
Tsunade sighed. "We're talking about Root, Sakura. An underground group of elite shinobi affiliated with Konoha although under direct command from Danzo, the most influential and not to mention temperamental member of the Konoha Council." Clearly, she could not stop her abhorrence or the man from showing.
"You're saying there's a chance that Danzo could have somehow been behind this attack?" Sakura's eyes narrowed. Of course, she could still remember when Mikoto and Itachi had shared with her of his previous ploys -his assassination attempt against Sarutobi and his thoughts about the Uchiha and him conspiring to annihilate them. But would he still be trying so many years later, when it should be obvious now that the Uchiha (under Fugaku's rule, in any case) bore no ill-intentions towards Konoha? It all simply sounded like a nut-job's conspiracy theory but it was coming from Tsunade and Itachi, two of the people she trusted most and quite frankly she didn't know how to react.
And why now? And perhaps most pertinently, why on such a massive scale if this was some personal vendetta against Tsunade or the Uchiha?
"Like I said, it's not likely. Orochimaru isn't one to be easily manipulated into doing somebody's bidding -unless there's something in it for him. Furthermore I'm not entirely sure what Danzo would get from accomplishing such a task. Not to mention, as irrational and selfish as Danzo may be, he does genuinely care for the well-being of the village. I doubt he would have risked permanent damage to Konoha's infrastructure just for such a goal."
"Well, I would think the destruction of Konoha is all Orochimaru would really want out of an exchange, given that this is an option, no?" Sakura thought with a frown.
"Perhaps. But Orochimaru is smart. If he can get more he will." Tsunade reasoned out. Perhaps it was a good thing that she had considered him such a good teammate for several years; she knew how he thought by now.
"Would Danzo really take such a rash action against the Uchiha when it had a chance of causing a Shinobi World War?" Sakura questioned.
"Danzo's aspirations are twisted -if he can find a justification for his actions, regardless of how ill-advised, he will take it." Itachi responded impassively -he had witnessed as much first hand.
"That being said, we must tread lightly with any further investigations we do. If we dig too deep, Danzo will know. He has his ways."
It was a dreary day; the clouds thick and heavy, although not dark enough to indicate a rain shower. The perfect weather to match a thick and heavy occasion, it would seem.
Shortly after their meeting with Tsunade, Sakura and Itachi had been dismissed, and had walked together in relative silence towards the Uchiha Compound; it had been told to her by Itachi that they would meet their with the rest of his immediate family, and that afterwards they would all go together to the funeral proceedings. Sakura could not in good conscious say that she was too grief-stricken; quite frankly, she had hardly known the Sarutobi Hiruzen, although Ino and Hinata spoke warmly of him based on the few times he had visited the Academy and entertained the younger children. She did however know what this meant for the village; the eldest-living Hokage, arguably with the greatest reputation among all his predecessors, had passed away in a grueling battle against his former disciple.
Simply walking in the street among other villagers clad in black, it was clear that everybody felt this loss personally.
The funeral proceedings had started out calmly; Tsunade and what Sakura had assumed to be the Konoha Elders had appeared atop the Hokage's building, where a small shrine had been built in his honor. Sakura stood in an assembly line alongside the Uchiha and her sisters, and the rest of the village, as Tsunade and the Elders took their position on both sides of his shrine.
"We are gathered here today, not to grieve over a loss, but to commemorate the life and spirit of someone I dare call Konoha's Ojii-chan." Tsunade's words spoke of a pain and sorrow Sakura knew vaguely, but couldn't quite remember. "We have all suffered a tremendous loss these past few days; but as Sarutobi has instilled in me, I will not falter in my responsibilities to my village. He may have left us too soon, but it would be remiss to not state that he left us with zero regrets. Just as I know that I would lay my life down in a heartbeat for Konoha, I know that Sarutobi died protecting what he cherished most. He was my sensei, up until his last dying breath, and his passion towards his work will not be forgotten." It was honestly surprising that Tsunade's voice didn't crack or falter more than the few times it had slipped up at the mention of her sensei's name.
"Today, we say goodbye," there was a momentary pause in her words as a singlar tear slid down her features, "To a father, a husband, a teammate, a mentor, a sensei... to all the things that this old man meant to us," she almost chuckled sarcastically, turning to face the picture of him atop his shrine, her hand clutching a singular white rose. "But we say hello to the future that he expects us to protect, and the values he expects us to uphold in his absence. Let us never forget or take for granted his feats or failures; his strengths or his weaknesses. Because it is only by learning from our past mistakes that we can thrive in the future. Arigatou, Hiruzen-sensei." and as she spoke these final words, she lay upon his shrine her white rose, and then stepped to the side.
Several seconds had passed before somebody else took the stage so to say; someone among the group of elders who Sakura didn't entirely recognize, although alongside her, Mikoto (on a wheelchair so as to not exert herself) had tensed, and Fugaku had turned a calm look into one of near contempt. Just by the mere actions, Sakura could state with certainty that the man about to speak before her was none other than Shimura Danzo.
"Sarutobi was a teammate... a member of Konoha that inspired us all...-" And he began a long and exaggerated tale about Sarutobi, stories of his great feats and insurmountable achievements. It had gone on for several minutes; if it hadn't been for Mikoto's scowl and Fugaku's tightly pursed lips, she might have believed Danzo to be good; to be saying this as a grieving teammate. But she knew better; she had already been told of his scheming ways by more than one trusted source. His speech about Hiruzen had ended a few minutes afterwards, but still he had not moved.
"In the wake of this sorrow, I would like to thank all the individuals who were tirelessly fighting off the Oto forces. Your courage and sacrifice has not gone unnoticed." he began. "The council, as well as Tsunade-sama have discussed the matter, and we will be handing out promotions in lieu of the events that have transpired the other day. You will be receiving your promotions today." Although he spoke as if he had Tsunade's agreement, Sakura could see, from her position alongside Tsunade, her fist clench uncomfortably.
She felt Mikoto tense once more, and this time she could not avoid turning to stare at Mikoto in confusion.
"Mass promotions, among field promotions, aren't uncommon... in times of war." Mikoto simply responded with a frown on her features in response to Sakura's questioning glance.
Times of war?
Did this mean that whatever Oto had done was going to have repercussions on an international scale?
Sakura was much too new to the village and much too oblivious about the state of affairs outside of this village to understand what else could have possibly changed.
The ceremony had ended thusly -and with it's ending came the summons, for all of those who would be promoted from their current ranking. Had Sakura not been keenly aware of the fact that she was among them (hell, she had joined the Chunin Exams for said promotion), she would have left after Danzo's words alongside the Uchiha, who had stayed merely out of courtesy to Sarutobi.
But so she stayed, waiting patiently for her name to be called. But she had not been summoned by Tsunade, who had simply walked away and returned to her office -it seemed at least publicly, she would not condone or approve of the field promotions.
Sakura had followed her summons alongside fifteen or twenty people, and although the promotion was usually to be done by Tsunade herself, she of course seemed conveniently absent, which left the job to Danzo. She had also, conveniently of course, been called last. Something within her gut stirred in unrest.
One by one, the shinobi, most mid-teens, a few younger, and a handful around Sakura's own age, stood in line to receive their promotions, and as Danzo spoke he seemed to smile proudly at the shinobi before him, offering kind words of praise and encouragement.
-And then it was Sakura's turn, and it didn't go as smoothly or quickly as everyone else's promotion seemed to go.
"Ahh, Sakura-san, a moment of your time, onegai." He spoke just as she was turning around, and it had caused her to freeze in her fact that he knew her name personally was concerning, if only because Mikoto and Fugaku had seemed expressly suspicious of the man and because of what she had already heard about him. Hesitantly, she turned around and allowed her eyes to meet his. "Come, walk with me kunoichi."
She nodded wordlessly. and followed him as they walked down a miscellaneous path.
"I have not yet had the pleasure of introducing myself personally, I believe."
"Iie, you have not." Sakura stated, bowing humbly towards the man although the tone of her voice didn't hide the apprehension she felt. Of course, this was not to mean she didn't already know who he was.
"Ah gomen, I'm sure this may seem weird for you." He laughed faintly. I am Danzo Shimura. I am head of the Council here in Konoha, and Head of the Root department. Have you heard of it, Sakura-san?"
Her blood ran cold and absently she couldn't help the way her body instinctively began to search for the chakra pattern of Itachi or Mikoto, or perhaps Tsunade or hell even Fugaku. Literally anyone who might have some sway here, anyone who could demand that she leave at once or join their side and she would have to oblige without complaint.
"Iie, I don't think I have, Danzo-sama." she spoke as politely as she deemed necessary.
"It's a special branch of shinobi -an elite group that deals with internal affairs and threats. Only a select few are ever chosen to join my ranks and help secure Konoha's safety."
"It seems like you've taken on a big burden for the sake of Konoha, Danzo-sama. I'm sure your efforts are worth-while." she lowered her head, a sign of gratitude on her part.
"Of course, I am not just mentioning this to you for conversations sake, Sakura-san. Please, tell me, how is it that you came to be entered into the Chunin Exams?" he asked, candidly enough. Sakura raised her head to meet the singular eye of the elder.
"Once news was discovered of a possible mole, Tsunade-shishou assigned me to enter the exam in order to observe the contestants and gain information."
"Hai, so she told me. It was also shared with me that you were the one that discovered the mole, and suspected Orochimaru of his involvement in this attack. How did you know?"
"I had had a prior interaction with him on a mission last month with Itachi-sama's team." Sakura spoke curtly. "He left an impression." It was the only thing that she could say without delving too far into her background or the depth of her familiarity with Orochimaru -of which the extent she didn't quite know, not to mention.
"Well, your actions have not gone unnoticed, Sakura-san. Regardless of your great intuition, you fought very bravely, and, as it has been told to me, helped to protect Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Mikoto from harm's way when her own security detail could not do so."
"Hai, I was only doing my duty." Sakura spoke, as dismissive as can be; being praised by the Uchiha was one thing, but this was altogether something else. At least she knew with the Uchiha that they praised her simply for being worthy of it; she doubted Danzo's intentions weren't simply out of self-interest.
"Well, your duty, as you call it, has garnered you my interest. You seem like an ideal candidate for Root, Sakura-san. Of course, I knew you're pretty new to Konoha and shinobi duties not to mention, but fear not. Here at Root we prepare our operatives greatly. You would have all the tools and resources you would need to thrive."
-Finally, he came out with the very thing that Sakura had suspected, and inadvertently feared.
"Gomen, Danzo-sama, but I have responsibilities as the Uchiha's maid. I am simply not as qualified as you may imagine me to be simply based on a hunch I had..." she tried to decline politely -maybe under this pretext he would let things drop?
"With the salary you would be making, you would have no need to continue such a frivolous job, Sakura-san. Your worth as a shinobi far outweighs your worth as a maid, don't you think?"
"Perhaps. But I also have a responsibility to my sisters, and as Tsunade-shishou's student, and not to mention I have already been assigned to Itachi-sama's ANBU team. I could not possibly allot the appropriate amount of time to invest into Root. Gomen, Danzo-sama. I thank you for the offer but I am happy where I am at." she did her best to remain respectful as she, yet again, refused Danzo's offer. She was sure that if Tsunade had been here to hear this conversation Danzo would have received an earful from her.
"Don't be so hasty to turn down my offer, Sakura. If you are truly concerned about protecting this village, you would do where your skills will be best used." he seemingly tried to reason out.
"With all do respect, where I am best put is Tsunade-sama's decision, not yours. If you have concerns about my utility, then perhaps you would be better off discussing this with her. She seems content to simply have me under her tutelage."
Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly, enough to drop the supposed cheery attitude of his.
"I thought I'd personally give you the great news, but I guess it may not seem so great to you. After all, joining Root would mean not being able to take care of your precious sisters."
Warning bells rang inside Sakura's head and she could not help the way her eyes darted to meet his singular one. "Of course, Danzo-sama. As I said, given my responsibilities, I have not the time, nor interest to invest into such a prestigious position." She reiterated once more.
"I understand. Do please tell me though, Sakura-san, how is it that you are all related? You don't look anything alike." His statement could have been innocent enough with a slight chuckle at the end.
"We are not. I found them abandoned during my travels." The more he spoke of Ino and Hinata, the more Sakura realized that she did not want this many anywhere near her -or her family.
"Oh, those poor things... I wonder if their true family misses them... Have you ever looked into it?" If Danzo could see her uneasiness with this line of conversation, he didn't show it -simply kept talking as if he were oblivious to her tension.
"Iie. I never had any reason to, nor did I have any leads." she responded. Her jaw was clenched, more and more each second. She could not get rid of the foreboding feeling in her gut or the way being near this man made her want to vomit.
"Hmm... how sad... in any case, Sakura-san, my offer will stand. If your two sisters are what worries you, make no mistake that we could find a suitable caretaker for them, or perhaps be left with the Uchiha. I'm sure, given Konoha resources, that we could easily identify their birth parents. Think it over, at the very least."
And then without much else, he turned and began walking away, leaving Sakura there rigid and her hands imperceptibly clenched.
So this was Danzo
End of Chapter
Finally we have the appearance of my personal most hated character in all of Naruto. It's simply too easy to make him the antagonist.
I know it's been forever and I apologize profusely, but at least be happy I'm still alive and working on things.