After Tsunade's visit, Sakura insisted that Itachi meet with Tsunade to discuss the Madam's idea for helping Sakura with her curse. He reluctantly agreed, stipulating that he'd need a week to rest and prepare his magical reserves. During that week, he encouraged Sakura to spend her days with Ino, as he wished to spend his time studying. Sakura had reluctantly agreed, and she now found herself back in her routine of visiting the castle everyday.
Sakura was still nervous to visit the castle, as she hadn't yet managed to smuggle the Uchiha Massacre reports back to the Spymaster's office. With Kakashi and Ino both there, Sakura couldn't find a moment alone to stealthily return them. Burdened with guilt, staying in the office began to feel uncomfortable for Sakura, prompting her to spend more time wandering between the music room and the castle gardens.
The stranger that took her package to Itachi showed up in the music room again, this time properly introducing himself as the Nara Marquis, Shikamaru Nara. He still showed up to take naps as Sakura played and she kept his presence there a secret from everyone, feeling that she owed him for his kindness.
On one of the warm afternoons, Shikamaru was once again napping comfortably as she played, when suddenly the door opened, and someone strange to Sakura entered. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with bright blue eyes and vivid blonde hair. She met his eyes and could feel the warmth that radiated from them. He smiled kindly at her.
"Ah sorry for interrupting you! I was passing by and heard someone playing, which surprised me because the only person that I know who plays that well is Hinata, so I was kind of expecting it to be her." He laughed as he told his tale, running his hand on his messy hair.
Sakura nodded, unsure of who he was. He wasn't dressed particularly well, wearing simple trousers, boots and an orange coat. He looked flustered as if he had just toiled under the sun and Sakura wondered if he was one of the gardeners. She knew almost all of them, so this had to be someone new, she thought. Sakura watched him hesitate at the door and she wondered if he was trying to decide if he wanted to come in. She waved him in and he grinned, closing the door behind him.
Sakura resumed playing, but she had barely gotten through a few notes when the blonde started talking again.
"Shikamaru? What are you doing here?"
Sakura quickly turned around, surprised that the new person talked casually to the Marquis. Sakura got up, joining the blonde and placing a delicate hand on his back she pushed him down with all her strength, forcing him to bow.
"I apologize on his behalf, my Lord." Sakura closed her eyes as she mirrored the man's forced bow. The Marquis snorted and Sakura relinquished her hold on the man, but she kept her own bent posture.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Your Highness, I don't think she recognizes you."
Sakura stood straight once again, looking at the two men in front of her, their words making her realize her severe mistake. She looked over the new man once again, taking note of his blonde hair and blue eyes, the traits of the royal family. Suddenly embarrassed at her mistake, Sakura blushed a bright red.
"Don't worry about it, my mentors are always telling me to dress properly and that I don't behave like a prince! I'm used to being mistaken for a servant!" The prince reassured Sakura, who still felt horrified. She was so distraught that she couldn't even switch to her voice to vocally apologize to the crown prince.
"Don't tease her too much or Master Itachi will get at you."
"Huh? Itachi? Why?"
"Don't you know? She's his ward."
Sakura was suddenly under the prince's intense scrutiny. His deep blue eyes were fixated on hers, and she found that she couldn't look away. She finally could see the prince in him, as there was something about his presence that pulled her in. Sakura began to feel small and uncomfortable under his gaze.
"Come on, you should probably clean up, you're all sweaty." Shikamaru practically dragged Naruto away from Sakura. Right before he left, he turned around one last time:
"See you around!"
Feeling rattled, Sakura told herself she'd go home earlier that day. Ino and Kakashi both wished her well, letting her leave. Sakura began the trek to Itachi's house, wondering if he'd still be busy studying. As soon as she made it through the castle doors, she saw Naruto again, who was staring out into the garden.
Sakura hoped he hadn't noticed her, but he turned around almost immediately, waving at her. Caught, Sakura had no choice but to join him. She stopped slightly behind him, being mindful of rank. He noticed it too, and stepped back, placing himself next to her. Sakura took another step back, and he followed it once again. Giving up, Sakura hoped nobody was around to see her stand next to the prince.
"It's good to see he's around people again." Naruto turned to look at the confused Sakura. "His younger brother was my best friend, so I knew his family really well. We all took it hard when they died, but nobody suffered more than Itachi. Take care of him, if he loses someone else, I don't know if he'd ever recover."
Understanding what the prince was talking about, Sakura nodded at him. She wasn't planning on leaving Itachi anytime soon, and she was taking extra care of herself so that she wouldn't succumb to the curse.
"Still, what is it with all you mute girls? My fiance can barely speak three words to me…"
"Your Highness."
The prince and Sakura turned around in similar states of surprise. Itachi stood by the castle doors looking at the two of them oddly. Sakura eyed Itachi and the prince anxiously. Itachi joined the two and Sakura instinctively stepped closer to him.
"You should have told me you were coming! We could have had some snacks together!" The prince grinned at Itachi, who simply raised an eyebrow at his leader's informality.
"I came to discuss something serious with the Madam."
Sakura wondered if they were talking about her or something else. She hoped that Itachi would agree to doing Tsunade's experimental procedure to get rid of her curse.
"Next time come see me instead. I should let you two get home. Stop by some time Hinata's around and I'll introduce you to her, I'm sure you two will get along great!" The prince smiled brightly one last time and set off, walking through the garden.
Sakura watched him go with a weird feeling. Despite his bright smiles, he gave her the impression of someone who was very lonely. She wondered if it had anything to do with Sasuke. To Sakura he seemed to carry the same weight that Itachi did.
"Shall we?"
Sakura nodded absent-mindedly following Itachi. She wondered what sort of charismatic person Sasuke had been, to leave such a deep mark on two important people. If I had met him, would I also grieve him so deeply, Sakura asked herself. He'd be closer to her age, and it was possible that in another life she'd be following him around instead of Itachi, she thought.
"How did you end up meeting with Naruto?" Itachi asked. Sakura looked at him and rapidly looked for her notebook, but found that in her rush to get home, she forgot it. Realizing that she had no easy means of communication, she looked around, but the Noble's district possessed no stores where she could procure a replacement.
"Don't worry about it. You can tell me later." Itachi smiled sadly. Sakura wondered why he looked particularly melancholic that day.
Itachi was filled with self-doubt. He stared at Sakura's bright smile and felt his resolve falter once more. The day before he had discussed her curse with Tsunade and had reluctantly agreed to follow through with her procedure. She explained how Sakura's life energy was being blocked by the curse nodes. Tsunade told him that her spell to restore two of Sakura's senses was not actually a restore, but something that allowed Sakura to shift the blocks towards other areas. She told him that while Sakura had two senses working, it was at the cost of her heart and body, which were slowly being corroded.
Itachi had been angry when Tsunade revealed this fact to him, but he acknowledged that it was better than her entire body shutting down. The Madam told him that he could likely undo one of the knots using his Sharingan to find the flow of magic and disrupt it. The recoil would be harsh on Sakura's body, as she'd have to withstand Itachi's magic and the release of the node. Tsunade promised she'd use her own magic and body to keep Sakura alive, which highlighted Itachi's suspicions. She told him that she owed the girl for saving her life, but Itachi knew there was something more to it.
After the meeting, he had told Sakura the procedure was to happen the following day and the day of the event she had been happier and brighter than ever, and Itachi tried swallowing his concerns. He hadn't mentioned the risk to her life and the difficulty of the procedure, not wanting to worry her, but he was concerned. He had never used his Sharingan for such a unique, delicate thing, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to succeed. Itachi hoped Tsunade would keep Sakura alive, otherwise he'd destroy her and her beloved country.
Itachi watched Sakura walk ahead of him for the first time ever. She was so excited he could practically feel the energy exuding from her in waves. They were heading towards the Royal Magical Academy, so that both Tsunade and Itachi could draw into the natural forces that surrounded the Academy. It was a strange experience for Itachi, who had gone there so many times with so many different people, but with Sakura it was the first time.
He followed her to the large mismatched building. She hesitated for the first time at the door, waiting for him to go in first. He wondered if she could feel the strong energy that pulsated all around them. To Itachi, it was familiar and welcoming, as he remembered the many years and many times he had spent there, studying diligently to bring honor to his clan. He had been the top student for all his years there, maintaining an ironclad grip on the first place position.
Itachi walked through the empty hallways. The Madam had sent everyone away so they could work in peace, and for once Itachi felt thankful towards her. He didn't want any more people finding out about Sakura's condition and her ties to him. Kakashi had already warned him there were a couple rumors about a new Uchiha Matriarch circling around the Business District and if he was seen walking around with Sakura in the Academy where everyone knew him, he'd soon have people poking their nose in his business once more.
They passed the several glass cases containing trophies and pictures and headed east, towards the Madam's Tower. As soon as they reached Tsunade's turf, their surroundings changed to neat, sterile walls, evenly spaced rooms and several pictures of different magic formulas and circles. Itachi crossed several rooms until he reached Tsunade's personal laboratory.
The two of them entered together, and Tsunade was already there, waiting for them, preparing the different tools they'd need for the operation. In a corner of the room there was an area blocked by a folding screen. Tsunade oriented Sakura to go there and change into a more comfortable dress, citing that she'd probably end up sweating and even bleeding during the process. Sakura nodded, and disappeared behind the screen.
"Are you ready for this?"
Itachi nodded, setting down his own tools. He brought a special Uchiha-designed potion that would enhance his Sharingan's prowess for a short period of time. For the first time in a while, Itachi felt nervous. He chalked it up to being in the Academy again. Sakura rejoined them, wearing a simple white dress, and Tsunade directed her to the examination table in the middle of the room. She helped Sakura up and gave her a potion. Immediately after she had taken two drinks, Sakura promptly fell unconscious in the older woman's arms.
"It's just a little harmless potion to keep her unconscious while we work, there's no need to glare at me like that."
Itachi disagreed with her, he wasn't glaring, he was activating his Sharingan. Taking large gulps of his own bitter concoction, Itachi grimaced, feeling the strain on his eyes and the headache that accompanied it. He waited for the immediate effects to pass and blinked several times, his vision sharpening with every second.
When he was certain he was fine again, he took position by Sakura's head, while Tsunade stood in the middle, hands hovering over Sakura's chest.
"Shall we?" Tsunade smirked, looking excited. Itachi nodded and looked at Sakura's peaceful sleeping face.
With his enhanced Sharingan he could see her features even clearer, noticing the way the delicate veins ran under her pale skin, the small pinkish freckles around her nose and the how her eyebrows were just a shade darker pink than her eyelashes and hair. Realizing he was staring, Itachi forced himself to look beyond Sakura's outwards appearance, to focus on her life force and how it flowed.
The more he focused the clearer it became, as he began to see the pathways that traveled around her body, carrying energy. He soon noticed the blockages around her throat, her eyes, her nose, her hands and her ears.
"I see them."
"Good. What you have to do is use that spell I told you to reach in and cut the block. They're loops of magic so as soon as you cut their flow, it should break the block. I'll handle the rest."
Itachi nodded, and muttering the enchantment Tsunade had taught him, he saw his hands glow an ethereal green. He placed them on Sakura's forehead, but soon they sunk into her head. Itachi's heart stopped as her peaceful expression turned into a frown. Itachi tried not to dwell on the strange feeling of having his hands enter her face.
While he had been preparing, Itachi had spent a long time pondering over which one of her senses should he try to restore first. As he couldn't make the decision, he asked Sakura, and she had instantly answered her eyes. Focusing on them, Itachi managed to take hold of the swirling mass of black magic.
"I'm going to break the block now."
Itachi focused his energy on it, hoping it'd be fast and easy, but the block was persistent. The magic was thick and heavy, and Itachi struggled to cut through it. His own face turned into a frown as he concentrated on slicing through the magic. The longer it took, the worse Sakura became. Now she was sweating and grimacing. Her nose began bleeding and Tsunade began her own work.
"Itachi hurry up, you're already pumping a lot of magic into her, you need to take into account the rebound." Tsunade warned him.
Itachi clenched his teeth in anger and his Sharingan flared a brighter red. With a final push he managed to sever the block cleanly. For a second he relished in his victory, a small smile beginning to bloom on his face. But his joy was short lived, as his Sharingan showed him the large block of black magic that had been focused in one spot begin to spread, poisoning Sakura's body.
Tsunade grit her teeth as she fought back, using her extensive knowledge and experience to keep Sakura alive. Itachi could only stare in horror as Sakura began to bleed from her nose, eyes and ear, screaming and convulsing wildly.
"Hold her down!" Tsunade barked at him. In a horrified daze Itachi placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to keep her still. She struggled against his grip, and Itachi held her down stronger, hoping that he wasn't hurting her.
The minutes began to feel like hours as Itachi watched Sakura suffer. He could see Tsunade doing her best to keep her alive, as eventually the old Madam began siphoning the dark magic into her own body. Itachi finally understood what feeling powerless was. His entire life he'd been a prodigy, but none of it mattered now.
With his Sharingan he saw the black magic surround Sakura's heart, beginning to take over. It was the last stage of magical poisoning, flooding the heart with magic and stopping it. Sakura stopped thrashing and screaming, as if she had accepted her death. Tsunade cursed and Itachi rushed to the madam's side.
"Use my body too." Itachi begged Tsunade. She glared at him.
"I won't have both of Fire Country's best wizards incapacitated. I won't be able to cast any spells for a week until this disgusting thing fades."
Itachi watched Tsunade take in most of the black magic rebound onto her body. The black mass began to retreat from Sakura's body into Tsunade's. Itachi released a breath he didn't know he had been holding. When she was finished, she leaned against the table, panting heavily. Sakura remained unconscious on the table, the previously white gown completely stained with blood and sweat. Itachi stared at her pale face, overcome with relief that she was still with him.
Tsunade stumbled her way to a chair and sat down. Her nose was also bleeding and she wiped it away angrily. Itachi suddenly felt like he could forgive her. She was still greedy and power-hungry, but at least Tsunade still maintained true to her original role as a medicine woman.
"Send a message to Shizune when you go. I'll need some assistance from her." Tsunade grumbled between coughs. Itachi agreed, sending out two summons with two messages. He waited until Shizune arrived to teleport away with Sakura in his arms. Itachi knew he was breaking the law with an unauthorized teleportation spell, but he figured Tsunade would let it slide.
Inside his home, Itachi held on to the bloody and dirty Sakura, taking her to her room. He heard the doorbell rang and gave House permission to let the guest in and to guide her to him.
Ino opened the door loudly, immediately speaking her mind.
"I don't appreciate being summoned like that, Uchiha. Duke or not I'm not something that… Is that Sakura? What happened? What did you do to her?" Ino's tone changed as she ran to her sister's side.
"I apologize. I was simply following Sakura's wishes." Itachi bowed his head.
"Well next time don't! She looks like she almost died!" Ino yelled at him. Itachi agreed with her but couldn't voice it.
"The House will provide you with what you need. I assume you'll want to take care of her." Itachi left the two women alone, retreating to his room.
As soon as he was safe in his sanctum he fell to the floor in an ungraceful heap. He buried his face in his hands, all the stress and anxiety of the day washing over him. He had felt a fear that he had never before experienced. He was afraid of losing someone that had become a crucial part of his life. He couldn't go back to a life without Sakura, now that he knew her.
As soon as she's healthy again, we will return to Konoha, and there he'd hide her from the world and all its dangers. Even if she and Tsunade wanted to try another round of this procedure, he'd never agree. He couldn't risk losing her, and if he had to pick between leaving her with the curse and risking her life to cure it, he'd rather have her be cursed forever.
Sharingan: The Sharingan is a special spell hidden within the Uchiha Clan, a tradition passed down through generations. This spell was created by the Legendary Wizard Madara Uchiha, and to use it, one must be on Uchiha blood. This spell greatly enhances the user's vision, allowing them to see the magical energy of their surroundings. It has many uses, and the most common ones are the tracking of magical trails and the ability to see another wizard's spellcasting. However, even among the Uchiha there are different types of Sharingan, as the more skilled a Uchiha is with the spell, the more they can accomplish with it. It's said that the creator of the Sharingan, Madara Uchiha could use it to look into people's souls and read their thoughts and emotions.
Hello everyone! Thank you once again for reading, I can't think of anything special to say this week, so please look forward to hopefully a more interesting author's note next week!