The Realities of Life
Part Eleven - True Beginnings
"You have met the other Itachi, so you should have noticed a difference. You pointed that out already, Sakura," Itachi said somewhat impatiently, his nerves already frayed not only by the constant pain, but their attitudes as well.
"I didn't meet this 'other' Itachi," Kakashi pointed out in a bored manner. "The last time I saw you, you were unconscious and on death's door. I was almost certain that you would be dead when I saw you next. I'm pretty much stumped that you're even alive and talking, everything else is just a bonus. A bizarre bonus but still a bonus."
Okay, he was doing that deliberately, he was now sure of it. For whatever reason Kakashi had decided to antagonize him. He wasn't going to fall for that, he wasn't that childish or petty. Kakashi could behave like a delinquent if he wanted, Itachi wasn't going to sink to his level. Or, at the very least, he would try not to sink to his level. Kakashi had a way of provoking people that always got under Itachi's skin, he'd never been able to figure out why the things the Copy Ninja said and did irked him so much. Maybe because Kakashi was so damn insightful and always said things that cut deep, and he would always say it with a smiling face and a teasing manner and that just made it worse.
For a serious person like Itachi, a laid back, playful kind of personality was hard to handle…. How the hell had he managed to put up with Shisui?
Still, Itachi told them everything that had happened to him in the past week or so.
When Itachi finished regaling them with his tale, there was silence for a long time. Even though he could see that she was still highly skeptical and probably only a little less convinced that he didn't have a brain injury, even Sakura looked thoughtful. Kakashi sat with his arms crossed, eyes closed, a small burrow between his brows. Neither of the two was stupid, they knew he couldn't have thought up, or even dreamed some of the things he'd told them. Too many coincidences with things he shouldn't know, for them to believe he could have made it up.
"As much as I hate to admit it," Kakashi finally broke the silence, "I think I believe him."
He was obviously addressing Sakura, and even though Itachi detested that Kakashi spoke like he wasn't even in the same room, much less the same conversation, he was too glad to be too offended.
Sakura huffed and stood up again. "I do, too," she said quietly, looking at her boots and turned to Itachi. "I believe you," she repeated, looking him square in the eyes. "I believe you, because even though I only spoke a handful of sentences with the other Itachi, the difference between the two of you is too great for me to ignore it."
"Thank you," he whispered, not taking his eyes off hers. It was the first time since she woke up that she'd met his gaze voluntarily and not averted her eyes immediately. It was the first rule when facing an Uchiha not to look into their eyes, she was being smart and a little foolish all the same. His eyes were far too weak to really harm her.
Oh, he could still spin a genjutsu that would fool most, but it wouldn't fool her. The other Sakura had told him that she'd originally been a genjutsu type, her sensitivity to chakra and her perfect control made her almost immune to the illusions. He'd like to see how she'd fare against a Mangekyou induced genjutsu, but his eyes wouldn't be able to handle it. He doubted he even could activate the advanced doujutsu.
A not so subtle cough from Kakashi broke the silent staring contest and Sakura startled, flinching a little. Even Itachi blinked, not having noticed that they'd just been staring at each other without saying anything long enough for Kakashi to feel the need to interrupt. He could feel the sudden tension in the small room and averted his eyes to the side.
This was not the Sakura he'd gotten to know so well in the other reality. She was obviously so very different and yet at the same time, not. She was still Sakura, and he was quickly realizing that a couple differences didn't really change her personality. She was the same caring, affectionate woman he had gotten to know so well. This one just didn't know him very well and was weary, which he could respect. She was also a couple years younger and not as hardened as her counterpart. She wasn't exactly Hokage material. Well, not yet, anyway. That was probably going to change some years down the road, not that he'd be able to see it. His time on earth was limited, after all.
"Should I leave you two alone?" Kakashi asked blithely and Itachi blinked, focusing on the older nin again. "It's not happening, but I thought I'd be so polite and ask." The sarcasm was heavy in his tone and Itachi fought a grimace. That was bound to piss Sakura off. And a pissed Sakura… Yeah, the results wouldn't be pretty.
Only, Sakura didn't get pissed. She got flustered. She turned bright red, pretty much broke her neck in her haste to turn away from Itachi and started stammering. What a way to be reminded that this Sakura was young, very young. He felt like a dirty old man. He wasn't even attracted to her, but he felt bad for the very thought.
"Kakashiiii," she whined and sat by her team leader again, studiously avoiding even glancing in Itachi's direction. "Why would you say something like that?"
"Sorry, Sakura-chan," the Copy ninja apologized with a chuckle and ruffled her hair. "It just looked like you two were having a moment."
"No!" she denied instantly, and Itachi couldn't help feeling a twinge of something. Pain? Regret? Anger? "No moment," she mumbled and looked at Itachi from under her lashes, he cheeks still pink. That look tugged at him as well. Goodness, the girl was made to have an effect on him. "Just being friendly."
Kakashi looked skeptical at that. "Hate to break it to you, Sakura-chan, but your friendly usually consists of hitting someone hard enough to permanently bend them out of shape."
This, Itachi could believe. The other Sakura was much the same. She'd slap a person on the arm or back as a form of thanks or encouragement, only she'd forget her strength while doing it. She'd broken Genma's arm on accident once. Only, Genma swore, it was no accident at all, but payback for some prank he'd played on her. This, he could also believe. She's always liberal with dealing out punishments.
Sakura huffed but lost the blush and quickly returned to her regular self. Itachi realized that Kakashi knew her pretty well, which didn't surprise him. In the other world the two were very close, too. It hadn't bothered him before, but now it slightly did. It made him question why the other Sakura had chosen the other Itachi instead of Kakashi. He'd seen enough of their relationship to know that Kakashi allowed Sakura far more than he allowed anyone else. The medic was very affectionate and liked physical affection. She touched frequently, hugged and rested against others to demonstrated anything and everything she was feeling.
Sasuke often stiffened when she got too close, he was taciturn, though and didn't enjoy physical contact much. The Kakashi he'd known was that way too. Actually, the Kakashi in the other world was still that way. The only person he allowed to enter his personal space and touch him on any frequent basis was Sakura. Hell, he'd seen the two cuddling one time. Well, maybe not cuddling cuddling, but it had been close. Clearly the affection between them went beyond teammates. So, why hadn't the other Sakura chosen Kakashi?
Maybe she had, but had been rejected? He dismissed the thought. He knew enough of his counterpart's marriage to know that if Sakura had pursued Kakashi before him she would have been very young. Younger than this Sakura, even. And he couldn't see that happening. She wouldn't have had the confidence to approach Kakashi with those intentions. With anyone else, yeah, he could see her going after what she wanted, but not with Kakashi. A man who was not only over a decade older than her but also her direct superior, not to mention a legend in their world. No, not even the other Sakura would have been that confident so young. She would have thought that she nothing to offer such a man.
Shisui had commented recently that she'd been somewhat insecure in her relationship with Itachi in the very beginning, because of their differences in rank. It made sense – he was an ANBU Captain, the famous heir to the Uchiha Clan and even Sakura would have been intimidated. That changed quickly though, Shisui had also noted. Her personality didn't allow her to stay intimidated for long.
She was playful and witty, sassy. Always saying things that made people question their sanity, or hers. She was a tease and liked to play. One memory made him smile slightly. Kakashi had been trying to teach her some taijutsu combination that she'd wanted to learn for some time, but she wasn't concentrating. She teased the Copy Ninja mercilessly, taunted him. Every time he tried to make her focus, she'd do something ridiculous, tickling him, going for his mask, trying to sweep his feet from under him. At one point, he stood behind her, restraining one arm, and she'd jabbed him in the side, with her free hand and commented something about getting him in 'the love-handles'. At that point Kakashi had given up trying to teach her and simply proceeded to tickle her till she cried and begged for mercy.
She frequently called Kakashi fat and Itachi had wondered what that was all about. The idea of a life-long shinobi in perfect physical shape being called fat was ridiculous. When he'd asked, she'd just laughed and said it was an inside joke and he wouldn't get it even if she explained, because 'he had to be there'. He wondered if the other Itachi knew but guessed that he didn't. While Sakura wasn't secretive, she was private. Her personal relationships with those around her were strictly personal. Not even her husband was privy to what she talked about with her friends and family, unless it was something that he should know. As her advisor he knew all aspects about her decisions as Hokage, but when she was out drinking with Tsunade, sparring with Kakashi or her other teammates, he had no idea what was being said or done. Likewise, nobody else knew anything about the conversations she had with her husband. Itachi could only guess that the medics' code of confidentiality played a role in that.
His musings were interrupted by a small white hand dancing in front of his face. He raised his eyes and met Sakura's slightly concerned ones. "You looked pretty far away. You okay?"
He smiled slightly and nodded. "I'm alright. Just thinking."
"Seemed like some pretty heavy thoughts," Kakashi threw in as he stood up and the look in his eye told Itachi that while the older man didn't know exactly where his mind has been, he had a pretty good guess. And didn't like it. But Itachi wasn't the type of person to be intimidated, by anyone. He'd lived with the worst of humanity for years and he'd been the one they were intimidated by, never the other way around. He may be a pacifist by nature and dislike violence, and he certainly would go out of his way to avoid it, but it would Kakashi some good to remember that Itachi had not been a part of Akatsuki because he was tame or submissive. He may seem passive, but Itachi was no meek follower, never had been, never would be.
"Nothing important, just musing," he replied at length, the look he threw the older man, a clear warning. He didn't have a naturally aggressive personality like Sakura, but he didn't need to. The Third had commented a few times that beneath his silence was a will of sheer steel. The prodigy of a prodigious clan had never been a pushover, after all.
"We should get some rest. Some of us need it more than others," Sakura broke the heavy silence, her sardonic tone and the way she looked at Itachi more than clear enough. "I'm glad that you're well enough to get somewhat around, but you're still in critical condition. Your injuries coupled with the strain your illness has put your body through are no joking matter. You're just very lucky that being a shinobi meant that you were in peak physical condition to begin with and that your young, strong body had been able to take the abuse. But it's nearing its limits, you really don't want to push it. I'm a damn good medic, but I'm no miracle worker. I think I can heal you and I certainly will do all that I can, but you have to meet me halfway. I understand this isn't easy, but work with me, please."
Her tone had been steely through her speech, but at the end her voice gotten soft, beseeching. No way he could defy her now. So, he simply nodded, that gesture conveying to her that she had his full cooperation and he watched while her whole face transformed with her smile. She really was such a beautiful little thing, gorgeous even. And he really shouldn't be having such thoughts. The next however long he would spend in her care would be damned hard, and that was without him allowing himself to believe that she really could fully heal him. That hope had died a long time ago, after all. But he wouldn't deny that having a little more time to maybe see his brother once again and to spend in her company was as close to a gift from heavens as someone like him could get to.
AN: And I'm back. At least this story is. I never abandoned it, I just took a lengthy break, to deal with some personal issues. Than I started rewatching CSI: New York, don't ask why, I just thought about it one night while browsing Netflix and couldn't get it out of my mind, so I dug out my DVD collection and started with Season 2, well with Zoo York when Lindsay arrives in New York. Danny and Lindsay have been one of my favorite TV ships of all times and I needed a dose of them. Now I just have to figure out how to not turn Sakura in Lindsay while under the influence of greatness that is Dantana.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next up, we're back in the other world. And the pace is picking up when Tsunade makes a startling discovery.