THINGS WE LOST TO THE FIRE Chapter 5
Things we lost to the flame
Things we'll never see again
All that we've amassed
Sits before us, shattered into ash
These are the things, the things we lost
The things we lost in the fire, fire, fire
These are the things, the things we lost
The things we lost in the fire, fire, fire
Years later, living alone in the woods with half a dozen dogs, questionable reading material, and crippling attachment issues, Sakura realizes she turned into her teacher. Agebent Sakura Sensei
"Another letter?" Sakura asked. She spoke for the sake of speaking, and not so much because she actually wanted an answer. She was on watch and nearly bored to tears because of it.
Two months had turned into three for the political security detail and then they had been reassigned to a high risk area where combat was a daily occurance. After a month of blood and burning chakra, they were back on the security detail and waiting for the second leg of negotiations to finish.
Sakura felt wasted and dull, but especially so after the month long excursion. She wanted more of that sort of work, but understood why ANBU with family members preferred the quiet and the peace.
"This is the longest I have been away from home, so my younger brother is becoming agitated at home," Itachi replied.
He started to turn towards her and Sakura braced, knowing she had asked for it when she started the conversation.
"Would you mind?" He held out the letter and Sakura deflated but accepted it.
"I don't know why you think anything I say will be of help. He's your younger brother, he looks up to you more than anyone else."
"Yes, but sometimes the words of a relative ring with less impact because they're the only words you are hearing from. I would like it if Sasuke could continue to grow outside of his family bonds, and he responded so positively the last time you added something to the letter."
"I'm starting to think that you're on a top secret mission from the Hokage to chip away at my resolution to not become a teacher, little by little, until I finally cave. First Iruka now you, I swear I'm not good at this kid stuff."
Itachi hummed knowingly, and it ruffled Sakura in an odd way because he was so much younger than her but still seemed more mature at times.
"It's an A rank."
"What?"
"Your secret mission," he explained with a mischievous smirk. "Only A rank."
"Ew, stop that. I'm not used to your jokes sneaking up on me." She pouted in mock distress but Itachi's smirk didn't abate. "You're such a nerd, Weasel san."
"We're not in our masks, you can call me by my name."
Sakura waved him off, reading Sasuke's letter and recognizing the signs of impatience she was also feeling from his words. He was frustrated with the slow pace of his classes, even though there were things he was still missing. He wanted to rush through everything and get to the dangerous stuff just like her.
"This kid," Sakura sighed out loud. "Someone should tell him to slow down and be a child for a little longer. Being an adult sucks."
"It's not all bad."
Sakura hissed at Itachi sharply. "Nope, you're still a kid too, don't talk to me like that. You're tiny."
Itachi's mood dipped a bit. She could feel it more than see it, because he was a perfect mask of poised expression, but after living and working so close to each other she knew what his chakra felt like so well she didn't even need Chainsaw to tell her where he was.
"I am an adult."
And he was. In the eyes of the law he was a legal adult with all the rights and responsibilities and privileges granted to adults. He was risking his life for the village, he deserved to be able to smoke and drink and go to red light districts, (not that she assumed Itachi would be interested in any of those things). He liked being responsible and taking care of others though, so it made sense how he wanted to be an adult and seen as one.
Sakura's eyes were still on the paper but she addressed Itachi. "You shouldn't be."
"Why is that?"
"Because it's a sad fate to be an adult and you should have more happiness in your life."
Itachi didn't say anything after that, but waited in the same common room with her without speaking. She could feel him watching her as she put together a reply to young Sasuke's letter, even though it hadn't been addressed to her.
"Here," Sakura finally spoke.
She waved the small paper between two fingers, blowing on the ink before handing it over to Itachi to look over. Once he was finished he rolled it up tight enough that it could hide in the breast of a crow's thick feathers. Unlike regular messenger birds, (such as the hawks and falcons regularly used in Leaf), Shisui and Itachi's crows hid their messages in their feathers.
"Does Shisui usually go through all your letters before passing them off to Sasuke?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, he needs to see who to hand the letters off to." Itachi hesitated before adding anything. "Also, it wouldn't matter if you addressed the outside, he would still recognize your handwriting."
Sakura huffed. "Great, I have that to look forward to. On second thought, pass that letter back, Sasuke doesn't need to hear what I had to say."
Sakura waved a hand in a half hearted attempt to reclaim the letter but Itachi kept it out of reach with minimal effort. From under the table Mop huffed and then loudly rolled over so he was laying on the tops of Sakura's feet. She wiggled her toes and the dog figited off enough for her to use her heel to rub circles into his tummy. A second later she heard his happy chuffs.
"I'm sure it won't be as terrible this time," Itachi said. He was leaning against the table Sakura had seated herself at, but his eyes began to search the room for the rest of her dogs.
"Well, that's easy for you to say, since it's not you who gets to suffer the brunt of it.," Sakura grumbled before pushing away from the table. Itachi saw her waving and followed her finger to the floor. "I have one under the table if you want to pet him."
Mop looked up, knowing they were talking about him and whined pitifully. Sakura wasn't petting him anymore but he was still stretched out with his belly up.
Itachi smiled to himself as his ears turned red, but he bent down and scratched the large, shaggy gray dog behind his ears and then rubbed circles into his belly.
"Your Ninken are always so friendly," he complimented.
"They're manipulative and they trust you. We're on a team together and we've been together all this time. If it were someone else, someone I didn't know so well, he would never roll over like that for you."
"I'm honored."
Sakura chuckled. "You should be. They don't even like Shisui this much."
Itachi actually laughed at that, almost causing Sakura to do a double take. A laugh from Itachi was a shooting star, rare but not impossible to catch if you knew where to look.
"I am not surprised. The cats that live in the compound all seem to hate him as well, but Shisui claimed it was because of their disposition. He's not a cat person, but it sounds like he's not a dog person either."
"Eh, maybe he is a dog person, but he is not a 'my dogs' person. They don't like how readily he gets into my personal space."
Sakura remembered the few times she had to work with Shisui and her pack and realized that it was far less than the work she had done with Itachi. They had been stationed out of the village for months together, something she hadn't yet done with Shisui's group.
"That sounds like Shisui."
When Sakura didn't reply or make an indication that she had heard him Itachi looked up to better explain himself. Instead, he caught his tongue and held it as he watched dark shadows deepen across her face.
"Sakura?"
She looked his way and the shadows lessened. "Hn, sorry. I spaced out for a second, what was it you just said?"
"I said it sounded like Shisui to be invading your personal space. He is like that with a lot of people, something the rest of the family does not appreciate."
"He is not a very Uchiha-like Uchiha, is he?"
"The least," Itachi agreed, "but I think that is why I like him so much."
Sakura laughed to herself behind her wrist. "I'll apologize for bad mouthing him in front of you, but I can't make any promises not to do so in the future."
"I wouldn't expect you to. Please don't feel the need to change your behaviors around me for such a simple reason."
Sakura looked to the lone window that looked outside in the common room and saw that the sun was dipping. A secondary glance at the clock reminded her that they were getting close to the hour both she and Itachi would be on duty.
In spite of his skill, Itachi had received complaints regarding his size and how un-intimidating he seemed when on guard duty. Sakura with all her growling hounds made up for that and if the two were on duty together it seemed to balance out.
"One more week and we're back," Sakura sighed.
"Hopefully." Itachi stood and watched her stretch. "That's what it was supposed to be last week and the week before that. It is unusual to keep ANBU on a mission so mundane for so long."
They had a few scares with assassins trying to break in to rooms at night or plant bombs in meeting halls, but with the skill of the collective team, nothing made it through. Sakura wanted to agree and add that she thought their mission was less for the sake of the officials and more for the sake of keeping them out of the village.
'That or just to keep you too busy to complain.'
Sakura left with Mop for her room and dressed, tying her hair up and then fitting the black stretch skin hood over her head so no hair showed. Other Anbu let their hair go free, but Sakura knew her color was too dead a give away, so she took the extra step to make herself that androgynous figure fit best in the shadows.
With her mask in place she called her dogs to her and led to pack to the meeting room to relieve the ANBU on duty.
A week later accords were made and their job was done. They left the day their contract expired and headed straight home, only for another away mission to be waiting for Sakura, breaking her up from Genma's cell.
Sakura did a better job of staying in touch with her old friends. Whenever she came back into the village she made sure to see them, visit with a couple, spar with Guy, drop in on Iruka's classes, and pay her respects to her seniors.
She was still worried about Naruto and Sai being with Danzo's caretakers, but aside from the usual wear and tear, the boys seemed fine. When she started to snoop too much something would come up that pulled her out of the village.
She didn't know if that was her being too paranoid or just the way things were. She was asking for the work, after all. When she was fighting enemies she didn't have to hold back with she felt like she was finally far away enough from her problems.
Weeks passed like that.
Weeks made months.
Sakura grew older and stronger and faster. The war had ended but the battles lived on forever inside her instincts. Her heart was a jackhammer that pumped faster the more she raced into danger because that was where she was honed. The place between the knife and the vein, the shadow and the hand, the here and there there; those were all the places where she had been designed to be, crafted and molded by combat.
Her pack grew with her too, filling out and developing new strategies alongside their new muscles. Even with just their primal speech, Sakura never had any difficulty understanding them when she needed to, but after bleeding together it was more than just that.
Months passed like that.
Months made years.
And just like every, failable, mortal, human, Sakura slipped.
Something was wrong with her left arm. She couldn't feel it anymore. She could always feel it, even when it wasn't there, Sakura had always been able to feel the phantom sensations that made no sense.
Sakura moved like thick honey in a jar, sluggishly turning to see over her side where her arm ended. The prosthetic was gone and her stump was in clear view, gushing red and bleeding like it had just been hacked off. Just like-
The dream popped and Sakura was awake too suddenly.
The IV in her arm strained and she hit the pillow as a hand knocked her down, back into the bed. She almost screamed, twisting away, but another hand came in to help hold her down.
Chakra!
Her chakra was all over and slipping out of her hold. She couldn't mold it like she knew she needed to. Her mind was a mess. She had no control.
"Sakura!"
She calmed enough to listen.
There was a reason she couldn't use her chakra, like there was a reason sharp knives wern't left in reach of infants. The lights overhead started to make sense, followed by the stiff cotton of standard issue hospital bedding.
Sakura looked over at her left arm and saw it wasn't there anymore, but the scarring was old, years old, and further away her prosthetic lay with the shoulder harness unclipped on an end table. The straps were a mess and just as bloody as they were shredded. She would have to repair parts of it and replace others.
She swallowed and looked away.
"Where?"
"You're back home, Haruno san, you made it back. This is the hospital and you're going to be okay now that we're treating you."
Sakura looked up and saw a uniform more than she saw a face. The nurse smiled sweetly but Sakura didn't recognize her.
"How...long?" Words came out broken and sore. Her throat felt cracked in places.
"You've been asleep for five days."
Sakura reached for the stump of her left arm but the IV in her arm tugged and the nurse fussed at her to stay still, but Sakura pulled her arm across anyway so she could feel the end of her was smooth and pink the way she remembered it. There wern't any new scars or gashes. It wasn't bleeding. It wasn't open anymore.
Sakura sighed and sank back into the bed. Finally still, she heard the whimpering outside the door in between the beeps from the machines beside her.
"Can you let my pack in? They must be worried."
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that policy won't allow pets."
"They're not my pets they are my pack mates and I am a shinobi. Let them in."
The nurse stammered, glancing between the door and Sakura. "Bu-but they're not summons. They can't speak so I don't think I'm allowed to do that. You're not even supposed to have human visitors until the head doctor looks you over."
Sakura huffed darkly, temper simmering beneath the surface of her blank face. "Fine. Then you can deal with them doing whatever the hell they please in the hallways because they're only going to listen to me if someone else tells them to take a shit outside."
The woman gulped and ducked her head, but let the door open wide enough for the rest of her pack to rush in.
Souta is the first in, all sleek and white like a blur made up in your mind, he's up on her bed and dipping his head under her arm and turning over to lay on his back for her, whining and whimpering but tail wagging wildly. Mop is close behind with Chainsaw right alongside him. The tinier dog makes the leap onto the foot of her bed while Mop is content to rest his chin on the mattress closest to her hand.
They didn't speak with human words but she could feel and know what they meant thanks to the bond shared between all of them.
So sorry.
So scared.
We love you.
Never leave.
Sakura only had one good hand and it was scratching at Souta's belly next to Mop's head, but she tried to wipe at the moisture in her eyes with what is left of her left stump. It's a reach, but she managed well enough on her own.
"What happened?" she asked. At the foot of her bed Dango sat, tired and patient.
"You almost died...again."
"Aside from the obvious. What about the mission? Our target was-"
"He got away, but we brought you back, that's enough for the mission. They can have your talents but they can't have your life, not this village!"
In anger Dango stood back up on all fours and a vein of fur stood up running from the crest of his skull to his tail. There was agitation all throughout his frame.
Sakura dropped her eyes. "I'm sorry I worried you all. It was under ranked for the difficult it proved to be as a mission. It should have been S ranked."
"Regardless, you're here now and so are we. Be grateful for now and don't trouble yourself with anything more. Don't think about the mission any more than you need to."
Sakura felt pain in her mind and suspected it was thanks to the head trauma she suffered when she was struck down. There was a drip feeding her painkillers, but she reached over to turn it off. Dango growled at her hand on the knob and she huffed in reply.
"I need my head to clear up for this. The longer I go the less I remember. They were wearing cloaks from Ame, they were freedom fighters, the ones rising up against Hanzo. I've not seen cloaks like those mobilized in years."
Beside her Souta whined and Sakura knew it meant that he had seen the same thing too. When she reached over Souta to the edge of the bed Mop licked her hand.
"I'm sure that was terribly important, but not more important than you right now. Turn the drip back on and go to sleep. We'll keep watch this time." Dango paced around to the opposite side of the bed across from Mop and Souta, closest to her left side. "Please, Sakura."
"I will, but remember this for me first."
She then recounted everything she could remember to Dango verbally. The others listened but she was trusting Dango to commit the details to memory. When she woke again she would need everything for her report.
"They'll not be sending you out again after this...at least not for a good long while."
Sakura turned the drip back on and settle into the pillows. "That's fine. I think there are some things here I need to get to before I'm ready to go back out again."
When she woke in the morning her chakra stores were almost back to full, but more than enough for her to fuel the healing jutsu she knew she needed. When the head nurse came back Sakura was dressing herself at the end of her bed with her clipboard perched on a knee for inspection. They insisted on a follow up exam to make sure she really was as healed as she claimed to be, but it didn't take much longer than an hour and then she was free again.
Dango had given her report to a superior who promised to transcribe it in writing for the Hokage. She needed to check in with the old man and confirm it all, but that didn't take long at all. She was done before the sun was even halfway across the sky.
"Where are we heading? Waffles went ahead. They wouldn't let her inside the hospital looking like a grim. Shouldn't we check in on her?" Dango asked.
"Back home to fix the straps on my arm holster," Sakura said.
She stopped in the middle of the road and looked sideways into the glass where her reflection stared back. She was wearing a yukata with an outer coat draped over her shoulders. Underneath, black leggings ran all the way down to her ankles.
Sakura glared at what she saw then quickly turned away.
"No one needs to see that."
It took the rest of the day to fix the component that kept her prosthetic in place, but it would take longer still to regain the same level of mobility she once had with it. It would take time, maybe a day, maybe a week, of her chakra flushing into the conductive components. Her fingers curled slower, and forming hand signs was more difficult. Matching the speed from one hand to the other was messy.
Sakura practiced. Again and again.
Night became day and she woke to a tapping on her window. When she looked up she saw black feathers and something shimmering in its beak. She opened the window and let Fugaku's magpai in to drop off the message.
"A summons from the Uchiha clan?" Dango asked, sniffing at the broken seal.
"Not officially. He just wants to share some herbal tea."
She turned the message around for him to see before tossing it into the cup of water by her bedside table. The ink smeared first, but then the paper broke up just as expected.
She didn't take as much time to dress as she probably should have, considering she was meeting with a high ranking, influential clan head in the village, and there were sure to be plenty of masks watching her every move from the shadows.
Wearing something close to what she had been after the hospital, Sakura left the house and made her way down the side of the mountain to the compound. She stopped once to look back and see Waffles watching her from between the trees, wordlessly communicating her plans to stay behind and watch.
It had been a while but the older Uchiha recognized her right away and she was ushered to the main house where Fugaku waited to receive her in the tea garden. Mikoto led Sakura the rest of the way, her eyes keen in a knowing way that made Sakura almost pause.
"What?" Sakura asked, suddenly on edge because of how the Uchiha matriarch regarded her. "Why are you looking at me like that."
Mikoto smile brightly and laughed behind her hand. "Sorry Sakura chan, it's nothing. I've just heard a lot about you recently, more than I thought I would."
"Wh-what does that mean?" Sakura asked.
She glanced to the side wishing her dog had been allowed in with her. Even if it was just Chainsaw who couldn't fit inside her jacket anymore without a noticeable bulge.
"Not what you're thinking. It's both my sons who seem to hold you in high regard. I didn't know you were interested in younger men otherwise I would have introduced you all much sooner."
Sakura flushed but sighed a breath of relief. "Very funny, Mikoto san. Don't make jokes that will only freak me out. I'm far too old for my heart to take the scare."
"Hmm, well, while I agree that my adorable Sasuke chan is a little young, the age gap isn't so serious for Itachi. You know there is a four year age difference between Fugaku and I." She leaned in conspiratorially. "And I'm the older one."
"You look far too young for your age, I'm not sure you're human," Sakura whispered back, still a little flushed.
Mikoto laughed and pulled Sakura close. "You know we all adore you here. I'm afraid we'll be relying on you a bit more today and I wish I could do more than just tease you, my dear."
"I'd be more than just satisfied if you skipped the part where you tease me about my uneventful love life, thank you very much." Sakura forced a sigh out that steadied her jackhammer heart. "It's not like I need or even want your thanks. That's not what I do this for."
Mikoto kissed Sakura's forehead and ushered her along. "They're waiting for you."
Sakura stepped into the garden and saw Fugaku waiting with another elder who looked mean in a way many different Uchiha looked mean. It wasn't a surprise but it wasn't pleasant to finally face the figure she had been informed about.
The man turned to see her at the edge of the garden and his eyes went wide. He started to rise, a protest on his lips.
"No! I'll not-"
But Fugaku's hand was at his neck, drawing back from a sharp jab that knocked him out.
"Can you be quick about it?" he asked in a tired sigh.
"Aren't I always?" Sakura hummed in response.
She knelt beside the slumped form of the Uchiha elder and placed her hands at his temples. A moment later healing chakra seeped into her brain and began the laborious process of seeking out the noxious cloud she had grown to know too well.
The man's brain was a bit more of a mess than expected, and the production of chemicals that determined his mood and temperament were all out of order. Because she knew where to look for it, Sakura found the Curse of Hatred and began to burn it away with healing chakra.
From the side of the table Fugaku watched her work with heavy eyes, knowing that what she did was necessary more now than ever. For years she had been healing the Uchiha of their chemical imbalances and mental disorders as best as she could.
Usually it only took a single session for the curse to be eradicated, but there were regulars who cultivated their hearts for hatred, making the Curse a common occurrence. For those people, Sakura had to come back, again and again to clean them out.
"Is this it?" she asked after a long stretch of silence. She was still working, still pouring her chakra into the Uchiha, but she could multitask this time.
"For now...but I suspect there will be others. Once the news trickles down to the others there may yet be more for you to do. I am sorry to put this burden on you."
"I am only sorry I was not here sooner to do more." Sakura pauses before asking, "What news scares you so, Uchiha san?"
Fugaku huffed in agitation at the sound of his name so formally being used. "The Uchiha are being restricted to active members in the shinobi forces. Aside from police work, they are imposing a limit on how many members we may have deployed on mission work and security at a time. Then there are the usual budget cuts."
"That's stupid. How is that supposed to help anyone?"
"It's not. They're breeding the conditions for something worse. What will our talented youth do when they do not have work? Maybe we should meet and plot and plan about overthrowing the village like they think we do."
"Don't joke like that." Her heart hurts to hear her old friend speak so despondent. "You're all too talented for them to waste. They'll see."
"They claimed it was odd, how much more talented we seem. It's only gotten worse with the loss of the Senju as a clan of influence inside the village. They're more afraid of the Uchiha than ever, but we can't say we haven't seen this coming."
"I heard Itachi is on security detail for the Hokage though. They trust him."
"Ah, yes, he's been well received and I am thankful for that. There is no curse in that boy's mind and I pray there never will be. I have so much hope for him."
"He could be Hokage one day. Your enemies are afraid of that. I know Itachi well enough. He's too sweet and kind to not be thought of for the role by those who value the Will of Fire. He's strong thanks to his kindness."
"Yes, he mentioned the two of you were on missions together. You left an impression and I'm thankful. He's only grown."
"Hold on to that one and love him up lots and lots because it's only going to get harder for him to break through, looking as magnificent as he does. I've been out of touch, but what I heard about Root movements while away, there haven't been any conclusive developments in our favor, eh."
Fugaku sighed like it was all he could do. The shape of his shoulders sagged and he looked down at what was left in his tea cup. "We've managed to keep Itachi out of that web, but others were not so lucky, I'm afraid."
The plum trees were in bloom and their soft petals fell every so often when the wind moved through the garden. Sakura closed her eyes, returning the bulk of her attention to the blackness that was barely there under her chakra.
"I have work I must see to after this," she murmured.
"Kushina's boy?"
Sakura hummed once.
"He is fine. We've been watching as well, but Danzo has kept his hands off the child, as expected. There is no way he could with the amount of vigilance and suspicion put upon him so far."
"Still worried about the others."
Fugaku eyed her quizzidly. "Others?"
"There is a boy, Sai, who plays with Naruto and Sasuke. No one would be watching him."
Fugaku chuckled and the noise made Sakura look up from her work to watch him. His gaze was soft and found, the way it was when he first found her in the mud and blood of her enemy. It was rare to catch him so soft after such a cruel fate, but there were moments and times.
"I am glad to hear that you have also remembered your kindness."
She snorted. "Don't you mean my 'will of fire' like all the others. You thought it went out when Kakashi sensei and the others all died."
"No, your kindness. You healed us first because of your kindness, but then it became duty and obligation. It's been a while since you were spurred on by your heart and not your duty to take any action."
"You're a soggy biscuit, old man," Sakura pouted, closing her eyes again. "I've always been this nice."
"Yes, and I'm glad you remembered."
It took almost an hour to finish removing the curse from the clan elder's brain, and when she was done Sakura felt light on her feet. Her chakra stores were fine, but it was always dizzy to come out of such a in depth healing.
She had healed the elder before, so the cleansing was easier than it could have been if the curse was fresh and new. Still, it worried her to see someone subcom to something she had already healed.
"Send word if you ever need me."
"Don't I already do that?" Fugaku asked, watching her leave.
Walking through the house Sakura paused to look down a hallway, only to hear the sound coming from the opposite end. She waited until Itachi chose to reveal himself, knowing it would be near impossible to detect him if he didn't want to be sensed.
"Sempai."
Sakura looked back over her shoulder with an unimpressed smile. "That normal for you, Itachi, to sneak up on house guests who are clearly your senior?"
"Only the ones who I think would appreciate it." He folded his hands in front and bowed slightly, hiding his smile. "It is good to see you up and about. I heard you were unwell."
"I was nothing of the sort, just a little tired, as you can see I'm fully healed."
Itachi looked her over and smiled at the lack of bandages or something else, but nodded in agreement. "Yes, I can see that. Were you on your way out? It would be rude not to see you out or walk you home."
"I'm...actually stopping by the academy. There's a couple of brats I wanted to check in on." She eyed him critically. "And I wouldn't need anyone to walk me back."
"It's just polite. But this is fortuitous. I am also planning to pick up my younger brother today. The academy doesn't release its students for another hour, however. Would you like to wait a bit and then accompany me there?"
Sakura hadn't taken notice of the time because she knew she could walk in on Iruka whenever she wanted. They had an agreement that if she ever showed up, for any reason, that would be fine as long as she helped teach the lesson and manage the kids. Aside from the first time she dropped in with her dogs, she had only visited a handful of other times in between missions, and it had been a few months since those visits.
"I suppose it would only be polite to wait until school ends." She didn't want to, but she thought it poor taste to flaunt her closeness with the teacher after Itachi offered to wait with her.
"My mother made dango for me. I remembered you like it. Would you like to share some?"
Sakura glanced at the window outside and saw her dog Dango standing up on his back legs to help him peer into the house, nose pressed close enough to wrinkle up. She couldn't see his back end but she imagined his tail going wild.
"Would you mind if we ate outside? I'm afraid I've been apart from my pack too long. They're getting agitated on their own."
She heard one of the others, likely Mop, whine loudly for her. They knew she was talking about them.
Itachi was happy to comply and brought their tray of treats outside to eat on a nearby bench inside the compound. Sakura's pack flocked around them, tails waving furiously in hopes of a treat.
"You're all terribly behaved," Sakura chastised before biting off a piece of dango for herself. The dog she named after her favorite treat whined but continued to beg with a wagging tail.
"They're adorable, as always," Itachi laughed, offering a bit of something to Chainsaw who was sitting on his feet, front paws perched on the tops of Itachi's knees. He pointed to the doberman that refused to look away from Sakura. "Did you name him because you enjoy dango or because of some other reason?"
"Nah, that's the reason. I like dango and I'm not good with names. Ah, but didn't you mention you liked dango too? It's a favorite of yours?"
Itachi hummed in agreement. "Yes, but Sasuke does not share my love of sweet things, so this is a rare treat for me. Thank you for sharing it with me. To be honest, I'm not sure my mother would have made these if I hadn't mentioned my intention to share them with you."
Sakura looked at the three colored dango dumplings on a stick and then eyed Itachi out of the corner of her eye. "Sneaky kid, how long were you planning this for? Dango takes longer than an hour to make when it looks this nice."
"My mother is the sneaky one. I'm the accomplice." His smile was just a bit too sharp to not be sly. She knew he had it in him, as kind as he was, he was still an Uchiha. Like many others in his family, he liked to live five steps ahead of others.
"Fine, then quit smirking and tell me how you've been since I've seen you last."
They caught up for the next forty five minutes before throwing away their trash and heading out in the direction of the academy early. Neither rushed, and a trek that could have taken four minutes took ten.
There were plenty of parents waiting for the kids to file out so Sakura hung back beside a tree with a swing and crossed her arms.
She noticed a few familiar faces and nodded to Shino's father as well as Kiba's mother, though she had a harder time with the later, since Tsume Inuzuka had once been like a second mother to her. After Hana died Sakura could never bring herself to be the same with their clan.
"How do you know the Aburame clan head?" Itachi asked, careful not to move his lips enough to be read by prying eyes.
"A member of their family was someone I wanted to help once, but I was unable. I am glad they do not hold it against me."
Itachi forgot to be subtle and looked straight at her. "What do you-"
His words were cut off by the sound of the bell. A hoard of children rushed out, happy to be done with the day. They looked more excited than usual and Sakura suspected it had something to do with how bruised and dusty some of them looked. It seemed it was sparring day.
A few students recognized Sakura's dogs before they noticed her, and tried to wave. She touched a finger to her lips and smiled at each.
Sasuke was one of the last ones to file out, but beside him trailed Naruto and then Sai. Sakura's eyes narrowed, looking for signs of anything abnormal, but only saw a boy with a smile too big for his face. Naruto really was just as fine as the reports claimed him to be.
Sai lagged behind the pair and Sakura might have missed it if she wasn't looking for it, but he seemed to sag in his steps. His clothing was neat, so she doubted it was the result of a spar.
"Nii san!" Sasuke exclaimed loudly. His smile was wide as he bent in and raced for his older brother. When he launched himself at his brother Itachi caught him and turned him into a swing with ease.
"Sasuke's big brother is here to pick him up, no fair!" Naruto complained. Then he noticed the dogs around Sakura and gasped. "Ah! Sakura chan!"
Mop barked loud and Souta pranced in place, eager to be pet and adored as only a child could. Chainsaw was just as loud, running for the blond boy.
Sakura waved and let the dogs drown Naruto in licks and affection. His giggles made her cheeks redden. Her heart hurt again.
"Sai, how are you?" she asked, facing him.
Sai looked where Naruto was being swallowed by fur and then up at Sasuke who was happy enough in his brother's arms before he glanced back at her. "I am well. You have returned after a long time away. I trust you were successful in your missions."
Sakura ignored the way dread settled in her gut. She knelt down and beckoned the boy over. "I'm fine. Let me have a look at you, come here."
Sai obliged and didn't even protest when Sakura began to sink her chakra into his system to check for injuries. She didn't have to look for long. The history of violence was there, fresh and old alike.
"Who's been beating you?" she asked quietly enough that only he would hear.
Sai looked up, face going blank. His eyes were unfocused as he started at a point behind her left ear. "I am well, and growing as a shinobi. I have lost several sparring matches against more fit opponents."
"Sai." Her voice was deep and left no room for nonsense. "Who?"
He glanced at her, expressionless in a way that made her insides roll. "I have no answer for you."
Sakura reached for his face and puckered his lips too roughly for him to resist. His tongue rolled out from the touch and Sakura saw the seal the same moment Itachi did.
"Repression," Itachi hissed.
Sai pulled away from Sakura and clamped two hands over his mouth, looking from her to Itachi to Naruto and then back at her. "You should not have seen that."
"It was Danzo, regardless of if he did it himself or not, that's his MO." Sakura glared over her shoulder, scanning for a figure she knew was hiding nearby. "Chainsaw."
Her tone snapped the small dog to attention and he darted away from Naruto, barking in a direction for Sakura to focus in on. The figure dropped down when she flashed him ANBU code, but stayed in the shade of a nearby storefront.
"You were watching the Uzumaki boy. Did you notice the other one was being abused?"
"Haruno kun, that was not our mission."
She knew who it was the second her chakra mixed with his so she didn't bother being polite or civil, only discrete in the streets. "Did you know, Hayate?"
He hissed at her but didn't correct her. He owed her too much to go against her. "We've known, but our priority is the Uzumaki boy. If Danzo is distracted with others-"
Sakura didn't allow him to finish. She turned on her heel and left him there, going back to Sai's side. She picked him up before he could protest and glared back at where Hayate had been hiding.
"You can't tell me with that seal but you can show me who did it to you." Sakura could barely restrain herself. She wanted to scream. It was like watching the worst bits of history all over again.
"I don't want to," Sai whispered into her arm. He wouldn't look at her and turned away when Naruto and Sasuke stared at him.
"Oi, Sai, what is she talking about?" Naruto hollered. "What was that thing on your tongue? Are you sick?"
Sasuke said nothing, but his eyes were as keen as his brother's.
Itachi tugged Sasuke closer. "What will you do?" he asked, addressing Sakura.
And that was the question that made a war go off inside her, because the answer was lost to her. She wanted to tear down her enemies and kill the people who hurt Sai, who hurt Tenzin, who abused her sensei before she was even old enough to know any better.
ROOT was a cancer in the village that justified its crimes too often. Families were broken because of ROOT. Shino would never see him brother again, and plenty of orphans were going to grow up without the emotion necessary to enjoy the peace they all bled and died for.
It sickened her to know what the Hokage allowed, even after the failed assassination attempt on his life. He knew what sort of man Danzo was, he knew what sort of man his student had been, but his misplaced kindness came at the cost of so many other broken lives.
Sakura didn't want to see any of that happen again.
"Sakura chan?" Naruto called up to her. He sounded scared and it made her stiffen. He was just a ten year old kid. What was he supposed to know?
"I'm taking responsibility for something I should have long ago." She nodded to the Hokage tower. "Will you come with me, Naruto?"
"Will you need assistance?" Itachi asked. Sasuke watched without speaking.
She shook her head. "I don't think I do. If this is going to work, another person there won't make a difference, but thank you."
Naruto and Sai followed her, sandwiched between her pack members all the way to the Hokage tower. Sakura didn't stop when the secretary at the front told her she couldn't go up without an appointment. She knew if it was really an issue the hokage would have ANBU stationed outside, ready to stop anyone.
"You can't have dogs in here."
"We're not just dogs," Dango growled at the secretary who gaped and stumbled back.
"Re-regardless, you can't bring children or dogs-is that the Uzumaki boy?" The meek woman's demeanor changed and what made her mousey was gone in the blink of an eye. "What are you doing with him here?"
If the secretary really had been as dumb as she played at, Sakura would have been disappointed. She needed to credit Naruto, as it was only his appearance that shook the woman from her act.
"I have business with the hokage. If I am not seen I will wait, as will my pack," Sakura said, sounding calmer and more even with her tone than she thought she could. To the outside world she sounded as rational as could be.
"You can't just show up like this. You need an appointment, and if it's not an emergency you have to give right of way to those filing reports. You can't just walk in and expect to be seen."
Sakura stopped outside the doors, knowing she would be touched and stopped if she tried to open them herself. Dumb secretaries weren't the first line of defense for nothing.
Carefully, Sakura lowered herself down to sit on the backs of her feet, legs folded underneath her. She flared her chakra and waited, eyes glued to the door. "He'll see me. He knows I'm here with Naruto."
"You shouldn't be. He's not-"
The doors opened and on the other side Sarutobi looked up from his desk. He smiled warmly at the secretary in a way that meant it was all alright. "I didn't know I would have guests tonight. Satomi san, will you bring us some tea. If you have it, the white kind."
Satori the secretary gaped but nodded all the same. She didn't look at Sakura but turned around to go retrieve the tea he requested.
Sarutobi craned his neck as if he needed to to see who else was waiting along with Sakura. "Oh, and if it isn't Naruto and Sai. It looks like you have quite the party. Are you sure you're not interested in becoming a sensei, Haruno kun?" he teased. There was mirth in his voice and a shine to his eyes.
"Permission to enter, sir?"
He waved her in. Sai looked away and Naruto made a noise of displeasure before Dango trotted over to lick his face. The other dogs were quick to circle around Naruto and Sai, keeping them close together and well watched.
"They'll be fine outside, come in, Haruno kun."
Sakura walked in and the door shut behind her. Sarutobi was smoking at his pipe but he watched her from his desk. When Sakura stiffly bowed he waved her off.
"What's this about. I thought you already gave your report for the mission. You should be resting. You were only just recently discharged." He gave her a stern look and then added, "I'm not sending you out on anything else so soon so don't ask."
"I wasn't going to sir. I did have a request though. A while back you told me that ROOT was disbanded and no longer operational."
She saw his expression darken. ROOT was't a topic he liked discussing, especially not with her. She had made her point of view clear more than once. Still, he nodded as a trail of smoke eased past his lips. "I have indeed. What is this about?"
"There is a child I've been watching from the academy and I believe he has been identified or selected for something similar to a child soldier program. I don't want to look into if it really is the same ROOT or not that you know the council member Danzo to be a part of, but regardless, I am concerned for the child's welfare.
The hardness wasn't as hard anymore. "Oh. You say you've been watching a child. It's not Naruto kun, is it?"
"No sir. I have grown close to Naruto, but the one I'm talking about is Sai. There is a silencing seal on his tongue already. I don't know where it came from or why it is there, but while he has never been the most open and talkative child, I've noticed a change in personality and demeanor. I am concerned for his welfare."
"He is close to Naruto. If something were to happen to him it would be noticed."
"With all due respect, sir, it wouldn't."
Sakura then went on to explain her conversation with Hayate and added the stories that Iruka had helped supply her with, of how Sai had grown colder and more distant with the other children while his test scores skyrocketed.
Tea came and the two moved to sit and take it together while Sakura went on. When she was done their tea was still warm, but not steaming.
"Even my pack members are distressed. They can tell his emotions are unbalanced."
"What would you have me do about this situation then, Haruno kun? You want me to move the boy somewhere else, or do you think it is too late?" He waved a hand out towards the window where desk was making things dim. "You should know better than I how weak a solution that really is."
Sakura did know. Moving Sai wouldn't do much. ROOT was an organization that stayed in the shadows and operated where things were unseen. They would be able to get to Sai, an orphan boy that ANBU didn't want to bother to keep an eye out for.
Sakura looked into her tea cup, watching her reflection as she spoke. "As I understand it, there is a lot of work inside the village that you need shinobi for. Instead of being sent back out, do you think that I might find work closer to home?"
Sarutobi chuckled. "Would you be interested in security detail within the village? Your skill set really isn't suited to it unless you're considering a teaching position, and I know you mentioned how fond you were of that idea."
Sakura winced at the idea of being a sensei. It still wasn't appealing.
"I doubt I'd be any good at teaching, but being overqualified for security isn't a problem if I'm not demanding extra pay. I'll take jonin or even chunin rates."
"And this is so that you can stay close and keep an eye on the boy?" Sarutobi asked. He blew out another trail of smoke that smelled like tea and tobacco.
Sakura thought of Sai and couldn't help but see a little of Tenzin in him. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help it. He was in a dark place right now, and if she didn't do something now, no one would be able to pull him out of that horror. No one would care because he would be a good soldier who didn't complain. No one complained when all the boys and girls Tenzin was raised beside went missing. This would be no different.
'I didn't think anyone cared. Thank you Sakura!'
Her heart felt like it was bleeding but she pushed the memory away of her treasured teammate.
"I've been complacent too long and not done all I could. I need to stop hiding and face the responsibilities that come from my convictions." Sakura looked up from her tea. "If I think something is wrong I need to do something about it, not just call it out. Please, let me do something about Sai."
She pushed away from the table and touched her head to the floor, lowering herself as much as possible.
There was a moment of silence where the smoke drifted between them. Then she heard him speak. "Is this your Will of Fire, Sakura? Is this how you burn?"
"I will not watch more horrors come to children in front of my eyes. Not when I can do something about it."
"Even when they might become soldiers we need. You nearly died on your last mission because of enemies we are only starting to understand. There may yet been another war for us to defend."
"Or there may not be, but-"
Sakura felt her words get caught up somewhere in her throat. Her eyes hurt and her chest throbbed with a pain around her heart, not at all unlike when she knew Iruka was looking at her, but worse. He waited until she could speak again without interrupting her train of thought.
"If we can't protect our children and raise them in the light, what are we fighting for?"
"Survival …dominance… victory."
"All hallow when won with the blood of our youngest." Even bowed Sakura fisted her fingers under her head. "I believe in a Konohagakure that is strong because of the bonds between its people, not the darkness of their hearts."
Sakura's body grew sore on the floor, but Sarutobi was quiet, watching and thinking as his smoke curled up around him. Finally he exhaled and shifted in his seat towards her, tapping her shoulder.
"That's enough, rise now. I've thought it over enough. You sound like you mean it, so I'm giving this mission to you."
Sakura unfolded from her bow, legs aching. "Mission sir?"
"It's a condition for you getting your way with that boy."
Sakura waited, feeling her breath catch. What would she have to sell for that child's soul?
"Sir?"
"It's a package deal. You want to make sure that kid is safe then the only way to do that is take him yourself. He is an orphan, why don't you adopt him? Ah, but one would be a lonely way to go, and Sai needs someone close to him already, someone that could help him open up. So here is your mission, Haruno kun; you'll adopt both Naruto and Sai to raise as your own. You're one of the only ones with clearance and high enough seal work to be able to contain the fox should it break free."
He pointed with his pipe to her fake arm made of her old teammate's wood. It wasn't her skill so much as it was Tenzin's ability left on her. But it would work. If she needed to, it would be able to hold Naruto back.
"It won't come to that," Sakura answered, folding one arm over the other, keeping her fake limb out of sight.
"You still think you can do it. Raising two boys, circumstances not standing, is a lot of work for a single person." He leaned over the table, eyeing her. "Are you still so sure you could manage such a thing?"
Sakura met his gaze without wavering.
"Yes, sir."
AN: Happy belated Sakura week.
Here you go, another heavy chapter with plenty of Itachi and Uchiha drama. She's pretty tight with the clan for reasons I hope you now understand. She's been their secret medic for years now. And I'm so weak for the Uchiha being crafty little buggers, especially the moms. What mother isn't a gossip hound when it comes to her sons (PLURAL) showing interest in a girl? Yeah, lil Sasuke might be a bit star struck with the idea of Sakura ever since she saved him that one time. Itachi's worse though. Sorry if you were looking for Shisui, he'll be back around soon, I promise. :)
Yesterday you got an 8K UTRM chapter update and today it's a 9.5K update on this story. I'm quite tired now, so I'm gonna go take a nap. lol. To those who celebrate, happy Passover and Easter Sunday. Enjoy!
Sakura's Pack!
Mop- Irish Wolfhound He's the teeth of the pack
Souta - Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound) He's the speed of the pack
Dango- Doberman pinscher- He's the voice of the pack
Chainsaw- Jack Russell Terrier He's the sensor of the pack (and the baby)
Waffles- Wolf She's the terror and the stealth of the pack