"I finally understand why Shikamaru likes watching the clouds." Sakura smiled softly as she continued to stare up at the sky, watching the clouds pass by. "It's relaxing." she closed her eyes as she continued to lay in the grass, enjoying the slight breeze that brushed against her skin. "Don't become a Nara on me now, Sakura." Layla teased as she sat on the grass next to Sakura. "I don't need you constantly saying troublesome now." she chuckled as she watched Sakura's eyes open and glanced at her, a lazy smile on her face as she closed her eyes again in content her worries leaving her body.

Sakura enjoyed the peace she felt right now. She had no worries while with Layla she felt safe and protected with her not having to look over her shoulder for her clan's spies. Constantly spending this time with Layla helped ease the loneliness she honestly felt throughout her life. She wished that she has never grown distant with her when they were younger. She was foolish for doing what she did and not noticing she had people that loved her and would not hurt her like she believed they would. Sakura opened her eyes again and looked at Layla, seeing that she had her face looking up at the sky. Her eyes closed, focusing on the cool breeze in the field brushing against her skin as she also enjoyed the peace and quiet.

"Thank you." Blue eyes open slowly as they look to the side seeing green eyes staring back at them. "I mean it, Layla. Thank you for everything you are doing for me." Sakura spoke what she felt genuinely to Layla as she sat up from her lying position. "If it wasn't for you...god knows where I would be right now." Layla stared at her younger cousin, shock running through her body as she listened to her words. "I'm glad I have you by my side, so I don't have to face this alone.'' Sakura beamed a smile at her showing how grateful she truly is for her. "It must be true what others say about you." Sakura pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them.

Layla's curiosity peaked.

"What have they said?"

Sakura pulled at the grass with her hand."They say you're the perfect person and that they believe you should be the heiress, not me," Sakura told her as she clenched her hand, looking intently at the grass, not wanting to meet Layla's eyes.

"That's not true, Sakura." Layla spoke with confidence, "What they are saying is wrong. I am not fit even to be the heiress of our clan. That is you, Sakura. You were born for the title, and you will achieve becoming the clan head that I promise you." she couldn't believe people would say this to Sakura or even whisper about it behind her back. Don't they have any decency for how this will affect her emotionally and mentally? Obviously not, she scoffed at that "Being perfect isn't possible either, nobody is perfect, so them saying that to you or even around you is foolish." Layla glared at the trees in the forest in her anger at the clan. "To think the cl-" Sakura's sharp tone cut her off.

"I'll change them."

"What?"

"I'll work harder, Layla! I'll get stronger to where I can beat you in a spar! I'll study more politics for my clan to be educated on that as well, so nothing will throw me off! I'll be the best clan head they ever had, Layla, that I promise you." Sakura stood to her feet and spun to face her, a determined look in her eyes as she focused on Layla. "I'll be the strongest ninja in the clan, ya hear me!?" she grinned big, showing her teeth to Layla as she pointed at herself. "I'll save the clan from themselves. They're not lost yet!" Sakura's figure disappeared and was replaced by another that had short black curly hair and coal-black onyx eyes that showed so much emotion in them that you would think wouldn't be so expressive.

"Watch me, Layla-chan! I'll get stronger and help Itachi lead the clan! He'll be the best clan head the Uchiha ever had. I can help him save them. Just please have faith in me."

"Always."

Layla smiled at Sakura's declaration to her.

"I always believe in you."

"Good because when I become clan head, I want you at my side watching it."

Layla stood up, facing Sakura.

"I can't wait."

{+}

Kakashi stopped walking and looked up from his book glancing at the stalls around him feeling suspicious as the air around him changed suddenly, no longer feeling calm and relaxed but tense and alert "Sensei!" He looked in the direction the yell came from and was met with bright pink hair and emerald eyes waving to him to get his attention.

"Ah, Sakura-chan." He greeted as he smiled, putting his book away to give her his full attention. "What can I do for my cute little genin?" He watched as Sakura's eyes widen at the nickname, and she blushed, spluttering trying to get her bearings back from being embarrassed.

"W-w-what?! Sensei, don't call me that!" She demanded as she looked down at the ground, her face red as she tried to fight the blush, causing him to chuckle at her antics. "I have a request, sensei." She looked back up at him with a determined look in her eyes as she focused on his eye.

"Train me, Sensei, please."

Kakashi leveled her with a stare as he took in her eyes, seeing that she was willing to fight him to get a yes out of him, causing him to close his eyes and sighing as he put his hands into his pockets in a slouch. "I guess I won't be reading Icha Icha paradise a lot anymore." He opened his eye and glanced at her seeing her eyes widen, not believing that it would be that easy to get a yes out of him. "We'll start in two days at team sevens training grounds, understand?" He watched as she nods a smile on her face showing him how happy she is.

"I won't let you down, sensei!"

'I know you won't.' Kakashi lifted his hand towards her head but paused as he glanced at a stall seeing two figures with straw hats on and black cloaks with red clouds with white outlines on sitting at a table 'Tha-' his line of thought was cut off when Sakura waved to someone behind him.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi looked behind him and was greeted with a scowl from Sasuke as he walked towards them, hands in his pockets. "You wanna come to get some food with Sensei and I? He said he's paying!" Sakura grinned mischievously at Kakashi as she waited for Sasuke to reply to her question.

"I don't have time for that." He looked up at Kakashi, eyes full of determination and anger. "Train me, Sensei." He demanded as his eyes harden while staring at Kakashi, not leaving until he got a yes out of him.

'What did I do to get two power-hungry genins?' Kakashi thought as he looked back at the stall, seeing that the two figures left. 'Shit, I need to find them fast. Konoha has intruders!' Kakashi looks back at his two genins, ready to leave

"We'll discuss this another time."

"Wait, Sensei!"

He vanished, leaving nothing behind.

"Damn It!" Sasuke cursed as he clenched his fist and stormed off his mind, already planing out his training schedule for the day he'll try Kakashi again later, and he will accept.

Sakura looked at Sasukes retreating back with sad eyes. 'Would that be me? If I grew up the same way, he did?' Sakura thought as she turned and walked in the opposite direction. Sasuke went her mind wandering as she thought about Sasuke and their team. 'C-can we even be called team seven anymore?' She unknowingly bit her lip in thought as her thoughts continued to get worse. 'Uncle told me I'm the one that can save the clan, but….how can I protect the family when I can't even keep my own team from falling apart?' A picture of team seven appeared in her mind. 'Naruto is being trained by one of the legendary sanin while Sasuke is slowly walking down a path that neither of us can follow him to and me?' She chuckled brokenly as her walk continued, 'The path I'm going down is a path no one can know about.' She looked up at the sky. 'Naruto, Sasuke, sensei, please…give me the strength I need to overcome the struggles I'm going to face.' Just when she was about to turn into the compound, she felt chakras fluctuate nearby, causing her to turn on her feet and run in that direction.

"Sensei!"

'Hurry outer!'

'I'm trying!' Sakura could feel six chakra signals ahead of her, some of them fluctuating rapidly, 'Just a little more.' Sakura jumped onto the railing in front of her and then jumped onto the lake chakra, instinctively going to her feet as she landed in a crouch position on the water.

"Sakura, get out of here!"

Sakura looked over at the person who yelled at her, only to stumble slightly as she took in her senseis form. Heare was crouched on the lake, knee bent, head bowed as he panted, trying to catch his breath hitate pulled up onto his forehead showing his Sharingan eye to all, but it was directed at her "Sensei!" She yelled worriedly as she went straight to his side, her hands growling green with healing chakra. "Let me help!" But before she can heal him, laughter filled the air that sent a shiver down her spine as killing intent was directed at her.

"Look at this Itachi, another pest to show up."

"Don't you dare think about laying a hand on this youthful girl!"

"G-guy w-"

"I understand, Kakashi."

Sakura looked between the two as Guy turned to face the two invaders causing Sakura to look at them with her own eyes. The taller one had blue skin and hair with gills on his neck and had sharp pointed teeth. She noted as he talked, there was a giant sword on his back wrapped in bandages. "We don't have time to fool around Kisame." The one next to him stated, causing her eyes to go to him now.

'He looks exactly like Sasuke outer!'

Sakura's stomach filled with dread as she recognized the black hair, fair skin, and the red spinning eyes that she only ever saw on Sasuke or Kakashi.

'It can't b-'

"Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki."

'No, no, no, no, this is bad! Really bad!'

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and kill a certain someone."

"Sakura, get your Sensei out of here and get somewhere safe. Let us deal with this."

Sakura nods. She didn't need to be told twice; she knew how dangerous the situation was right now. "N-no, I can still fight."Kakashi tried pushing himself up but collapsed again, but Sakura caught him in time, placing his arm around her shoulder.

"You're injured Kakashi, just let Asuma, Kurenai, and I handle these two."

Kakashi finally relented,"….Very well." Sakura got ready to jump away with Kakashi but took a look back at the two invaders seeing that they both were looking at her, making fear leap into her chest, causing her eyes to activate unconsciously, one petal in each eye spinning rapidly in fear.

"Look at this, Itachi! More fancy eyes like yours!" Kisame grinned as his hand went to the handle of samehada, clutching it as his grin grew bloodthirsty. "Why don't I take out those pretty, girly eyes?" He laughed after his statement taking a step forward. Still, before he could take another, there was movement in the air that was hard to track, even making it hard for the Sharingan to keep up with "What-" Kisame couldn't finish his sentence as he was suddenly sent flying back into the concrete wall leaving a good size crater from his body colliding with it.

"You picked the wrong village to waltz into Akatsuki."

"Layla!"

Layla stood in front of the others facing Itachi as his partner stood up, shaking his head wincing slightly as he pulled samehada off his back, an angry look on his face. "It's going to take more than that; to take me down!" He was ignored as Layla and Itachi stared each other down, both having a war between their kekkei Genkai's.

"It's one thing coming into the village, but threatening my cousin, that's entirely a different thing." Layla snarled as she pulled out her tanto, readying herself for an attack. "You'll pay immensely for that." Layla glanced at Sakura, four petals in her eyes spinning rapidly as she barked out orders to her "Leave Sakura now!" Layla ordered as she let out her own killing intent.

Sakura felt like she was suffocating; she couldn't breathe; all the killing intent in the air made her sick she couldn't be here anymore. She made sure she had a hold of Kakashi and got ready to leave but stopped as she took in her own eyes from the reflection of the water. 'Two petals now?! How?' Sakura shook her head and looked back at Layla, seeing that she and Itachi both ran at each other with weapons drawn as the others dealt with Kisame. "Win Layla." She jumped away with Kakashi making her way to the hospital.

Layla's tanto clashed with Itachi's kunai with force as they both stared into each other's eyes. "You have a lot of nerve coming into this village after what you did, Itachi!" She snarled at him as she pulled back from him and performed hand signs, "Water style water dragon jutsu!" A dragon made out of water appeared and went at Itachi.

Itachi dispersed into crows flying behind her, morphing back into himself as he raised his hand that held the kunai and thrust it at her back. Still, it didn't make contact with her as she spun around, lifting her hand that had the tanto clashing against his kunai again. "Really attacking from behind?" Layla brought her leg up and kicked at him, making him jump back, creating distance "That not like you at all, Itachi." Layla smirked as she shook her head. "But then again, I never really did know you did I?" She looked back up at him, seeing his emotionless face not betraying how he felt.

Itachi looks over at Kisame and sees that he is holding his own against the others. "We don't have time for this Kisame." Itachi stated as he looked back at Layla, seeing that she was watching him cautiously, waiting to see what he would do, "The nine tails ain't here, so our business is done." Kisame agreed with him as he jumped back to where Itachi was standing.

"I was just having fun too."

"Hn."

"I'm not letting you get away, Itachi! Or him! You walked into my village and then had the nerve to threaten my cousin!" Layla snarled as she performed hand signs causing Itachi to also.

"Water style water dragon jutsu!"

"Fire-style fireball jutsu!"

The two jutsu connect both having power in them as Layla and Itachi pushed their strength into it 'Itachi….I never wanted to be your enemy!' Layla thought as she watched the jutsus die down and vanish, leaving the area misty now from their attacks. 'Where is he?!' She questioned as she looked to where he used to be, seeing it empty.

"They're gone!"

{+}

'Why is Itachi Uchiha here?!' Sakura jumped from roof to roof, heading to the hospital. 'He can't be here for Sasuke, can he?!' Sakura pushed chakra into her feet to make her faster. 'After I get Sensei to the hospital, I'm going to find Sasuke to make sure he's safe!' She could see the hospital in front of her now as she landed on the ground running into the hospital.

"Medic!" Sakura called out as she looked at the nurses seeing them run to her, pushing a gurney towards her telling her to place him on it, which she did.

"What happened?"

Sakura looked at the nurse while the others pushed Kakashi away on the gurney. "I don't know exactly when I showed up because he was already injured." She explained, watching as the nurse nodded to her.

"We'll let you know what happens."

Sakura could only nod as she relaxed, knowing her Sensei was in capable hands. Now that's when she realized how exhausted she was, the adrenaline leaving her body making her feel the exhaustion.

'We don't have time outer! We need to find Sasuke and fast before his brother does!'

'Right!'

Sakura left the hospital, pushing the exhaustion in the back of her mind as she raced to find her teammate. Her first stop was the training grounds.

'He's not here.'

His apartment.

'Not here either.'

The Uchiha compound.

'Not here!'

Sakura was full-on, panicking now since she couldn't find Sasuke anywhere. "Where are you, Sasuke?" She whispered as she tried to look for his chakra; having a hard time doing so with so many others in the village, she was ready to quit searching for his chakra signal when she felt it. "Sasuke!" He was on the outskirts of the village getting farther away as the seconds passed by.

She didn't think twice as she chased after his chakra signal that was leading outside of the village.

{+}

Naruto grits his teeth as he sits on the bed in the hotel, waiting for Jiraiya to come back "damn it!" He cursed as his hands went up to his hair and gripped it in frustration. "We're supposed to be looking for the new Hokage! Ughh, Pervy-sage, why did you have to take off with that chick!?" Naruto shook his head in frustration. "How can someone that pretty even go with someone like him?" He wined as he laid on the bed waiting for the sanins return, but that's when he heard a knock on the door and perked up, looking at the door. "Did she already ditch him?" He questioned as he got off the bed and walked towards the door. "She realized she could do better?" Naruto asked as he opened the door, expecting to see a depressed Jiraiya from getting rejected but was met with two figures wearing black cloaks with red clouds with white outlines.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you are coming with us."

Naruto's eyes widen as he took a step back away from the two as. His eyes looked between the two noticing the scratch on their headbands making them missing ninja in everyone's eyes. "Eh, Itachi, should I chop off a leg so he won't run away?" The taller one asked the shorter one as he grinned, showing off his pointed teeth giving off a bloodthirsty aura as his hand came up and grabbed the handle of his sword.

"Do what you want, Kisame."

"Well, kid, it seems like it's your unlucky day."

Naruto watched as Kisame pulled Samehada off his back, but before he could do anything, Itachi spoke, "It's been a while, Sasuke." He turned to look at his younger brother seeing that he was at the end of the hallway, hatred clear on his face as he stared at him. "Itachi Uchiha." Venom was in his words as he spoke in uncontrolled rage.

'What!?'

"Who's this Itachi?"

"My little brother."

"I thought you killed everyone in your clan?"

"No….he survived."

"ENOUGH!" Sasuke screamed at him, "You'll pay for what you did, Itachi! I'll kill you!" Sasuke yelled at him as he raised his hands to perform hand signs, "I've waited so long for this moment! I won't waste it." He was lost in his rage as he threw out all rationalization and performed hand signs, but before he could finish them, Itachi was in front of him, his hand enclosed around his wrist, stopping him from finishing it. "Really, otouto? That jutsu would have caught this whole building on fire." Itachi told him as he tightened his hold on Sasuke's wrist.

CRACK

Sasuke screamed in pain as he felt his wrist break in Itachi's hold. "Foolish otouto." Itachi lifted his leg and kicked Sasuke into the wall causing him to cough up blood when his back collided with it. "You were too weak back then, and you're still too weak now," Itachi told him coldly as he walked towards Sasuke's prone body.

"Get away from him! Sasuke!"

"Enough out of you nine tails."

Itachi lifted Sasuke from the ground, his hand enclosed around Sasuke's throat. "Get the hell away from him!" A new voice yelled as they appear.

"Sakura-Chan!"

Sakura panted as she looked at the scene in front of her seeing that Sasuke was being choked by his older brother and that Naruto was next to Kisame, who had samehada drawn. "Put him down. Now!" Sakura ordered as she glared at Itachi, two petals spinning, readying herself to use them.

"Foolish girl, you're just like Layla."

Sakura grits her teeth as she sees Itachi tightening his hold on Sasuke's neck and leaning his head down towards Sasuke's ear to whisper something, 'I need to save Sasuke!' Sakura reached out to Sasuke's chakra signal familiar with it and tugged on it.

'Outer, what the hell are you doing!? You've never done this before!'

'I won't let his own brother hurt him!'

It happened in less than three seconds. Sasuke was where Sakura was standing, and Sakura is where Sasuke was. Itachi's hand enclosed around her throat now instead. "Sakura-Chan! No!" She grits her teeth as she felt her airway being blocked off. Her eyes focused on his nose, refusing to look anywhere else, especially his eyes. She heard stories from Layla about how Itachi was a natural at controlling his Sharingan "Foolish girl putting yourself in danger to protect my otouto." He spoke to her like he was interested in knowing why she did it.

"H-he….I…is…my….t-team….mate" she choked out her words to him, having difficulty in doing "I….I…will…pro-protect….them!" Itachi leaned down to her face, his eyes scanning her causing her to close her eyes, refusing to open them.

"You….and Layla are so similar."

'Don't open your eyes! Do-' Warmth met her lips, causing her eyes to snap open and look into his.

He stole her first kiss!

Her world went black as she was sucked into the world of Tsukuyomi.

{+}

Sakura appeared in a red and black world with nothing surrounding her as it was a deserted area. "What is this place?" She asked out loud as she looked around. "It's called Tsukuyomi, and you'll be stuck here for 72 hours." Itachi appeared in front of her answering her question, causing her eyes to widen.

"No."

"You made the choice of getting between my otouto and I, and now you're paying the price." Itachi told her as a wooden cross appeared from the ground behind Sakura wires coming out of it latching on to Sakura's limbs pinning her to the cross as she struggled to get free "It's useless to fight you're stuck in here maybe if you had a fully developed Rakka hanabira you could have escaped, but it seems you're just too weak." Itachi watched as Sakura stopped fighting to get loose and glared at him for what he said to her "Now for the next 72 hours, you're going to relive all your worst memories to show how weak you are." Sakura's eyes widen as Itachi disappeared, and Itachi showed her the worst moments of her life.

She watched as she relived the news of her brother's death, her parent's death, when she was bullied for her forehead, Layla and her growing distant when they were younger, her and Ino's friendship crumbling, the taunts of her clan since she didn't activate the kekkei Genkai when she was young, team seven being formed making her feel like the weak link, the wave mission and how she couldn't do anything.

"E-enough."

The chunin exams seeing all the powerful ninja from other villages and knowing how weak she is compared to them all, the forest of death with Orochimaru, not protecting her team by herself, how she struggled in ino and her match.

"I said enough!"

The elders told her their plan, not having sway over her clan, her clan looking down on her, not protecting Ruka even though she promised, Ruka comforting her when it should be the other way around, the expectations from the clan, Layla hiding something from her.

"S-stop." She was continuously reliving her memories of how weak she is, and she wanted it to stop.

"You're the only one that can save us."

"Uncle?"

'I can't save anyone. I'm too weak.'

"Taking over Konoha is our plan."

'I'm too weak to stop them.'

Her spirit was breaking, and she honestly didn't know if she could recover from this.

"A war could break out!"

Sakura bit her cheek, trying not to cry as her voice rang out in the area.

"There's already so much bloodshed in this world! Why spill more!?"

"Please stop!"

Itachi appeared in front of her with a sword stopping her memories from being shown again as he stared at her with a new look in his eyes that she couldn't decipher at the moment. "You have 32 hours left." He told her, noticing how she didn't react to his words as he raised his weapon.

"Get the hell away from her!"

Itachi looked over to see another version of Sakura with the kanji on her forehead that said inner was fighting her way to Sakura that was pinned to the cross still. "Split personalities?" He questioned as he watched her make it to Sakura taking her down from the cross and cradling her to her chest. "Sakura, what do you want me to do? This is our domain! Tell me!" Inner ordered as Sakura laid there barely conscious.

"O-out…please." Inner nodded to her and looked back at Itachi, showing him her grey eyes with four petals in each eye, making him wonder how since Sakura in the real world only had two.

"Release!"

Sakura was brought back to the real world, her mind broken from reliving her worst memories "I'm impressed." Sakura barely noticed the tears slipping down her cheeks as Itachi spoke to her, "You broke out of my Tsukuyomi." Itachi leaned back, his hand still on her throat as he loosened his hold on her. "I'm going to keep an eye on you now," Itachi stated as he watched her emerald eyes widen Rakka hanabira, long gone, and screamed.

"Sakura!"

"Ninja art toad mouth bind!"

The surroundings in the hotel started to transform into a toad stomach, causing all ninjas to look over and see Jiraiya standing there, "Let her go, Itachi." He demanded as he glanced between the two Akatsuki members "l knew from the start she was under a genjutsu that you put on the lady Itachi." He told them as he crossed his arms, "No one has ever escaped from this, so don't try now." He watched as Sakura sunk into the wall slightly as Itachi's hand left her neck, showing purple and blue around it, showing that it'll bruise.

"Kisame."

"Right."

The two ran down the hall, turning a corner making Jiraiya chase them. He hears an explosion as he turned the corner and froze, seeing black flames and the wall gone showing the outside to him.

"What!?"

"Sakura!" Jiraiya turned around and went back to where they were dispelling the jutsu letting the surroundings go back to normal "She's not responding!" Naruto held Sakura close to him as he stared at her worriedly as Sasuke stared at her neck that had his brother's handprint on it. "Come on, Sakura-chan, wake up!" He begged as he stared at her face, seeing the red puffy eyes from her crying. "She won't wake up till we find Tsunade," Jiraiya stated as he looked down at Sakura, seeing the state she was in.

"The youthful beast is here! Might guy at your service!" Guy yelled as he jumped through the hole in the wall grinning towards them but stopped as he saw Sasuke and Sakura's states. "What happened?" He asked as he walked closer.

"Itachi happened; they need a hospital."

Guy nods as he picks up Sakura and looks at Sasuke.

"You can still run, right?"

Sasuke nods.

"Let's go; you both need medical treatment."

{+}

Layla stared at Sakura's prone figure on the hospital bed, IVs connected to her feeding her body liquids as the heart monitor beeped beside her; the color in her face was pale and no longer held life to it as she was unconscious. "Damn you, Itachi." She whispered as her hands clenched at her side, the raw anger she felt coming to the surface as she watched her younger cousin on the bed, "I won't forgive you for this, Uchiha." Layla lifted her hand and placed it on Sakura's cheek. "I couldn't protect you like I said I would." She whispered as she pulled her hand back, staring at her pale face.

Shisui and Layla sat on top of the Hokage monument staring at the sunset in silence as they both just enjoyed each other's presence, the worries and pressure of their clans washing away.

"Layla-Chan," Shisui called out her name, catching her attention as she turned her head to him to see that he was still staring at the sunset. "Can you promise me something?" He asked as he continued to stare at the sunset, refusing to look at her.

"What is it, Shisui-kin?"

Shisui finally turned to look at her showing her tired eyes but with a heart-wrenching smile on his face as he stared into her eyes.

"You and Itachi are my family." Layla felt her heart clench at his words believing that he didn't see her as something more "Because of that, promise me that you and Itachi will look out for each other." He stared at her intently, not planning to look away until he got an answer out of her.

"You know Itachi, and I already do that; we're on a team after all."

"Say that you promise."

Layla frowned as she stared at shisuis pleading face. "Why are you acting like this? Shisui-kun, you're on the team; also, nothing is going to happen." Layla told him as she watched him shake his head and place his hand on hers leaning in slightly, causing her to blush.

"You don't know that, Layla," Shisui stated to her, making her eyes widen since he didn't add Chan on the end of her name, letting her know he was serious. "If anything happens to me, I want the reassurance that you will look out for Itachi." Shisui's eyes harden as he spoke to her. "Itachi needs more people than just me by his side." He told her as he let all the emotions he's been holding in display on his face making her suck in a breath, "Just please promise me you and Itachi will always be there for each other even if I'm not around anymore." Shisui stared into Layla's blue eyes, seeing the hurt in them at his words.

"You have my word Shisui-kun. I promise I'll be by Itachi's side, and I'll look out for him."

Shisui sighed in relief and leaned towards her and kissed her on the forehead, causing her to gasp and stare at him in shock as he pulled away from her, a small smile on his face.

"Never forget Layla-Chan. I'll always be in your heart no matter what happens."

Why does it seem like that was a goodbye?

It was.

Layla sat in the chair beside Sakura's bed as she stared out the hospital window remembering the promise she made to Shisui "Onee-Chan!" A high-pitched voice yelled, making Layla look towards the door to see Ruka running in with her mother behind her, having a worried look on her face as they went to sakura's bedside. "Okaa-Sama, what happened to one-Chan!?" Ruka asked as she stared at Sakuras prone body in worry.

Saki turned to Layla, seeing that she was sitting next to Sakura's bedside, refusing to leave as she looked out the window. "What happened, Layla?" Saki asked softly as she looked back at Sakura, seeing the bruising on her neck telling that she was choked.

"Itachi Uchiha."

"W-what!?"

Layla stood up from her seat and crossed her arms as she faced the window, her face serious "He did this to her." Layla said as her anger came back full force, "Sakura got between Itachi and his little brother, and she paid the price." Layla glared at her reflection in the window. "He stuck her in his Tsukuyomi." Saki gasped as she knew what that jutsu was, thanks to being friends with Uchihas in the past and the rumors of Itachi. "I don't know what happened there, but I can only guess, but Sakura won't wake up till Tsunade-Sama gets here," Layla told her as she walked towards the door but stopped as she took a glance back at the two seeing that saki had a heartbroken expression on her face as she stared at her niece in the hospital bed while Ruka was holding Sakura's hand in hers while biting her lip from crying.

"Stay with her till I get back."

'I'm sorry, Shisui, I can't keep that promise I made to you. Itachi crossed the line, and I won't let it go this time. Just please forgive me.'