CHAPTER 8- The Hokage's advisor
"Hokage-sama, the bleeding won't stop!"
Tsunade cursed as she burst through the door of the ICU, a handful of medics following her. Her honey orbs instantly fell on Sakura who was laying on a stretcher in the middle of the room, the familiar white walls of the room suddenly seeming too small to occupy all of them.
But then again, maybe it was just her imagination.
"What are you all waiting for? Move to your assigned positions!" Tsunade barked as she rolled up her long and wide sleeves while the medics all scrambled to their position that the Godaime had previously assigned them to.
They were now all circling Sakura, each one of them having a purpose while Tsunade moved to stand at Sakura's stomach, hands already glowing as she placed them on Sakura.
Whereas there has been utter chaos despite of their previous planning before, now all there was was silence. Tense and utter silence.
"You know what to do everyone, I am going to start now." Tsunade declared in a low tone before she closed her eyes and then, begun.
She allowed her chakra to enter Sakura's body but whereas medics usually let it flow in at a faster pace especially during emergency cases, Tsunade's chakra entered Sakura's body at a painfully slow pace.
The poison had already started to damage Sakura's vitals and if she were to simply let it flow in, the poison that nestled itself into her organs would react and cause Sakura even worse pain that she was already in.
"My chakra has now successfully entered her body."
Her entire skin was tingling and despite of the calm expression that she wore, she still found herself under more pressure than she liked to be in.
As a medic one had to stay professional, regardless of who they were treating but this time, it wasn't as easy for Tsunade to get rid of her concerns.
"Her kidneys seem to have received less damage than expected. The poison has only affected the right one and just by a quarter." She spoke, loud enough for the medic who was taking notices to follow her.
She continued to scan Sakura's vitals with her chakra, focused on every little detail. Poison extractions were very tricky and every little detail mattered, just like every little drop that she may oversee and that would therefore remain in her body.
"The poison didn't affect her uterus either." At that, she inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. Sakura was a young and otherwise healthy woman, to tell her that she would be unable to bear children would be like a punch to her face that she could gladly live without.
"Now the liver." Tsunade mumbled, stopping short at what she felt. There it was, problem number one. "Her liver will fail every moment now if we don't extract the poison from her system asap. Aiko, is everything prepared?"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama." The girl to her left replied, her voice coming out more shaky than she intended it to. The brown haired girl gently placed her hand over Sakura's liver as Tsunade continued to move her chakra through the pinkette.
"Her gall-bladder, bladder and spleen are just mildly affected as well." So far, it didn't look too bad. Tsunade has already feared that Sakura's organs would be beyond repair but so far, they seemed to be in a condition where they were damaged, but not to the point that she couldn't heal them.
It would be hard, yes, but it was possible.
"Her heart and her lungs are mostly affected by the poison. Her bronchial tube-"
She was interrupted by the shrill beeping sound of the monitor that suddenly went off, causing Tsunade to snap her eyes upwards. "Damn it!" She yelled and with that, the chaos started.
"Kiko, her bleeding!"
"It won't stop, it seems like healing her with my chakra doesn't work even the slightest!" The shaken medic shrieked as she continued to hold her hand over Sakura's face in hope of getting her bleeding to stop.
"Honoka!"
The blonde that was standing in front of Tsunade looked up with a grim expression. "Ventricular fibrillation."
Tsunade pursed her lip, clearly displeased as she removed her hands from Sakura and looked at the rest, the beeping sound not ceasing. She would have preferred to have started the extraction while Sakura was stable but it looked like she wouldn't be able to do that now.
Tsunade then formed a series of all too familiar seals, her hands taking on a blue hue before she inhaled deeply, eyes blank. The normal method of extracting a usual poison wouldn't work here, so she would have to use a stronger jutsu and a more painful method.
"Get ready."
The simple command was all warning that the medics received before Tsunade placed her hands on Sakura's chest and then, begun.
Two hours.
Itachi managed to sleep for two full hours before the approaching footsteps of a familiar person gently ripped him out of his slumber. That was the downside of being a ninja, there was no such thing as a peaceful slumber. You had to be on high alert, regardless of where you were and whether you liked it or not, the mere sound of footsteps would rip you out of even your deepest sleep.
He heard the code for his room being entered, the beeping sounds breaking the silence before the door was rather roughly pushed open.
Itachi inwardly sighed, knowing very well who it was that decided to bother him at this early hour.
The door was carelessly slammed shut right after, the sound of a chair scraping against the ground being enough to annoy him as he mentally prepared himself for the conversation that would take place. He didn't expect them to be considerate of his current exhaustion or anything, but their intent was more than obvious judging by the way they were purposefully trying to get his attention.
"Uchiha, we need to talk."
Figures. It seemed like lately, everyone made an appearance to annoy the hell out of him just for the sake of it, or so it seemed. Itachi really wasn't in the mood, especially now that he had his advisor to be concerned about.
Itachi lazily opened his eyes, instantly making out his visitor despite of the darkness that covered the room like a thin blanket. He didn't even bother to hide the spark of annoyance that entered his eyes upon seeing that his assumptions had been right and tilted his head to his right ever so slightly.
"I am curious to know as to what is important enough to disturb my sleep after my rather long and exhausting journey back to Konoha, Shimura Danzo." Itachi coolly spoke, not in the mood to exchange any pleasantries.
Danzo in return offered Itachi a wry grin, acting as if he didn't take any offense to Itachi's words. "I have received word of the rather unfortunate circumstances that you and your advisor found yourself in." His grin then fell and what seemed to be a sympathetic expression found its way on his face. "It is very unfortunate indeed. How does she fare?"
At that, Itachi's face remained blank. He didn't know what Danzo wanted to get out of him but he wouldn't give the council member any information that he didn't already have. He didn't knowing why the council member took any interest in Sakura's poisoning incident and whereas it was true that it could be considered a political issue, he knew that Danzo just wanted to get involved in this for his own reasons.
Itachi never liked him, and his aversion towards the Uchiha clan was no secret either, so he didn't consider small talk necessary.
"Godaime-sama is currently treating her, though I wonder how my advisors condition is any of your concern." Itachi commented, instantly noticing the way Danzo's already cold eyes darkened.
Danzo straightened as he narrowed his eyes. "As a member of the council, every political matter is automatically my concern. I also find it very astounding as well as concerning that someone managed to poison the Godaimes apprentice in the first place, considering that she is supposed to be both an extraordinary medic and kunoichi."
At this, Itachi narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "What is it that you actually want to tell me, Shimura-san?" The Uchiha heir inquired, already suspicious of Danzos intentions.
Danzo folded his arms above his chest and hid them in his long sleeves, his face holding a very prominent frown. "I advise you to overthink your decision of keeping Haruno Sakura as your advisor." He eventually told him, the corner of his lips turned downwards. "So far, she had done nothing productive for Konoha and instead merely caused a commotion and unnecessary trouble that could have easily been prevented. You should replace her, that is, if she survives in the first place."
Itachi should have already expected this and yet, he couldn't help but frown at the audacity of the council member. Why did he keep on intervening business that was none of his concern? Whether he would keep her as his advisor or not was his and his only decision. It was one thing for Danzo to know about the incident itself, but it was Itachi who was the Hokage, not him.
And he would make sure to remind him of that and to put him back in his rightful place.
"She will survive, for I in comparison to you have full confidence in Tsunade-sama's skill and Haruno-sans will to live." Itachi lowly spoke, his voice cutting through the room like a shuriken. "Your concern is noted, but as the Hokage I will take care of this matter on my own, just like every other matter there is concerning Konoha and its safety. Your interference is not appreciated and I will I tolerate any insult on my way of handling matters nor towards my advisor."
By now, Danzo openly displayed his displeasure. The council member huffed as he rose from his seat, the chair scraping on the ground as he pushed it back. He held Itachi's gaze for a few more moments before his expression turned sour.
"Very well then, but keep in mind that the council will tolerate only so much before they decide to take care of matters their own way." Danzo said, his voice leveled but his eyes burning.
Itachi frowned upon hearing his words, his patience slowly beginning to wear thin as his eyes darkened. "It would do you good to remember who you are talking to Shimura." He told the older male, having every intention of reminding him just who exactly he was talking to if he were to continue with his disrespectful behavior towards him.
Danzo thinned his lips as he stubbornly held his gaze but just as he was about to speak up, the door opened and in rushed a breathless Shizune who stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Itachi's visitor.
"My apologizes." She breathed, dark eyes moving from Danzo to Itachi. "I didn't know that Hokage-sama was expecting a visitor."
"I didn't." Itachi deadpanned, shooting Danzo a pointed look before said male cleared his throat, displeased at their sudden interruption.
Shizune, instantly sensing the tension in the room stood awkwardly in the doorway, biting her tongue to refrain herself from spilling any information in Danzo's presence. The council member of course took notice of the woman's hesitance and turned towards the door, ready to leave the room.
"I should take my leave." He declared, shooting Itachi one last pointed look over his shoulder. "You should take my words to heart, Hokage-sama."
And with that, he left without uttering as much as one more word, leaving Shizune to stare after him in wonder and Itachi to glare at the door in obvious displeasure before his attention shifted to the young woman that decided to rather boldly burst into his room in the middle of the night.
"You have news." He stated,his voice causing Shizune to snap back into reality in an instant.
"Oh, right." A bright smile then found itself onto her lips as she clapped her hands together and her eyes brightened in delight. "Tsunade-sama managed to extract the poison from Sakura's body and is currently resting. It was a very close call though and therefore we are not certain if the poison has left any hidden damages on Sakura's body or not, but we will know more as soon as Sakura wakes up. "
Itachi found himself strangely relieved by the news. He was glad that he didn't spend the past two days running back to Konoha in vain and that he was able to partake in her survival, but he knew that it was too early for them to celebrate the good news just yet. They didn't know how much damage the poison actually caused besides for the obvious one that Tsunade apparently managed to heal, so they should simply wait and see.
At least one thing was sure, though. She survived and wouldn't die anytime though and that was all that mattered.
"I see." Was all that Itachi said as he averted his eyes from Shizune back to the window that he was formerly looking out of before Danzos arrival, unsure of what else to say.
"I will take my leave then. Tsunade-sama will see you in a few hours, so please refrain from leaving the hospital before she made sure that you are well enough to do so." Shizune told him with a smile before she bowed and left the brooding Uchiha on his own behind.
It was two days later that Sakura finally regained consciousness.
At first, she didn't even realize where she was, nor what had happened. All she knew was that her entire body was sore, her head was killing her and that the damn hospital lights prevented her from fully getting her eyes to open.
"Slow down there girl, I wouldn't advise you to do that just yet."
Sakura instantly recognized that voice and grimaced as she forced her eyes open and was greeted by the sight of her rather blurry mentor standing at the end of her bed, arms crossed above her big chest as she wore a disapproving frown.
"Shishou." Sakura croaked out, confusion flashing in her eyes as her vision cleared and her eyes strayed from Tsunade to roam the room. "What happened?"
Tsunade sighed at the sight of her apprentice that resembled a walking corpse. The dark circles under her eyes were still as prominent as before and even though Sakura's skin wasn't as pale as before anymore, she still looked beyond weak and exhausted.
She couldn't blame her, of course, but the sight still wasn't a pretty one. No one should be allowed to see a kunoichi of her class in this state with the exception of herself for the sake of her own reputation.
Though, Naruto and the rest of her friends had other things in mind.
"You look horrible girl, but that's what you get for giving us such a scare." Tsunade commented, expression stern as she continued to scold her apprentice. "What did you think you were doing anyways, getting poisoned by the worst kind and almost dying as well!"
Sakura groaned as she pulled her blanket over her head, not ready for Tsunades scolding just yet. "Come on Shishou, could you please spare me your lecture? I just woke up and it wasn't like I had any say in getting poisoned either!" Sakura whined before she huffed, a pout on her lips. "Oh, and thanks for telling me that I look horrible."
A moment of silence passed and just as she was about to peek up from beneath her blanket she suddenly felt it getting roughly pulled off of her body.
Sakura squealed out of surprised but due to her weak body she was unable to do as much as even move out of protest and only barely managed to shoot the blonde weak glare.
Tsunade in return lifted a blonde brow, daring Sakura to do as much as open her mouth as she tapped her heel on the ground. "Now that you finally decided to wake up after all the hard work that I put into healing you, you better tell me what exactly happened. That Uchiha brat left the hospital before I was able to ask him even though I told him not to." She muttered, her frown deepening before her honey eyes fell back on Sakura, who was now looking at Tsunade with a concerned expression.
It was then that it all came back, her collapsing in the morning and waking up in the cave as Itachi took his break from traveling back to Konoha.
She frowned as she slowly turned her head to look to her right, a thoughtful expression on her face as she tried to ignore her pounding head.
"Shishou, what happened after I collapsed in Suna?" Sakura inquired, her face serious as she looked back to her mentor who eventually threw the blanket back over Sakura's body before she walked towards the window and sighed, casually leaning against it.
"I received a letter from the Kazekage, telling me that you have been poisoned and that Itachi would return with you within the following two days." Tsunade started, her eyes darkening. "I won't lie Sakura, it was a very close call. Whoever poisoned you knew exactly what he had to use to cause your body damage and if Itachi would have arrived only ten minutes later than he had, you wouldn't have made it."
At this Sakura tensed, not quite sure as to how she was supposed to react to this. She knew that it was a close call and was beyond grateful to Tsunade that she had put so much effort into healing her, but she would have never expected Itachi, someone whom she barely knew, to run the entire way from Suna back to Konoha all on his own to save her.
"I would have never expected him to do that, considering that our relationship isn't what you would call great." Sakura admitted, a wave of guilt washing over her. "How is he?"
Tsunade sighed. "He is fine, I guess. He returned home while I was treating you and I haven't heard of him ever since, meaning that Mikoto is taking care of him." She shrugged, before adding. "She wanted to visit you by the way, just like Naruto and the rest of your friends. Consider yourself lucky that I managed to keep them away from you until now, that brat threatened to kick the door open if he wouldn't get to see you by the end of this week."
Sakura couldn't fight the smile that instantly took over her face upon hearing about Naruto's antics. She simply loved that boy.
Her smile fell when she noticed that she had seemingly failed to properly pick up a rather important piece of information from Tsunade though. "Mikoto-san wants to visit me?" She asked, surprised that the Uchiha matriarch wanted to see her.
Tsunade nodded. "She was pretty worried about you as well, so don't get too surprised when she decides to pay you a visit." She advised, before straightening once more. "But we can deal with that later. For now, you should rest some more. You are still in no condition to welcome all these visitors at once, so hurry up and get back on your feet, will you?"
Tsunade moved to leave when Sakura gently grabbed her mentors wrist, halting the blonde who in return looked down at her in question.
"Thank you Shishou, for everything." Sakura whispered, both gratefulness as well as apologetic to her mentor for the past few days. She knew that she must have caused a lot of trouble and work to her mentor, Itachi and all the medics that took part in saving her, and no words would ever be able to express her gratitude towards them.
Tsunade's eyes softened as a heavy sigh escaped her lips and she turned around to place her hand on Sakura's head in a motherly and affection way. This girl managed to give her a heart attack that was anything but appreciated but she could never blame Sakura for what happened. Poor girl already had enough things to deal with already and judging by the way things were going, she feared that this was only the beginning.
"Get some rest, we'll talk tomorrow."
Receiving one last smile from Sakura, Tsunade left the room with a heavy heart while the pinkette decided to use her free time to rest some more before she would be forced to face the following days and everything that it had to offer.
Three more days have passed after her talk with Tsunade and by then Sakura felt a lot better. Naruto and the rest have also already paid her a visit two days ago but her two teammates visited her more frequently than the rest, of course, not that it surprised her.
"We were worried sick, Sakura-chan!" Naruto had said as he pulled her into a bone crushing hug, causing her pat his back with a smile as she struggled to breathe.
"Don't do that again, stupid." Sasuke muttered as he gently flicked her forehead, earning a pout from the pinkette in return.
"Ah Sakura-chan, always getting yourself in trouble. Didn't I teach you better?" Kakashi had playfully scolded as he gently ruffled her hair, earning a groan from the medic.
The rest of her friends have reacted in a similar matter as Naruto though, and whereas all of them knew about her being poisoned, Tsunade left out the part of Itachi getting her back and her almost dying.
Sasuke of course had his suspicions due to having overheard his mother telling his father that Itachi arrived around the same time as Sakura was delivered into the hospital, but he decided against asking his teammate about it.
Sakura was now sitting on her bed, reading a book that Hinata brought her to pass some time after Shizune left a few minutes ago. She still needed a regular check-up and was far from fully recovered, but she would be able to get released in around a week or less if her condition wouldn't suddenly worsen, much to her relief.
Whereas she loved to work at the hospital, she hated to be a patient herself. She always needed to do something, anything to keep herself from getting bored and even though her friends tried their best to keep her entertained, she simply couldn't help but count the day until she would get discharged anyways.
It was half an hour later when someone knocked on her door. Sakura, half expecting it to be either one of her boys or the hospital staff was surprised to see that contrary to her expectations it was Mikoto Uchiha who entered her room with a basked of fruits and a bright smile.
"Mikoto-sama!" She greeted with a surprised yet genuine smile as she closed her book and instantly straightened. Sakura, suddenly conscious of just who was visiting her, swiftly run a hand through her hair and hoped that she didn't look as much as horrible as she did the days before. It wasn't every day that the Uchiha matriarch who was one of the most well known woman of the village and at the same time your boss' mother decided to pay you a visit.
Mikoto entered her room and placed the basket on the small table next to her bed and moved to sit down next to Sakura on the bed, a soft smile on her lips as her concerned eyes fell on the pinkette.
"You must be surprised to see me." She guessed and at the sheepish smile that Sakura offered her in return, a chuckle escaped her lips. "Well it's to be expected. How do you feel?"
"Better." Sakura admitted with a sigh, not uncomfortable but also not quite comfortable in Mikoto's presence. She had already had the pleasure of meeting Mikoto several times in the past when she would invite her and Naruto over to the Uchiha manor for dinner while Itachi and their father were away on some missions to keep her company and whereas she was beyond nice and caring, she never actually got to talk to her on her own. Besides, with Itachi being the Hokage and all that happened during the past few days, she still felt guilty for having put her son through so much stress.
"Well, that's certainly nice to hear!" Mikoto said, clapping her hands together out of delight at the news. "How long do you have to stay here?"
Sakura couldn't help but return the smile as she started to gradually grow more comfortable around her teammates mother. "I am afraid that I will have to stay at the hospital for one more week, but I'll be able to go back to work at the office the week after I have been discharged that so it's not too bad at all."
She knew that Tsunade wouldn't let her work at the hospital for another month or so, so Sakura ha very little other things to do in her free time since she couldn't exactly go on missions this early after her getting discharged either.
Sakura was certain that she would be occupied with all kind of paper work and errands by the Hokage though, that was if he still wanted her to be his advisor in the first place.
She inwardly sighed, reminding herself that she still needed to talk to him as well.
"Don't stress yourself dear." Mikoto gently said, waving her hand in a nonchalant matter. "Itachi will understand so don't break your head over that."
Sakura hoped that her smile didn't seem as bitter as it felt on her lips. "How is Hokage-sama doing?" She politely asked, genuinely curious as to how he was doing after the past week. She hadn't seen him even once ever since she woke in the cavern and whereas she didn't take Uchiha Itachi as one to pay her a hospital visit, Sasuke refrained from telling her anything related to his big brother for reasons unknown to her.
Mikoto's smile suddenly brightened and for a second, something flashed in her dark eyes that disappeared just before Sakura was able to make out what it was. Then, the Uchiha suddenly started to chuckle, much to both Sakura's confusion and surprised.
Had she said anything funny?
"Oh dear, he still forces you to call him by his title?" Mikoto asked, clearly not having expected that as amusement lightened up her eyes. "I should really have a word with him." She then sighed, earning a suddenly panicked look from Sakura.
"Oh, that's not necessary!" Sakura swiftly protested, an uneasy smile on her rosy lips at the sudden shift in the mood of the Uchiha matriarch. "I don't mind calling him by his title or his family name, in fact I am more comfortable this way." She insisted, just for Mikoto to furrow her brows upon hearing her words.
She knew that her son rarely opened up to others but he hoped that he would at least try to do so towards Sakura. She, after all, was his advisor and would spent a lot of time with him whether he liked it or not. It seemed like her son was being stubborn again and whereas she could understand him to some degree, Itachi needed to get more comfortable around his most recent acquintances.
Besides, Sakura was a lovely girl and he was very fortunate to have someone like her as his advisor. He needed to trust her if she would remain by his side as his right-hand man and whereas Mikoto knew that it would take time for her son to even do as much as accept her, she didn't expect it to take this long.
"So he's still as stubborn as ever, hm?" She mumbled, disappointment flashing in her eyes before she gently took hold of Sakura's hands. "May I ask you to grant me one favor, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura, confused as to what Mikoto could possibly want from her instantly nodded in return. She already felt bad enough as it was for Itachi to have run all the way from Suna to Konoha as it was, and after everything that Mikoto has done for her and Naruto back in the days, she couldn't possibly deny her a favor, however big it may be.
She really liked Mikoto, and if she would be able to somehow help her, she would do so in an instant.
Mikoto, content with Sakura's swift answer heaved a troubled sigh. "I know that Itachi is quite hard to understand and to get along with, but I also know that you are probably the only one who would be able to put up with his thick skull. He likes to isolate himself most of the time as well, especially if something important is going on and he usually wants to take care of it on his own, but he has to learn that he can't and shouldn't carry all the burden of the village on his own."
Sakura's expression softened as she saw the concern in Mikoto's eyes and squeezed the woman's hands.
"I think I understand what you are getting at, and maybe it will be of some assurance if I tell you that I didn't plan on letting him do everything his way that easily either, especially not for as long as I am his advisor. " Sakura assured her whilst offering her a small, yet genuine smile. "But I have to agree, he really is pretty stubborn but don't worry, since I am quite stubborn myself I think that I'll somehow manage to put up with him."
At that, Mikoto couldn't contain her laugh as she pulled Sakura into a deep hug, her previous worries and concern eased by the medics words. "Thanks for easing a mothers worries Sakura-chan. Oh and if Itachi is being rude or anything, tell me and I'll take care of it."
Sakura smiled as she held Mikoto for some more moments, her thoughts occupied with a certain Uchiha even after she left.
A week passed ever since Mikoto's visit and Sakura spent most of her time at the hospital thinking about her conversation with her teammates mother. She wasn't the first one to tell Sakura that she probably was the only one who was able to deal with Itachi for several reasons, Tsunade and even Kakashi also told her on several occasions and after she had spend some thoughts on it, she could see why they thought this way.
Then again, she shouldn't deal with him just because of what they said, but because she was willing to do so by her own will. Itachi was not an easy person and she was sure that she would get a few gray hair during the following months but in the end, she decided to stay by his side because she knew that it would be for the best, and not because anyone told her to.
What Mikoto said was true, she eventually realized. Itachi liked to isolate himself and to take care of things on his own and his way but with her as his advisor, she was determined to teach him a thing or two. Maybe, just maybe he really needed someone who wasn't scared to speak up or to disagree with him. Maybe he needed someone who wasn't afraid to speak her mind and to stand up for her thoughts and opinion and maybe then he would finally understand how important it was to depend on others.
It would take some time to even get to the point of him relying on her with matters, and she didn't even want to get started on how long it would take for him to trust her for the tiniest bits, but she would have to try.
And that was exactly why she was now standing in front of his office, determined to take the first step. If she wanted something to change and them to actually get along to some degree, she would have to approach him first since knowing Itachi, he wouldn't do so himself.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura raised her hand and gently knocked onto the large wooden door, pushing it open when he heard a small noise from the inside in return.
Mustering up the courage to paint a smile on her lips she confidently entered the office, ready to face the Uchiha that unbeknownst to her, had already expected her.
He was sitting behind his desk and was working on what seemed to be a report of some sorts, only looking up when the pinkette pointedly cleared her throat to get his attention.
Itachi's eyes moved from the paper in front of him to the pinkette that was standing in the middle of his office, looking considerably better than she did the last time he saw her. He could still see the faint dark circles under her eyes and her chakra was still not back at it's peak yet, but Tsunade did a great job in healing her in such a short time span nonetheless.
"Hokage-sama." Sakura greeted him, her smile not once wavering even as her gaze caught his own questioning one. "I hope that you have been well."
Itachi put his pen down and interlaced his hands in front of him, chin resting on them as he leaned his elbows on the surface of the table. He has not been bothered by anyone, so to say, and was able to get some rest before his duties as the Hokage kept him locked into his office for the past days. So it was as close to being well as he could possibly get.
"I think that I should be the one asking you that." He coolly returned as he openly scanned her body from her eyes down to her toes and back up again. "Though, it seems like Tsunade-sama did a great job at healing you."
Sakura forced herself to ignore the way a shiver suddenly crawled down the back of her spine upon feeling his eyes on her and settled for a nod. "Yeah, though I got an earful from her as soon as I woke up, but I guess that it can't be helped." She chuckled, absentmindedly noticing how she was calmer than she expected herself to be in his presence.
Maybe it had to do with the entire almost dying in his arms thing.
At that, Itachi smirked in a way that was eerily similar to Sasukes. "I expected no less from her. "
He watched her shake her head, sparks of amusement dancing in her eyes before she seemingly remembered the reason for her visit and her expression turned serious once more.
He had a feeling where this was going, and he had a feeling that her intentions for her visit were the very same ones that Itachi had for summoning her to his office tomorrow if she didn't visit him until then.
"I came to apologize." She started and suddenly, the earlier light atmosphere turned thick once more. Itachi inwardly sighed as he watched her do a perfect bow, the guilt that was palpably rolling off of her in waves not missing him. "I should have been more on alert and whereas I am grateful that you traveled all the way from Suna back to Konoha just for me not to die, I am also sorry for causing so much trouble in a first place."
Sakura was greeted by mere silence as she patiently waited for Itachi to speak up, inwardly preparing herself for anything that he may say or do since Itachi was quite unpredictable. While she was standing there, bowing in front of the Uchiha heir and Hokage she could practically feel his calculating gaze on her form, eyeing her closely.
It was when she was about to sneak a glance at Itachi that he finally spoke up, much to her relief. "There is no need to apologize Haruno, it happens to the best." He started, and Sakura instantly straightened with a relieved smile.
"Though, I don't intent to let this incident pass by without taking any action."
Her smile fell in the split of a second as she looked at him with a mixture of exasperation as well as acceptance. Sakura cleared her throat once more as she reluctantly nodded and bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from letting a sarcastic remark that was playing on the tip of her tongue slip.
"Of course, I expected as much." She said, her smile turning bittersweet.
Itachi moved so that he leaned back in his chair, eyeing her in amusement as he tilted his head lightly aside, his blank face not giving any of his thoughts away.
"Good." The Uchiha spoke, his velvet voice filling the office. "As you are probably aware, there are some people who dislike the idea of you being the Hokage's advisor for various reasons." He started, eyes locked on her face so that he wouldn't miss even the slightest facial movement of hers.
Sakura gave him a nod, this not being any news to her. "I am." Was all that she could say, not having a single clue as to how this was related to her poisoning incident. Of course he could fire her as his advisor but somehow, Sakura didn't feel like this was what he was getting at.
"Not many like the thought of the Godaime's former apprentice teaming up with the Hokage. You have great relations Haruno and have quite the reputation yourself, and that is something not many appreciate." He went on, watching her frown upon hearing his words. "You are an easy target and after the poisoning incident, they will believe you to be even weaker than they believed you to be."
Sakura crossed her arms above her chest and pursed her lips into a thin line, knowing that he was right. She now understood what he was getting at and how she fit into the puzzle. "The Hokage's advisor should be a person that they are unable to reach for if they reach me-"
"They'll get straight to me." Itachi finished, pleased that she was able to catch up with his thoughts. "As my advisor and right-hand man, you will become a very important player in this game Haruno, a player that I am supposed to rely on. " He explained, eyes darkening as he thought back to the incident a week ago.
Sakura instantly caught on with that he was saying and bit on her lower lip. "But you can't do that if I you don't know how if the player that you decided to rely on suddenly gets pulled away right in front of your eyes." She realized, now feeling incredibly stupid for not realizing all of this earlier.
She should have been prepared and whereas Tsunade and even Itachi told her that she couldn't have possibly known that someone would poison her, the timing was still very bad now that she was the Hokage's advisor.
Still, that knowledge didn't keep her from standing up for what she believed in. Regardless of who would have traveled with Itachi, it would have happened to every one of them. Getting poisoned during a fight was not uncommon and not even the best shinobi would have possibly been able to notice that they have been poisoned in the first place in time.
"I understand." Sakura admitted as she lifted her chin into the air, eyes locking with his. "But I won't allow others to look down on me or my skills as a kunoichi because of an incident that no one could have possibly prevented."
Itachi nodded, wordlessly agreeing with her as he noticed the sudden shift in her mood. This conversation was going just how he expected it to and once again, Haruno Sakura has not disappointed him with her stubbornness.
Maybe Tsunade was right and she really would be of some use.
"That's why I plan on turning you into a player that the others can't harm even when they stand right next to you."
This, however, Sakura didn't expect to hear from him. Eyes widening in surprise, Sakura had a hard time trusting her ears as she tried to make out if Itachi was actually offering what she believed him to.
"Pardon?"
"I will train you in both political matters as well as in physical combat." He elaborated, confirming her suspicions. " Since you already are skilled in both fields, I don't expect any disappointing results."
Well this was going better than she had expected and it didn't even take any convincing on her part. It seemed like they were finally on the same level, and that was something that she didn't expect to happen this soon.
"I accept your offer." Sakura offered him a dazzling smile, and Itachi for some reason felt strangely compelled to return it. That was, until she added-
"Though only under one condition."
Itachi lifted a dark brow at the medic as she crossed her arms above her chest, her demeanor suddenly changing from relieved to lecturing and Itachi had a strange feeling that he wouldn't like what she would propose.
"And what may that condition be?"
Sakura didn't bother to hide her smirk as she eyed the Uchiha in front of her with concealed amusement, finally feeling like things were going the way they were supposed to.
"I know that you probably plan on involving me as less as possible in Konoha's matters but that won't work with me." She informed him, ignoring the right corner of his lip curled upwards once more. "So if you decide to keep me as your advisor, I will involve myself as much as I deem fit so you'll either have to accept it or not. Also, so far I tried my best to be nice and considerate but since that obviously doesn't work on you, you'll have to deal with the very same Haruno that your brother does." She warned, mimicking his expression by lifting a rosy brow herself. "Do you think that you'll be able to do that, Uchiha-san?"
Itachi eyed the daring pinkette in front of him, admittedly enjoying the way she spoke her mind and didn't beat around the bush. She wasn't afraid to openly challenge him despite of his status and that certainly was a nice change in his dull everyday life that consisted of either paper-work or training.
Itachi had a feeling that his life would become less dull and monotonous from now on as he gazed into Sakura's determined eyes, not missing the way the smirk on her rosy lips dared to turn into a smile.
He has made his decision.
"I agree with your conditions, Haruno-san."
And with that, the wheels of fate were put into motion.
A/N: Hey everyone! I hope that you are doing well!:)
As you can see, things are just now truly beginning and from now on, both Sakura and Itachi will be forced to spend way more time together than they did before. This is going to be an interesting ride, considering that this duo is both hot-headed, stubborn an hella sarcastic!
A lot of things are going to happen and starting by this chapter, the plot will officially start to roll. There is also more to the way that Sakura got poisoned if you didn't catch it in this chapter, but everything will get cleared up in the following chapters.
Also, a lot of old and new characters will make an appearance so stay tuned!
As always, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and that you are ready for the chapters that will follow! Thanks for all of your reviews, follows and favors! They are what keep me motivated so please tell me what you liked about this chapter and what you think will happen next by leaving a review. Is there anything that you wish to happen or any person that you want to make an appearance?
I am looking forward to hear from you!
Love,
Sara.