CHAPTER 17- Well done
Dawn broke in Konoha.
The glowing sunbeams that shone through the broad windows of her office casted a dark shadow over her concerned expression as she gazed outside.
Her arms were folded behind her back, one hand holding a piece of paper that was beginning to crumple beneath the strength of her grip.
"Damn bastards." Tsunade venomously muttered under her breath, eyes burning with the very same fury that boiled her blood.
It's been a gruesome twelve hours at the hospital, filled with surgeries after surgeries and when she had hoped that she would finally be able to take a nap to restore her chakra, Shizune has presented her this letter that was delivered by one of her messenger Hawks.
To say that the contents of it swept all of her tiredness away in an instant would have been the understatement of the century.
"Tsunade-sama, what should we do next?" Came Shizune's words of concern, the brunette woman standing behind the desk openly displaying her worry after having read the letters contents.
Tsunade thinned her lips, her assistant's words echoing in her mind as she asked herself the same question.
With Itachi absent, Tsunade was left in a difficult position. She would have to inform the Uchiha-heir about the current events since it was a matter that demanded the Hokage's attention, but she wasn't sure if she should do that now instead of waiting for his return.
Ah, decisions over decisions.
"Tell Kakashi to take Shikamaru and Shisui with him to examine the place." Tsunade decided, a sigh following her words before she continued. "Until I have examined the body and we'll have a certain diagnose, we won't interrupt the Hokage's mission."
She already knew what the diagnose would be, as did Shizune, but with Itachi absent there was very little she could do other than to drag this process into length until he would return with what she hoped would be some new information regarding the ones that have taken a sudden liking to attacking Konoha's shinobi.
"Of course, Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade vaguely heard her assistant leave her office as she placed the letter onto her desk and leaned back in her chair, lips curled downwards into a frown.
It seemed like whoever was after them was more stubborn than she thought, what left them with one option only.
Find whoever was after Konoha and teach them a lesson.
XXXXXXXXXX
"It's here."
Sakura shot Kisame a surprised glance before her eyes fell back onto the river in front of her. The water was crystal clear, flowing swift and strong as the rushing noise broke through the silence of the night.
The pinkette moved closer to the riverside and tried to pick up anything that may indicate a concealment jutsu, but when she sensed nothing of the like, she frowned.
"Both the river and the water are real." She observed as she moved back to her feet. "So they used another way to get into the hideout other than a seal to break."
"Very attentive, princess." Kisame praised with a smirk as he reached behind his back to grab Samehada and ram it into the ground beneath their feet. "How fortunate that I know just the way how to do that."
Sakura watched Kisame form a series of seals at a pace that was too fast for her to pick up and as his hands slid into the last one, she felt a sudden shift in the air behind her.
As she turned to look around, she was surprised at the sight that greeted her. The river had parted into two, the rushing water colliding against two invisible barriers as it revealed stairs made of stone that lead into the dark depths of the river.
Sakura arched a brow as she once more looked at Kisame who smugly strapped Samehada onto his back, her silent question not going past the missing-nin.
"It's a secret." He told her with a wink before he moved towards the stairs and glanced over his shoulder to look at the pair of unmoving Konoha shinobi. "What are you waiting for? Let's go."
Sakura looked at Itachi with an arched brow who in return shook his head slightly and followed Kisame inside.
Sakura followed the two males in silence and made her way down the stairs into the darkness. The stairs were slightly slippery beneath her feet and the pinkette tried her best to adjust her eyes to the darkness that surrounded her without running into Itachi's back.
Yeah, definitely not something she wanted, even though it was highly unlikely given that as a kunoichi, she was trained to not only rely on her sight.
Her senses sharpened as she continued to walk down the stairs, the sound of the water rushing in the distance indicating that the entrance has closed once more.
As they have reached the last step, Itachi's bright red eyes pierced through the darkness and scanned their surroundings before his eyes fell on Sakura.
"The corridor parts into two ways." He told them before he formed a series of seals and the row of torches that were hanging on the cavern walls lit to life and illuminated their surroundings.
Sakura's green orbs took in the small cavern that they were standing in before her eyes fell onto the two corridors that Itachi was talking about.
"So, we have to split up." Sakura concluded as she looked at Itachi, not too fond of the idea to part in enemy territory. "Who's going with who?"
Kisame took a step forwards, expression serious as he looked at the two dark paths in front of them. "I'll take the left one and you two take the right. In case anything happens, you two will be able to get out of here faster."
"No." Itachi curtly returned, his Sharingan eyes moving from Kisame to catch Sakura's apprehensive green ones. "You will be accompanying Kisame. He knows the jutsu to open the entrance so in case anything happens, you both can get out with the information you gathered and notify Konoha."
Sakura frowned upon hearing Itachi's words, clearly against leaving Itachi alone especially after what she had witnessed on the ship but as she knew that she couldn't go against the Hokage's orders, she sighed.
"Just so that you know, I don't like that you're going alone." Sakura told him with a disapproving frown as she tried to ignore the knot in her chest. "You better come back in one piece, Uchiha."
Itachi couldn't fight the way the corner of his lips tilted the slightest way upwards as he took in the way she was standing in front of him, the concern that she tried to conceal shimmering through her emerald orbs.
He felt the smallest tug in his chest, her concern sparking the unfamiliar desire to reach out and reassure her that she would not have to worry about him. Whereas he often considered others concern a burden that he would rather rid himself off, his chest warmed at the thought that someone wanted him to return not just because of the mission outcome.
But because they cared.
Itachi reached out to gently place his index and middle finger against Sakura's forehead, enjoying the sight of seeing her eyes widen out of surprise as he poked her forehead.
"Stay alert, Haruno." He told her, his usually rough voice holding warmth that took Sakura off guard. Upon seeing the small rosary blush that covered her cheeks in the dim light of the cavern, Itachi, feeling satisfied, removed his fingers from her forehead and turned to look at Kisame, who was watching the scene with badly concealed smugness.
"Keep your eyes open and try not to get caught. We'll meet here in half an hour." Itachi instructed, and Kisame gave him a salute as he grabbed Sakura's shoulder and shot her a grin. "Well then, let's go partner."
Sakura rolled her eyes and swatted his hand off her shoulder before she grabbed one of the torches off the wall and turned to look at Kisame with a half-hearted smile. "Lead the way Kisame-san."
Kisame did as told and with one last wave at Itachi, disappeared into the corridor. Sakura followed behind and dared to glance over her shoulder to see if Itachi was still there but as she had expected, he was already gone.
She continued to follow Kisame, silence surrounding them as the torch that she held in her hand illuminated the slim corridor. After five minutes of walking in silence, Sakura's keen ears picked up the soft sounds of footsteps in the distance and within the split of a second, she unlit the torch, nudged a confused Kisame and channeled her chakra into the soles of her feet to jump upwards at the ceiling, her partner following suit.
"A little warning would've been nice." Kisame mumbled under his breath as he was hogging upside down the ceiling next to Sakura, whose eyes were trained on the now dark floor once more.
She merely huffed in amusement but other than that, remained silent as she waited for their visitors to appear.
After two minutes of waiting, a group of four entered their vision and Sakura frowned as an icy chakra-signature brushed against the chakra she used to conceal her own with.
"Did he say why he wanted to see us?" One of them asked, his voice muffled because of the black mask that covered his face.
"No, he just told us to be there by midnight." Another one returned, this time a woman as they passed the spot where Kisame and Sakura were hiding.
Kisame looked at Sakura and motioned towards the retreating group with his head. Sakura gave him a curt nod as they waited until the group was a safe distance away before they landed on he ground with the grace of a cat, not making a sound.
They exchanged one final look before they followed their target.
X-X
Itachi watched the foreign chakra that crawled over the wall in front of him in mild disgust.
It seemed like whoever casted the genjutsu put quite an effort into making it, so whatever was behind that wall must have been worth enough to be protected from prying eyes.
Regardless of the effort that was put into it, it would take him less than a second to break the illusion. Itachi however was very well aware of the fact that if he were to break the seal, its caster would know.
Thus, he hesitated.
He was certain that behind this wall laid the information that they have been seeking for the past weeks. Obtaining them would greatly benefit them and if he were alone on this mission, he wouldn't think twice about breaking the illusion.
But he wasn't, hence the hesitation.
He would automatically endanger his two teammates if he were to walk into the rather obvious trap and as both the Hokage and the current team-leader of the mission, it was something he couldn't do.
That was one of the reasons why he preferred to go on missions on his own.
Itachi's Sharingan faded back into black and he turned around, mind made up and ready to go find his teammates when he suddenly froze in place.
His senses tickled as a familiar chakra signature brushed against his own, a signature that he had believed to have rid the world of forever exactly fifteen years ago.
It was impossible, but there was no mistaking it.
Itachi's eyes bled crimson as he looked over his shoulder and just as he had expected, the wall that was behind him seconds ago has vanished into thin air and there was a flight of stairs that led further downstairs instead.
He was expecting him, it seemed.
Itachi walked down the stairs, the soft sound of his steps echoing through the silence as a dim light at the end of the tunnel entered his sight.
As he finally reached the last step and entered the dimmed room, he wasn't surprised to find himself in what seemed to be like a huge laboratory.
Tables with operating tools and shelves with foreign liquids and fluids decorated the rooms walls as he walked inside and stopped in front of one of the empty examination tables.
The smell of chemical substances was mixed with the heavy scent of blood, a smell that made even Itachi feel nauseous.
"Welcome to my humble abode, Itachi-kun." A soft voice that Itachi hoped he would never have to hear again spoke from the other end of the laboratory. "Or should I say, Hokage-sama."
Whereas his expression remained blank, Itachi's crimson eyes were burning as they took in the sight of the man that hid in the shadows the candles casted in the room.
"Orochimaru." He spoke, his voice dangerously calm as he watched the sanin step out of the shadows with a familiar grin on his lips.
"My oh my, you've quite grown since the last time I saw you." Orochimaru remarked, eyes gleaming as he tilted his head lightly aside. "How many years has it been since our last encounter, I wonder. Ten? Or maybe even more, Fifteen? Ah, it seems like time really does fly by, as they say."
Itachi felt a sudden heat wash over him as he narrowed his eyes into dangerous slits, memories of their last meeting that he had suppressed for years vividly flashing in front of his eyes.
"I believe that I have warned you once not to touch what is mine." Itachi spoke, voice low as his red eyes flashed dangerously in the light. "Yet you are foolish enough to attack my men. I believed you to be a lot of things, but for you to be as naive as to believe that I'll allow you to get something that is in my possession exceeded even my own expectations of you."
Itachi didn't miss the way Orochimaru's eyes darkened, but he kept his grin firmly in place as he hummed lowly. "Ah, Itachi-kun, you didn't change at all. That reminds me, how is our little Sasuke-kun doing? It's been quite some time since I have last seen him."
Itachi's expression turned grave as Orochimaru mentioned his little brother and if it weren't for the fact that he didn't want to cause a commotion, he would have already snapped his neck in two. He knew that Orochimaru purposefully tried to rile him up, but Itachi knew better than to give into his mind-games, so Itachi settled on fighting fire with fire.
"You haven't changed at all, you are still the very same fool you were all these years ago." Itachi calmly returned. "Blinded by power and willing to do anything it takes to obtain it, it's no surprise to me that they use the likes of you as their puppets."
At that, Orochimaru let out a small chuckle and slightly lowered his head. "Just like you are still too confident in yourself, Itachi-kun. Overestimating ones self never ended all too well, as you'll soon see."
Itachi instantly felt the shift in the air and when the lights suddenly went out, he balled his fist.
It seemed like he would be late.
X-X
Sakura didn't dare move as she had her back pressed flat against the wall, seeking shelter in the shadows as she watched the last person leave the small library that they have stumbled across.
As soon as the stone-door closed with a huge rumble and silence once more filled the now pitch-black room, Sakura relaxed and silently pushed herself off the wall.
"Took them long enough." She heard Kisame next to her grumble as she channeled her chakra into the palm of her hand, the soft green glow slightly illuminating the room they were in as she took in her surroundings.
"Looks like this is where they store all of their paperwork at." Sakura mumbled as she moved towards one of the old, tall shelves that was filled with worn looking files and folders.
"Well, I am no fan of reading, especially not in this bad lightning so I'll leave that to you princess." Kisame commented as he followed her, peeking over her shoulder as Sakura swiftly scanned the files spines in hope of finding anything that may contain some useful information.
"These are all sorted by what seems to be a serial number." Sakura observed with a frown as she grabbed a random file, pulled it out and walked over to place it on the small, round desk in the middle of the room so that she could have a proper look at it.
"So, what does it say?" Kisame asked as he leaned sideways against the desk and watched his pink-haired partner open the file to have a look at it.
Sakura's eyes swiftly scanned the first page and to her surprise, what was written on the first page seemed quite familiar to her.
"Laboratory findings." Sakura mumbled, brows furrowing out of confusion as she swiftly went through the following pages to find more of them. "This file contains results of different medical examinations that have been made on this person, like blood-tests and physical examinations."
Kisame hummed lightly as he arched his head to take a peek. "So, this means that someone regularly examines all of them. How does this help us?"
Sakura's eyes didn't rest as she continued to go through the file, eyes darkening. "Whoever examines them does it regularly, and it's not your regular check-ups either. It seems like this someone uses them as his labor rats and does regular tests on them."
"Test?" Kisame echoed, his interest piqued. "What for?"
Sakura's gaze hardened as she continued to look through the file, asking herself the very same question Kisame did. At first, she wasn't quite sure just what the reason behind all of these examinations were but when she reached the very first report that was made of this person, realization hit her like a cold wave.
The scalpels that wouldn't disappear until she used her own chakra to extract them, the chakra signatures that felt familiar yet foreign and out of place.
It all made sense now.
Kisame who has by now noticed Sakura's sudden change in posture eyed her with interest. "What's it?"
Sakura exhaled a breath and was about to answer when a loud shout from the outside caused her head to whip towards the entrance in an instant.
"Sounds like trouble." Kisame muttered as Sakura held her breath and waited, ears straining to make out what they were saying.
"He managed to get out of the laboratory!" One of them called, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.
"Orochimaru-sama will have our heads if he escapes!" Another one shouted, and Sakura suddenly felt Kisame next to her tense. Her eyes fell on Kisame who suddenly looked more serious than she has ever seen, his jaw clenched and fists balled as his eyes were fixed on the door.
"He was wounded when he escaped, he can't get that far without using his Sharingan." Another one sneered and at that, Sakura felt a sharp jolt in her chest.
Sharingan?
Her eyes widened as Kisame's own hard found hers, the realization of what she just heard just now fully sinking in.
They found Itachi and apparently, even managed to hurt him.
"We need to go." Sakura whispered as she turned around, intending to leave before Kisame grabbed her wrist.
"We still have to be careful." Kisame reminded her, his grip tight. "We need to get to the entrance without getting caught or else we may not be able to get out of here at all."
Sakura gave him a firm nod and as soon as Kisame released her wrist, she allowed her glowing chakra to fade before she moved towards the door.
When she was certain that there was no one in the hallway anymore she opened the door and together with Kisame made her way back towards the place where they parted from Itachi.
They were running at full speed, using the shadows as their cover whenever they passed a guard and managed to reach the entrance within five minutes.
Just to find it guarded by a handful of masked-nins and Itachi nowhere in sight.
"He's not here." Sakura whispered from where she was hiding, back flatly pressed against the wall as she glanced at Kisame who was frowning as well. "Why isn't he here?"
"He wants us to leave without him." Kisame muttered, causing Sakura to frown as well. "By leading most of them away from the entrance, he's giving us the opportunity to get out as long as we can."
Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing as she fully turned her head to look at Kisame, frowning as she noticed the way Kisame's conflicted expression.
"You want to leave without him." She spoke, voice low and eyes shining in surprise.
Kisame sighed. "We have no choice. He ordered us to leave, so we should do exactly that and return to get him when we have a proper plan."
Sakura knew that Kisame was right. It would be best to follow his orders and leave as long as they still could and return when they have figured out how to safely get Itachi out of there.
Yet, she knew she could never leave him behind especially after knowing that he was already hurt. It took a lot to injure someone as powerful like Uchiha Itachi and after what she had witnessed on the ship, Sakura knew that something wasn't right with Itachi.
She wouldn't leave without him, even if it meant that she would have to go against his orders.
"I'm sorry Kisame, but I can't leave him behind." Sakura spoke, eyes determined as she bravely held Kisame's surprised gaze with her own. "I'll go find Itachi while you get out of here and think of a way to get us out of here."
Kisame's frown once more returned. "Sakura-"
"No." She instantly interrupted him, tone firm. "My decision is final. I won't leave without him, I can't."
Kisame didn't like it one bit. Whereas he as well was concerned for the Uchiha's well-being, he knew that the best things to do in this situation would be to leave and to return with a plan. However, one look at Sakura's determined face was enough to make him forget all reason and instead, listen to his instincts that were screaming at him to shed some blood.
"You got guts princess, I'll give you that." Kisame remarked as his frown fell, surrendering. "I really hope that you know what you are doing because once we go in there, there is no turning back."
Sakura knew best that what they were about to do could either end the way she wanted or really, really bad but as a kunoichi and a medic, she was forced to make such decisions daily.
And not once did she regret to trust her gut.
"Let's go get him."
-X-
It didn't look too well for him.
He was currently standing in the middle of a conference room, ten masked-nins laying dead at his feet and five more surrounding him.
Even the adrenaline that filled his veins couldn't numb the stinging sensation of the chakra scalpel that was digging into the nape of his neck. It burned hotter than any fire, entered his body and tried to overpower his chakra with its own.
His eyes were stinging from overusing his Sharingan and now that they managed to partly block his chakra with their own, using the Sharingan would have fatal consequences.
He knew that he wouldn't be able to get out of there if Orochimaru's remaining men arrived. Itachi was already in a critical condition and if they were to land another hit on him, he would have to surrender in order to gain his strength back and escape on his own after some time.
Itachi's expression turned grim as he dodged another scalpel that was flying towards him and charged straight at the one who threw it.
He moved faster than the eye could see and within the split of a second was standing behind his attacker and snapped his neck.
Itachi then jumped away from the body, avoiding a handful of Shuriken as his ears managed to pick up the sound of a hoard of approaching footsteps coming straight this way.
The Uchiha heir side-stepped another before ramming his elbow into his neck, grabbing him by the torso and throwing him into the other approaching nin, hurling them against the wall.
"We got him!" He heard one of them shout as they entered the hall and when he was about to form a familiar sets of seals, he felt a sharp pain his leg that set his entire body on fire.
He momentarily lost balance and gritted his teeth as he looked down to see another one stuck in his thigh, glowing in a dangerous hue.
"Surrender, Hokage!" He heard one of them call, and Itachi couldn't help but feel irritated at the sight of over thirty masked men surrounding him.
They would have been no match for him if it weren't for the scalpels that were currently stuck in his body and tried to overpower his chakra with its own.
Itachi eyed the troop of Orochimaru's men, their leader nowhere in sight and he inwardly huffed. It seemed like the sanin needed some time of his own to recover after their little talk.
He was certain that he hadn't seen the last of him though. He just hoped that Sakura and Kisame successfully managed to get out and notify Konoha about what has happened.
Itachi exhaled softly through his nose, trying to blend out the agonizing pain as he tried to straighten up as much as he could. Even in his current state, he wouldn't show them in how much pain he actually was.
Uchiha Itachi wouldn't allow anyone to see his vulnerable side, regardless of the circumstances.
"Get him." He heard one of them order a handful of men and when Itachi saw them approach, he merely watched. If getting caught was the only way to get out of there alive, so be it.
That was, until what seemed to be a huge explosion rung through the entire hall, causing the ground to shake and every head to turn towards the place it came from within a second.
And when Itachi's eyes landed on a pink-haired female that looked beyond livid, he didn't know whether she should be surprised, angry, or impressed.
He settled for a mixture of all three.
"Well princess, if that's what you meant by doing things your way, I approve!" Kisame spoke with a blood-thirsty grin as he pulled out Samehada, the sword transforming in his grip and becoming twice its size as Sakura cracked her glowing fists, eyes fixed on the men that were surrounding him.
"You have five seconds to get the hell out of here before I'll take your damn chakra scalpels and dig them into your necks myself." Sakura announced, eyes roaming the masked-nins who were getting into their fighting stance.
"It's her!" She heard one of them shout, and Kisame shot Sakura an impressed look.
"They already know you, huh?" He guessed, and Sakura shot him a grin.
"They decided to pay me a visit at the hospital some time ago." She told him with a shrug before her eyes fell back onto the troop, gleaming with a fire Itachi hadn't seen in a while. "They don't learn from past mistakes, it seems."
And with that, she charged.
Sakura jumped into the air, her fist glowing brightly before she slammed it into the ground, effortlessly breaking it and forcing her opponents a few meters back.
Kisame was already charging at the ones closest to Itachi, a crazed grin on his face as the Hokage jumped towards the the shark-like man, expression displeased.
"I told you to leave, so why are you still here?" Itachi asked as he dodged a kunai and slammed his fist into a masked face, knocking him a few meters back.
Kisame chuckled as he used Samehada as a shield to block off the chakra scalpel that was flying towards his eye and glanced over his shoulder to look at Itachi. "She's quite a stubborn one."
Just as the words have left his mouth did the ground beneath their feet shake once more, causing Itachi to loose balance due to the pain in his thigh and to lean against the wall.
Kisame was at his side in an instance and frowned as he caught sight of Itachi's limp leg. "These bastards got you bad it seems." He muttered under his breath as he grabbed Itachi's arm and carefully slung it over his broad shoulders. "We should go."
Itachi curtly nodded as his eyes caught sight of his little brother's teammate some meters to his right. She was currently facing seven at once, slamming her fist into one's shoulder while she dodged a kunai and jumped into the air, kicking another one in the face. As if she felt his eyes on her, she turned her head to look at him for the first time ever since they found him. He looked pale, his eyes were bloodshot and even though he tried to hide it, his jaw was clenched tightly due to the pain of his injuries.
Sakura intended to move towards the duo but felt a shift in the air to her right just in time to dodge a scalpel aimed for her ribs. She made a turn, rammed her elbow into his neck before she channeled her chakra into her fist, grabbed another one by the collar and hurled him against the closest wall, knocking him out cold.
She eventually managed to knock out half of them, but it seemed like the remaining ones didn't intend to let them go that easily and were already making their way towards them.
"Damn it." Sakura muttered under her breath as she took in the sight of the remaining ten coming straight for her before she looked over her shoulder to see her teammates already waiting for her.
She took a few steps backwards before she fully turned around and swiftly made her way to the already waiting duo. Kisame helped Itachi through the hole that Sakura had previously punched through the wall and waited for Sakura to follow through, but the pinkette had other plans.
She formed a series of familiar seals and seconds later, the entire hall was filled with Shadow-clones that were standing with their back against the walls, hands glowing and waiting for Sakura's sign.
The pinkette waited, watching her enemies get closer and closer and when the first of them was just one arm-length away, she jumped back, extended her arm and roughly slammed her fist into the wall to her right with all her might.
Her clones did the same and an instant later, the entire room was shaking. The ceiling was breaking, boulders and stones hitting the ground as they tried their best to avoid them as Sakura's clones circled them.
The pinkette jumped backwards through the hole in the wall, her hands forming a set of seals as she landed next to Kisame, who was looking at her with an impressed smirk.
"A barrier, nice thinking." Kisame commented as Sakura turned around to look at Itachi, who was eyeing her with an unreadable expression.
She then took sight of the glowing scalpel that was buried in his neck, her eyes instantly growing serious as her gaze once more fell on the Uchiha in front of her.
"We need to get you out of here asap." Sakura told him as she moved to stand next to the Uchiha and gently wrapped her arm around his torso, slinging his arm over her shoulders. She gave Kisame a curt nod and the missing-nin let go of Itachi, causing the Uchiha to fully lean against Sakura due to his limp leg as she shifted his weight to steady him.
"Kisame, lead the way." Sakura instructed and with a salute directed at the pinkette Kisame did as told and started to lead them back towards the entrance.
As they began to walk, Sakura gently placed her free palm against Itachi's ribs, instantly feeling his muscles tense at the sudden touch. "Relax." She softly ordered him with a small frown and a few seconds later, she felt him ease under her touch.
Sakura's frown never left her face as she channeled her chakra into her palm and allowed it to enter Itachi's body.
She felt him flinch upon feeling her chakra suddenly enter his body but eventually calmed. He felt her chakra enter his body as it did all the times before, softly, yet with purpose. It took some of the burning sensation away and numbed the feeling of the foreign chakra in his body, covering it with her own instead.
He instantly felt slightly more at ease, his body instantly accepting her chakra as if it were his own. His eyes fell on the pink-haired female at his side, the conflicted frown that marred his face similar to the concentrated one that was present on her own.
He was irritated. He had told them to leave and yet, she disobeyed his orders once more by coming to find him. As a kunoichi, it was her duty to follow his orders. It was dangerous if she went against them and yet, he found himself unable to be as angry as he should be.
That didn't mean that she would get reprimanded once they'd be out of there.
"Guys, we have a problem." Kisame's deep voice suddenly echoed through the empty hallway just as they were about to reach their destination. "We've got company."
Sakura frowned as she tightened her hold on Itachi when she felt him shift his weight onto his good leg, intending to lean away from her.
She fixed him with a steely gaze, silently daring him to leave her side before she looked at Kisame. "So they're blocking our only way out." She concluded, earning a nod from Kisame in return.
"We need a plan." He told them, expression serious. "I could open the entrance, but chances are high that they'll close it while we are passing through, and I don't want to get squeezed to death."
Sakura hummed lowly, trying to think of an alternative when she felt her last clone disappear and her remaining chakra returning back to her.
"We have to hurry, they're about to break the barrier." Sakura told them, the concern that laced her voice not going unnoticed by the brooding Uchiha next to her.
"There's a way." He suddenly spoke, catching the remaining two by surprise as they expectantly looked at him. Itachi's eyes however fell on Sakura and the moment they did, she knew that she was not going to like his idea.
"Can you replace the chakra that is partly blocking my own with yours?" He questioned, instantly noticing the way her confused expression turned dark just moments later.
"That's out of question." Sakura quickly refused, her lips set into a thin line. "If you use your Sharingan now then the consequences could be fatal."
"There is no other way." Itachi curtly returned, and Sakura clenched her jaw as she mirrored his displeased expression with an angered one of her own. She forced herself to think of another way, her mind reeling over possible ways to get out of there so that they wouldn't have to use Itachi's Sharingan and when she felt a piece of her barrier crack, she knew that they couldn't waste any more time.
"I got a plan, but we have to hurry because we'll get company soon." Sakura told them as she walked over to Kisame and motioned for him to take Itachi.
She removed her glowing hands from his torso and he instantly felt the loss of her warmth. He suddenly felt even weaker than he did before, his remaining chakra having almost entirely disappeared due to the scalpels as he tried his hardest to focus on Sakura's face that was getting blurrier by the minute.
"Kisame, I need you to open the entrance while I'll take care of our friends there." Sakura told him, pointedly ignoring Itachi's darkening expression. "As soon as it's open, get him out of here while I'll follow behind. You need to be out of the hide-out so that if they try to close it and I'm still inside, you can teleport me out of here."
Kisame hummed lowly as he allowed her words to sink in. "It could work, but we'd have to do so before out friends back there get here."
Sakura nodded as she looked at Itachi, who seemed anything but pleased about her proposed plan. He knew that it could work, but the risk of not getting her out in time were too high to dismiss.
Sakura, aware of his inner debate merely offered him a small, reassuring smile before she once more channeled her chakra into her fists.
"How many are there in total?"
"Four." Kisame told her, and Sakura hummed in return, clearly pleased.
"As soon as I have knocked the first two out, you two leave." Sakura told them after a moment of contemplation and when Kisame gave her a hesitant nod, she offered him a smile. "Don't disappoint me."
Sakura didn't waste anymore time and without looking back, swiftly made her way past the two males and charged at her targets at a speed that left her invisible to the naked eye.
She grabbed the first one by the neck and roughly slammed him against the nearest wall, successfully knocking him out cold while the remaining three instantly went into their fighting stances, their surprise only being momentarily.
Sakura met the next two halfway and sidestepped the one to her right when he went in for a punch, grabbed their wrist and applied pressure to it until she felt it break.
She then pulled him closer to shield herself from the kick that was directed at her before she hurled him against the third one, knocking both onto the ground whilst she threw a series of Kunai against the fourth one that just barely missed him.
While the two on the ground were trying to get up she swiftly applied chakra to the sole of her feet to increase her weight before she jumped onto the upper one's chest, earning a crack before she slammed her fist into the fourth ones face, causing him to stumble back a couple of feet.
She then heard a loud, familiar rumble echo through the building just as she felt the last piece of her barrier break and just as she dodged the scalpel that came flying towards her broad forehead, she saw Kisame leap towards the staircase.
Out of the corner of his eyes she saw him throw her one last concerned glance before Itachi and him disappeared out of her sight and made their ways back to the surface.
Sakura noticed that the other one on the ground started to form a set of seals and she instantly grabbed his hands from behind, forcefully twisted them before she kicked him right into the chest and send him flying to his other friend.
Now there was only one left, but she could already hear the others approach. Sakura growled lowly as she lunged at the last who skillfully avoided her fist and grabbed her elbow before he kneed her into her back.
Sakura winced as she was forced a couple of meters back before she turned around, extended her legs and intended to knock the fourth one off of their feet, who merely jumped into the air and avoided her attack.
What they didn't expect however was for the air to be knocked out of their lungs from one of her clones who kicked him from behind, sending them flying straight towards Sakura's fist.
The pinkette delivered one last punch and felt his nose break before he fell onto the ground as well, unconscious.
"There, I can see her!" Sakura suddenly heard someone call and without looking back, she swiftly darted up the staircase.
The adrenaline was running through her veins at full speed as she caught sight of a broad back a couple of meters above her.
A pang of relief filled her as she realized that Kisame and Itachi have almost reached the end but when the walls next to her began to narrow all of sudden, her relief turned into panic.
"Kisame, hurry!" She called as she came to a halt, placed both of her palms flatly against the walls and channeled her chakra into them to buy them some time, but even her strength couldn't fully withhold the pressure that the walls were putting on them.
Sakura poured every last ounce of chakra she had into keeping the passageway open, her arms already trembling from the pressure as she felt the walls coming closer and closer.
"Come on, come on." She pleaded as she gritted her teeth, her heartbeat echoing loudly in her ear as he felt the stone walls touch her bare arms.
She looked up just in time to see the two of them disappear from her sight but Sakura was unable to celebrate. She felt her chakra slowly fade and the walls come dangerously close and she knew that if they wouldn't hurry, she would end up getting squeezed to death as Kisame had said.
She felt the rough walls bruise against her smooth skin and the air slowly grow thinner before she finally felt a familiar pull in her stomach and her surroundings blurred.
The pressure against her body disappeared and within seconds, she found her feet touch the soft grass and her surroundings once more clear.
A wave of dizziness overcame her at the sudden change in surroundings and Sakura closed her eyes, lifting one hand onto her head to rid herself of it. She barely noticed the cool raindrops that hit her skin, the soft sound of the rain hitting the ground piercing through the sound of her adrenaline slowly fading as she took a deep breath.
"Well done princess, you did it." She heard a familiar voice from her left and when she opened her eyes, she saw Kisame shoot her a lopsided grin before he gave her shoulder a pat. She offered him an exhausted smile before her eyes fell on Itachi who was leaning with his back against a broad tree. His eyes were droopy and even though he carefully masked his exhaustion, Sakura could easily tell that he was in pain by the way he held himself.
"Let's go, there's still something I need to do." Sakura told them and with one nod from Kisame, the trio made their way back to the inn.
Due to their exhaustion and injuries, it took them slightly longer to get there but when they finally did, soaked to the bone, they instantly went back to their rooms.
"Let's go into my room so that I can patch you two up." Sakura tiredly suggested, but Kisame shook his head.
"I'll be fine with a little sleep, you take care of him." Kisame told her as he followed Sakura to her room, who reluctantly nodded. The trio made their way through the dark corridor until they finally reached the pinkette's room.
She formed a series of seals before she pushed the door open, turned on the light and moved aside to let her two companions in.
"Leave him on the bed please, I'll take care of the rest." Sakura told Kisame who did as told and gently helped Itachi onto the bed, the Uchiha trying his best to ignore the blinding pain that was cursing through his veins.
"You sure you'll be fine on your own?" Kisame once more asked and Sakura offered him a weak smile as she accompanied him to the door.
"If I need anything, I know where to find you." Sakura assured him. "Try to get some rest, you need it after today."
Kisame chuckled softy as he reached out to pat her head. "I knew you were tough, but you really lived up to your reputation today princess."
Sakura's smile turned grateful and after another moment of hesitation and one last glance at Itachi, Kisame eventually left the room.
When Sakura finally closed the door and locked the it once more, a heavy sigh passed her lips before she walked straight towards the bathroom to get a set of towels.
She had only little chakra left, what meant that she would have to tap on her reserves in order to get Itachi out of immediate danger.
When she returned to the bedroom, she placed the towels on the nightstand next to the small bed and gently sat down on the bed next to Itachi, who was watching her every move.
Sakura pursed her lips as her eyes fell on the still glowing chakra scalpel in his neck, unable to imagine the pain that he must be in.
"You're lucky that it didn't get in too deep." Sakura softly mumbled as she gently reached out to trail her fingers around the wound, the soft glow on her fingertips soothing his pain. "Others wouldn't have survived the first minutes after getting hit by it."
All Itachi could do was huff upon hearing her words, causing Sakura to automatically roll her eyes. "Right, Hokage and all." She muttered, her lips daring to quirk upwards into an amused smile before it turned into a deep frown.
"It seems like it's been blocking a part of your chakra that is also partly responsible to activating your Sharingan." She observed, brows furrowing out of concern. "As soon as I separate its chakra from your own, I'll have to use mine to replace it and gently let it fade with time so that your body can create its own again."
Her eyes fell on Itachi's exhausted face, the dark circles under his eyes more prominent than ever as his onyx orbs were fixed on her own. Sakura could easily tell that his vision was unfocused, whether it was due to the chakra scalpels stuck in his body or due to something else however she wasn't sure.
Seeing Itachi as vulnerable as this stirred a mixture of emotions in her that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was frightening to see one of the strongest shinobi of their time this vulnerable and as concerned as Sakura was, she also knew that Itachi was strong enough to survive something like this.
How he got hit in the first place was a mystery to her, but she would make sure to ask him about how he got in this state as soon as he was properly healed.
Itachi wasn't oblivious to her curiosity, the dim light in her eyes giving it away and yet all he could do was lay there, weak and depending on her to heal him, his life in her hands.
As much as he hated it, he didn't feel as uncomfortable as he thought he would. If it were anyone other than Sakura who'd see him in such a state, he knew that he wouldn't allow them to get even this close in such a state but since it was her, he strangely felt at ease.
"I trust you."
Sakura's eyes snapped to his and widened for the split of a second, obviously not having expected his sudden confession as her hands came to a halt on his skin. He had managed to take her off guard and allowed his exhausted eyes to take in her endearing expression as he watched her pink lips curl upwards into a soft, genuine smile.
Knowing that he was responsible for this expression stirred a foreign feeling in him, a feeling that he knew was just a small taste of what was yet to come.
If there was one thing Uchiha Itachi knew was that the way her eyes brightened filled him with a sense of satisfaction that no kill ever gave him, and that his special interest in his pink-haired advisor was starting to become deeper than he had originally reckoned with.
"That's good, because I trust you too." Sakura softly returned, her eyes shining with honesty that made him feel a strange warmth around his heart in a way he hadn't felt before. "Are you ready? This will probably hurt."
Itachi inwardly scoffed at her words.
Oh the irony.
"Accidentally killing me would do more harm than good, so I advise you to pay extra attention this time Haruno." Itachi told her, causing the pinkette to roll her eyes as a huff passed her lips.
"Trust me Uchiha, even though there are moments when I'd like to do nothing more than to wring your neck, there are a lot of people who need you." Sakura reminded him, her smile lightly dimming as her lips thinned, as if she wanted to say something else but thought better of it at the last second.
"Hn." Itachi merely returned as he watched her focus on the scalpel stuck in his neck, her fingertips still glowing as she encircled her left hand gently around the knife, the feeling of her chakra brushing against it sending an icy shiver down his spine.
"I'm sorry." Sakura whispered and just as the words have reached his ears did he feel a sudden, blinding pain curse through his entire body.
Itachi gritted his teeth as his vision darkened and he was left alone with the agonizing burning sensation that cursed through his veins. In his life as a shinobi he had received tons of injuries, suffered countless of broken bones and yet, he couldn't remember a time when he had felt such an enormous pain before.
He barely felt Sakura's chakra enter his body and when he opened his eyes once more, all he was able to make out was her blurred, pained expression as the green hue that engulfed her fingers brightened up her eyes.
Sakura was pouring all the chakra she had left into him as fast as she could so that his body wouldn't notice the chakra deficit for too long. The moment she pulled the scalpel out she instantly felt his body stiffen beneath her touch, the pain that he felt clearly visible in his eyes as he forced them shut, jaw tightly clenched.
She knew that it must have hurt beyond comparison, especially considering that whilst some of their highest ranked Shinobi have already died from only one hit by a chakra-scalpel and that Itachi somehow managed to survive with two stuck in his body.
Itachi really was unlike any other person Sakura had ever met.
She saw him briefly open his eyes as she finally managed to pour enough of her own chakra inside to keep him stable, his unfocused eyes tiredly looking at her as he fought to embrace the pain as good as he could.
His breathing was slow and heavy, she noted, and his forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat. He would most likely get a fever, especially since she didn't get him to change out of his wet clothes and she just hoped that his body would be strong enough to recover on his own while she would recharge her chakra during the early morning hours.
"Sleep." Sakura gently advised him, her heart breaking at the sight of him in pain. "I'll do the rest."
He regarded her for another moment, obviously unsure whether he should follow her advice or not before his eyes slowly drifted shut and the darkness pulled him into the depths of unconsciousness, leaving Sakura all alone.
The pinkette however didn't mind and focused on pouring all she had into the Uchiha in front of her, refusing to rest until she was certain that he would be able to get through the following hours on his own.
Long, gruesome and exhausting hours awaited her, that much she knew, but she was willing to take them all if it meant that she could heal him.
The one she feared was slowly taking over the place she had guarded with everything she had without even realizing it.
Her heart.
-X-
When Itachi regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was the soreness of his body. His muscles were aching, his head throbbing and even though he was sweating due to being covered by a blanket, he was freezing.
The second thing that made its way through his fuzzy mind was that even though the pain was still partly evident, most of it had faded into a dull ache. The room was covered in darkness and even though his vision was slightly better than before, he still had troubles to make out anything in the darkness without his Sharingan.
The stinging sensation in his eyes was still quite prominent however and reminded him of the past days events hat eventually caused his mind to stray to a certain person.
Itachi could feel her chakra cursing through his veins as it slowly adjusted to his own that was gradually starting to return but when he found that the pain in his leg has also disappeared, he frowned out of surprise.
It seemed like Sakura had extracted both chakra scalpels, what would explain the lessened amount of pain that he was in.
Itachi moved his head to his right, intending to look for the medic when he noticed familiar pink locks that were sprawled over his upper thighs. He lightly shifted his injured leg, careful not to move too much as he was greeted by the sight of Sakura's head resting on his abdomen, the pinkette sound asleep.
For the following moments Itachi merely laid there, watching her as she slept whilst he wondered just how many hours she must have spent healing him in order for her to fall asleep on him.
Her upper body was hunched over the bed while she was kneeling on the ground next to the bed, her arms supporting her head as she slept.
She had seemingly dressed into a fresh set of clothes, the oversize navy-colored shirt that she was wearing over a pair of her usual leggings keeping her exposed to the cold night-air that filled the room.
Her chest was rising and falling in a steady rhythm and even though she looked peaceful, Itachi could easily tell that she had drained herself off all her chakra.
It was when the Uchiha heir tried to shift his weight slightly to the right, intending to make more space for her to spare her from the inevitable back pain that would greet her in the morning when Sakura suddenly stirred in her sleep with a soft sigh.
Itachi instantly stilled, hoping that she'd drift back into a deep slumber but as expected from a kunoichi as her, she instantly woke up.
Her eyes fluttered open to reveal dazed, emerald eyes. When they finally rested on Itachi and she realized that he was awake she instantly sat up straight with a tired, yet surprised frown.
"You're awake already." She mumbled, clearly not having expected him to regain consciousness this fast as she moved onto her feet and leaned over to rest a cool, light hand onto his burning forehead. All Itachi could do was watch her as he leaned over him, immersed in the way her brows furrowed lightly out of concern and how her lips curled downwards out of disappointment.
"Your fever still hasn't gone down." She mumbled before she lowered her eyes to look at him with a scrutinizing gaze. "Are you still in much pain?"
Itachi took a moment before he closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of her cool hand against his forehead before he answered.
"No." He returned, voice rough as he felt her hum lightly upon hearing his answer. Itachi then felt her remove her hand from his skin, feeling mildly disappointed at the sudden loss as Sakura looked down at him with a small smile.
"That's fortunate then. You still need some rest though, so try to get some more sleep while I'll get a spare futon from Aiko and-"
Itachi didn't know what came over him but the moment Sakura slightly turned away from him he grabbed her wrist, successfully prevent her from leaving his side.
The pinkette turned her head to look at the Uchiha heir in open surprise as she felt his burning fingers encircle her slim wrist.
"Don't." Was all that Itachi muttered in return, his grip on her wrist not loosening as he watched her expression turn from surprised to confused.
"I don't understa-"
Growing impatient with his advisor, Itachi decided to take matters into his own hands and tugged the pinkette forwards with one firm pull, causing her small body to fall onto his with a soft gasp.
"What are you doing?" Sakura breathed, feeling her heart hammering against her rib cage as felt Itachi wrap an arm around her back before he gently rolled them over so that they were both sideways laying on the bed, facing each other.
Her wide eyes were fixed on his own burning ones as she felt the soft-warm blanket that she had previously covered him with getting placed over her own small body, his fingers brushing against her exposed arm as he did so.
"Itachi?" She spoke his name, voice barely above a whisper as she realized just how close they were. Their faces were only inches apart, their noses almost brushing against one another as his dazed orbs never left hers. He was unpredictable, leaving her unable to read his thoughts or to predict his next actions and as much as she was used to it, she couldn't help the innocent curiosity that burned inside of her.
"Stay."
As soon as the word has passed his lips, he watched her expression grow from confused to surprised once more, the innocence that brightened her eyes as her mind seemingly reeled with questions enticing him.
He knew that he could spend the following hours simply watching her, studying her and every little thing about her and that knowledge was enough to unsettle him.
She was lulling him in without even realizing it, forcing him to enter a dangerous territory that once he would cross its borders, there would be no going back for him.
The innocence that her eyes held as they watched him made him feel the urge to pull her as close as possible, to shield her from all the horrid things that he knew the world had to offer so that she would forever keep that fire in her eyes.
Sakura was one of the strongest kunoichi he had ever encountered, her skill nearly surpassing Tsunade's own. He knew that she needed no protection, that she could easily take care of herself as she has once more proved today and yet, the need to keep her by his side was overwhelming.
"You make me wonder, Itachi." Sakura suddenly spoke, her expression softening as her small voice filled his ears. "Just what's going on in your mind."
The ghost of a smile passed his lips before it disappeared just as fast as it had appeared, his eyes softening ever so slightly as he regarded at the pinkette in his arms. He knew that once he'd let her in, he wouldn't be able to allow her to leave again, so it was for her own protection only that he didn't allow her fully inside into his mind yet.
Soon, but not yet.
"Sleep." Itachi advised her as he allowed his eyes to fall shut, hoping that despite of her stubbornness she'd do the same. He could still feel her eyes on him moments later before he heard her sigh, her body relaxing beneath his touch as she shifted her weight to get more comfortable.
It was the first time that Itachi actually showed that he cared and even though his actions just confused her even more and made her unsure of what to think, she couldn't help but feel at ease in his presence and enjoy the feeling of the soft mattress under her body and the warm blanket that covered her.
She spent the following moments trying to fall asleep, and when she was just about to drift into a deep slumber she heard his soft voice ring in her ears.
"You did well today, Sakura."
That night, for the first time in a long time, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
A/N: Yes, I am still alive! I once more apologize for the very long delay, but I've had a couple of bad months and a huge writers block that I had troubles to overcome.
I hope that you enjoyed this chapter despite of the wait.
This one contained more action and some ItaSaku moments that have been long overdue. The next chapters will be more light and less dramatic (I think), and I hope that you look forward to them as much as I do!
I'll try my best to update as soon as I can, now that I have finally overcome my huge writers block and that my muse returned.
Please leave a review and tell me what you guys think of it so far, they're what keeps me motivated!:)
I hope that you are having an amazing day and as always, thanks for supporting Immersion!
Love you lots,
Sara