CHAPTER 25- Tears for the fallen
When Sakura stirred awake it was still night, the thunder booming loudly outside waking her as she tiredly opened her eyes.
The first thing she noticed was the warmth that she was surrounded by, Itachi's strong arms wrapped around her as she was curled up in his side, head resting on his shoulder.
He was seemingly still asleep, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm as Sakura spent the next moments merely listening to his heart beat, trying to ignore the booming thunder outside.
There were occasional flashes of light followed by a booming sound as Sakura softly sighed. She had never been too fond of storms, almost always finding it hard to sleep peacefully through the night whenever there was one.
Sakura guessed that she probably didn't sleep for more than three hours judging by fact that it still seemed to be the middle of the night and the pinkette inwardly found herself wondering if the others were back already.
Ino seemed pretty much wasted by the end of the mission and Shisui seemed busy fighting off some people as well and for a moment, Sakura felt bad for just leaving them like that.
She knew that they could take care of themselves, especially since Tenten was with them, but maybe she should have checked on them still.
Guilt gnawing at her, Sakura decided that she should at least check if they returned safely and since she was unable to fall asleep again anyways, she figured that now would be the best time to do so.
Sakura looked up at Itachi's sleeping face with pursed lips, wondering if she would be as lucky as the last time to escape without waking him before a soft sigh escaped her.
Well, there went nothing.
The pinkette gently rested her hands on Itachi's arms that were loosely wrapped around her waist and carefully lifted them just enough so that she could roll out of his arms but when she looked back at him to check if he was still asleep, his onyx eyes were already staring at her.
Her face fell with disappointment as Itachi lifted a brow, his arms once more falling over the pinkette as she threw him a small, sheepish smile.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, eyes apologetic as she looked at him. "I didn't want to wake you."
Itachi apparently didn't mind for he merely gave her waist a small squeeze, expression softening. "It's fine." He assured her, deep voice still laced with remains of sleep as his eyes turned curious. "I take that you want to escape again?"
Sakura's expression turned sheepish as she looked at him, gently biting onto her lower lip to hide her amused smile. "I just want to check on the others, I'll be back in a few minutes."
Itachi removed his arm from her waist, wordlessly allowing her to slip out of his hold and with a small smile Sakura untangled herself from the sheets and stood up before she silently made her way towards the door.
Itachi watched her leave with a small smile, her concern for her friends warming his insides as he saw her hesitate when her hand brushed the door handle.
She then dared a glance over her shoulder, emerald eyes finding his in an instant before her lips curled up into a warm smile that he found she only reserved for him before she slipped out of the door, leaving him alone in the bed they shared.
The moment she stepped into the corridor did the cold air hit Sakura's exposed skin, brows pinching together as she remembered that she was still dressed in Itachi's shirt that only reached her knees.
The pinkette let out a sigh as she silently made her way through the now dimly lit corridor towards the room she was supposed to share with the girls, not feeling sleepy anymore.
The crashing sound of thunder outside had her flinch for the split of a second and for some reason, Sakura felt her stomach churn as a wave of uneasiness overcame her.
She continued on until she finally reached the door, instantly sensing the chakra seal that was placed on the door, no doubt Tenten's doing and Sakura's fingers slipped into the familiar set of seals before the door gave a rewarding click.
Sakura gently pushed it open, stilling for a heartbeat to look to her left and right to ensure that the corridor was empty before she stepped inside.
Despite of the darkness her eyes instantly found her friends blonde hair sprawled over the pillow, her purple dress peaking out from under the sheets that covered the lower half of her body while Tenten was curled up on the other half of the bed on top of the sheets, head resting on her folded hands.
Sakura smiled as she noticed that she was dressed in her spare clothes and judging by the fact how she didn't even notice Sakura enter, they both were most likely beyond exhausted and deep asleep.
Sakura silently moved over to Ino's half of the bed, hand reaching out to pull the covers higher since she knew that while Tenten was an avid hater of sleeping with sheets, Ino considered them a blessing and sometimes even slept with two.
Just when her hands brushed the material of the blanket however did the sound of the bathroom door opening behind her make her freeze in place before her instincts kicked in and she spun around to punch whoever entered right in the face but before it was able to make contact with the intruders nose, she found herself staring into Shisui's familiar face.
His sleepy eyes were wide in surprise as he caught her fist from where it almost hit him straight in the nose, Sakura's expression falling with relief as she realized that it was just him.
She could see the question in his eyes when he gently lowered her fist and Sakura inclined her head towards the door before he nodded, making his way out of the room with Sakura following close behind.
She silently closed the door behind her and formed the seals to place the seal once more before she turned to a rather sleepy looking Shisui who stared at her with a cute, yet confused frown.
"Sakura, what are you doing awake?" He asked, a yawn escaping him as he rubbed his eyes to rid them of the sleep in his system.
The pinkette shrugged as she wrapped her arms around herself, the uneasiness in her stomach doubling when a bright flash illuminated the corridor. "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to check if you guys made it back safely."
Shisui gave her a small nod, though a small frown made its way onto his face as he noticed the way her shoulders were stiffened ever so slightly. It seems like there was something else on her mind that she didn't want to talk about but instead of pushing her to tell him, he offered her a sleepy smile.
"Wanna accompany me downstairs to get some water?"
A smile found its way on Sakura's lips as she felt some of the uneasiness fade at his sudden offer.
"Sure."
Shisui's smile never left his lips as they made their way downstairs, his eyes stealing a glance at her every few steps to ensure to ensure that she really was physically alright before they finally reached what seemed to be a small cafeteria.
There were a handful of tables scattered in the room, a kitchen located in its back as Shisui headed straight towards the fridge while Sakura hopped onto the counter and watched him take out a bottle of water.
Even in the bright light that the fridge bathed his face in as he looked for the drink he still looked rather sleepy, the dark circles under his eyes telling her that he mostly didn't get to sleep much, if he did get any in the first place.
"When did you guys get back?" Sakura asked when he shut the door of the fridge close, leaving them once more in total darkness before he sideways leaned against it.
"About an hour ago, I think. Ino and I passed out the moment we got to the room but I think Tenten took a shower before she went to sleep." He told her before he opened the bottle and took three, big gulps of the cool liquid before he let out a sigh of content. "I woke up 'cause nature called and when I came back you were already there, ready to break my nose."
Sakura smirked as she noticed his small pout. "How stupid of me to assume that you went back to your room."
"I was too tired and fell asleep on the chair next to the bed." He explained, a small sigh passing his lips as he slumped his shoulders. "It's been a rough night."
"That I can only imagine." Sakura said as she thought back to the last time she had seen them at the club, the fight they were involved in having seemingly taken longer than anticipated but judging by the fact he sported no visible bruises, they emerged victorious.
Shisui nodded before his eyes fell on the shirt she was wearing, a brow rising to his hairline before his eyes drifted further downwards to her bare legs that were innocently dangling in the air. Now that was interesting.
"Seems like you were the only one who got to enjoy it." He commented as his eyes caught hers, a smirk on his lips as he noticed the confusion that flashed in them before they widened in realization and she swiftly shook her head.
"Oh no, nothing like that happened!" She insisted, swatting his shoulder when his smirk turned into a grin. "I'm serious!"
"Then why are you dressed in nothing but his shirt?" He challenged, voice teasing as Sakura lightly frowned, hoping that the darkness would be enough to hide her burning cheeks.
"He wanted me to sleep over and since I didn't want to sleep in my dress, he gave me his spare shirt." She swiftly explained, but Shisui's eyes were still gleaming with amusement as he crossed his arms above his chest, clearly doubting her words.
"So you mean to tell me that all you did was sleep?" He asked, and when Sakura nodded with what she hoped was the most serious expression she could muster he let out a small, yet disappointed hum.
It was the truth after all. Even though they did have a rather heavy make-out session, what she would most certainly not tell his older cousin, they never took it any further than that. She just decided to allow herself to give into Itachi a few days ago, and she knew that sleeping with him this shortly after would be slightly rushed.
And she knew that he knew.
He never tried to go any further than that and for that, Sakura couldn't be thankful enough. For now, they were both content with how their relationship was progressing, the slow yet steady pace they took allowing them to enjoy each others company without rushing into anything.
"You're happy."
Sakura snapped out of her musings when Shisui spoke, blinking a handful of times before she registered his words and she looked at the elder Uchiha in slight surprise at the sudden comment.
He instantly noticed her confusion and his smile widened when he looked at her and elaborated. "If that smile you just had on your lips was anything to go by, I dare say that my baby cousin makes you pretty happy."
Sakura's frown froze as she realized that she must have been smiling before her lips curved upwards at his teasing. "He does."
Shisui hummed as his eyes brightened in content as silence fell over them, the duo merely enjoying the nice atmosphere before Shisui decided to break it.
"Do you love him?"
Sakura stiffened at the unexpected question, emerald eyes falling on Shisui with surprise but instead of the usual teasing smirk on his lips, his expression was unusually serious.
Silence followed as Sakura went over his question in her mind, the small whispers from the darkest corners of her head trying to tell her that it was too early to tell if she really loved him, that he may not even like her as much as she liked him but the warmth that spread through her chest and dropped all the way to her stomach when his face flashed in front of her vision made all of these doubts disappear in an instant.
She already knew the answer to his question before he asked it, and even though a part of Sakura was too afraid to admit it because once she did, she knew that there was no going back, the bigger part of her knew that she had accepted her feelings the night she had nearly lost him because of the genjutsu already.
So when she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper and yet filled with confidence and honesty, she allowed herself a small smile.
"I do."
Shisui's expression considerably brightened at her confession, though he couldn't say that he hadn't expected it. He had heard from Ino that Sakura was very careful with giving her heart away but that once she did, it was permanent.
"So I do win the bet after all." He suddenly said, causing Sakura to raise a curious brow at his words.
The Uchiha grinned smugly as he looked at the pinkette with dark eyes sparkling with humor. "I told you that you'd become an Uchiha one day."
Sakura huffed in amusement as she thought of the day he had paid her a visit at her apartment weeks ago and claimed that his surname suited her, though she had failed to notice that his claim of victory apparently wasn't about the race they had to the Hokage tower, but her becoming an Uchiha.
It seemed like he had suspected that her and Itachi's relationship would get to this point earlier than she, and probably even Itachi, did.
Her smile suddenly dimmed as she remembered one of her earlier concerns regarding getting into a relationship with him-his family and Shisui obviously noticed her sudden change in mood for his smile fell the moment hers did, her thoughtful expression causing confusion to flash in his eyes.
"You're worried about something." He said, Sakura merely shaking her head as an attempt to dismiss it but at the persistent look he shot her, she knew that there was no getting out of this one.
"Itachi is the heir." She eventually told him, her eyes fixed on the floor as she pursed her lips into a thin line, trying to ignore the way her chest slightly tightened at her own words. "I don't think that the Clan would look too kindly upon him bringing a kunoichi home, especially one that isn't an Uchiha."
Shisui's expression softened as he suddenly realized why Sakura seemed so hesitant about admitting her feelings for his cousin at first, pity overcoming him as he looked at her.
Her concerns were justified, and it didn't surprise him that Sakura knew about how serious his Clan took the matter of marriage since she did grow up with Sasuke, but it seemed like more than worry for herself, her concern laid with his cousin and how they would look upon him given both his reputation and his position with both the village and Clan.
"It's true that everyone has high expectations for Itachi as the heir." Shisui admitted, though his voice was anything but unkind. "But the Clan is not what it once used to be."
At that Sakura couldn't help but arch a brow as she lifted her eyes to once more catch his. "I grew up with Sasuke, I know how your Clan works so there's no need to sugar-coat it."
Shisui frowned as he pushed himself off the fridge and moved until he was standing in front of Sakura, his stern expression not once wavering as he looked at the pinkette.
"Whereas it's true that they'd prefer for us to marry someone from the clan, marrying someone out of it isn't as rare as it once used to be." He told her, the way her eyes darkened with concern not going past him as he went on. "Of course there will be some who'll be against the future Uchiha matriarch not being of their own blood, but most of them would be accepting, especially considering your reputation and ties with the Godaime as well as many other people of power."
Sakura allowed herself some seconds for his words to settle in before a soft sigh passed her lips. "What about me being a kunoichi? I don't plan on stopping just because they expect me to produce an heir and give up my life as a shinobi earlier than I want to." She challenged but Shisui remained unfazed.
"They know that they can't force their will on Itachi, so that shouldn't be a problem either." He easily returned, eyes glazing over as he thought back to the handful of times they did, before they eventually realized that it was useless. "Also, considering that he's the Hokage, they wouldn't dare try anything stupid with either one of you."
Sakura had to admit that his words in combination with his confidence did manage to ease her worries a little, and she guessed that it was rather visible for Shisui's stern expression eventually softened before he offered her a small smile.
"Mikoto already loves you and Sasuke and I also got your back, so there's no reason for you to worry about anything." He gently assured her as he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "I totally get that you're worried, but trust me when I tell you that there's no need to."
"I just don't want to make things harder for him than they already are." Sakura told him, the sincerity in her voice causing Shisui to give her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"Trust me, you don't even know just how much he needs you." He returned and Sakura found that when she looked at him he meant what he said and that it weren't just empty words meant to reassure her.
Suddenly feeling bad for keeping him awake, the pinkette slumped her shoulders and shot him an apologetic smile. "I am sorry, I didn't want to bother you with all of this especially this late at night."
Shisui snorted as he moved his hand from her shoulder to gently ruffle her hair in a brotherly way, the way his eyes shone when he looked at her easing Sakura's guilt. "For someone like you I'd gladly pass up on a couple of hours of sleep."
Sakura let out a small chuckle at his words before she shook her head, her mood considerably lightened as she looked up at him with a light expression.
"Thank you Shisui." She suddenly said, genuinely grateful towards her friend who in return allowed his hand to gently rest on top of her head, his eyes softening as he took in her glowing eyes. He was happy that he managed to take some of her worries away and hoped that it would help his cousin as well as her to strengthen their relationship.
He really believed that she was the best match for his little cousin and even though he knew that when one day Itachi would announce his intention of marrying her there would be some people who'd oppose and try to give her a hard time, he was telling the truth when he said that it most likely wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be.
That she already thought this far showed him that she was serious about his cousin and that she was afraid of getting used to Itachi only to later be forced to part with him, what was a justified fear but more than unlikely to happen.
He knew that Itachi would never let her go now that he finally got her.
"Anytime." He gently returned before he finally removed his hand from her head and instead grabbed the water bottle from where he had left it on the counter next to her.
"I should probably go back." Sakura suddenly said, realizing that she must have spent quite some minutes with him and that Itachi was most likely waiting for her upstairs as she hopped off the counter and threw Shisui a sheepish smile. "I told him that I'd only be gone for a few minutes and I still need to get my spare clothes from the girls room before I go back."
"Wouldn't want to keep your man waiting." He teased and Sakura rolled her eyes before she gently slapped his upper arm and moved towards the cafeteria's exit, only to stop when Shisui once more called her name.
The pinkette looked over her shoulder in mild surprise and found him looking at her with an unreadable expression.
"Say that the Clan would have something against your relationship and would want you to leave him, would you?"
Sakura looked at Shisui with a small frown as his words echoed in her mind, the weight they carried settling on Sakura as she considered his question.
"No." She eventually said, more to herself than him as she realized that the answer came to her easier than expected. "I wouldn't leave him."
She could see the satisfaction brighten his dark eyes before he gave her a curt nod, obviously pleased by her answer before his expression softened. "Good night, Sakura."
Sakura's lips curled upwards into a small smile, voice barely above a whisper as she spoke.
"Night, Shisui."
With that the pinkette made her way back upstairs, unaware of the pair of onyx eyes that were following her every step until she was out of sight.
He had come down to look for Sakura when she didn't return even after ten minutes, concerned that something may have happened just to find his cousin and her in the kitchen. He didn't mean to eavesdrop but when he overheard Shisui ask her about just how deep her feeling run for him, it seemed like he couldn't get his feet to move.
And he had to admit that staying to hear the answer was the right thing to do. He knew that she was concerned regarding his position with the clan and how accepting they would be once they would hear of their relationship but he never realized that she hesitated to give into him out of fear of becoming a burden.
Itachi frowned as he pushed himself off the wall and made his way back towards his room, making sure to slip into it before Sakura returned from getting her clothes for the following day before he once more laid down on the now cold bed, mind reeling with thoughts.
It seemed like there were some things he would have to take care of as soon as they would return to the village.
It was only a minute later when Sakura finally slipped back into the room, her movements making no sound with the exception of a soft thud next to the bed from where she most likely placed her clothes on the ground before the pinkette slipped under the blankets, obviously careful not to wake him.
The moment he felt her rest her head on the pillow however did he open his eyes to look at her, emerald orbs shining with guilt as she found him still awake.
"I am sorry." She whispered, the guilt increasing when she realized that he must have stayed awake to wait for her. "It took a bit longer than I thought. I run into Shisui and-"
Before she was able to continue with her rambling he pulled her against him in a flash and crashed his lips against hers.
The pinkette tensed in his arms out of surprise before she exhaled softly through her nose and allowed her eyes to flutter close, hands gently pressed against his chest as she returned his kiss.
The soft feeling of her lips against his was addicting and Itachi wondered if only she realized how much he treasured her. He tightened his hold on her waist before he finally broke the kiss, forehead resting against hers as her drowsy emerald eyes opened to look at him in mild surprise.
"What was that for?" She asked, her breathless voice enough to make him lean forwards once more to capture her lips into a short, yet sweet kiss before he pulled back and looked at her with warm, dark eyes.
Itachi didn't answer her question right away and instead rolled onto his back, pulling her with him so that her head rested in the crook of his neck, one hand on the back of her head while his other arm was wrapped around her slim waist.
"For staying."
Sakura's emerald eyes slid up to look at him from where her head rested on his shoulder, eyes filled with guilt as she nuzzled his neck.
"Did you really think that I'd leave you just like that?" She mumbled, unaware of the double meaning her own words held as Itachi's gaze grew more intense.
When he looked down at her and saw the guilt that brightened her eyes he exhaled softly through his nose as her question echoed in his head.
"No." He finally said as he looked at her, voice earnest as he realized that as much as she trusted him to return to her, he trusted her not to leave him regardless of what may happen in the future. "I don't."
Sakura's expression softened as he reached out to gently caress her cheek, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone as she allowed her eyes to flutter close and a warm smile found its way onto her lips.
"I am glad." She mumbled, the warmth he radiated causing her exhaustion to slowly creep up on her once more.
Itachi said nothing and merely watched as she fell asleep in his arms, her smile never leaving her lips as he drunk in her peaceful expression.
It was as Shisui had said, and it was only now that it fully dawned on him how dependent he had become on Sakura during the past weeks. He couldn't remember the last time he had managed to truly get a good nights rest before he met her, the small voices in the back of his mind torturing him with thoughts and memories he had tried to suppress for years but when he was with her, it seemed that one look at her was enough to make them all disappear.
Itachi tightened his hold on her waist as he finally closed his eyes, the knowledge that she was safe in his arms and wouldn't go anywhere enough to allow sleep to overtake him once more.
X
The next morning Sakura woke to the sound of the shower running, her emerald eyes fluttering open to find the other side of the bed empty. She rolled onto her back and turned her head to look out of the window to see that it was already morning, but the sky was still gray as raindrops continued to hit the window in a steady rhythm.
The pinkette forced herself to sit up and rubbed her eyes to rid them of the sleep in her system as she felt a familiar weight settle in her stomach, the same wave of uneasiness from last night overcoming her as she lightly frowned.
She pushed herself off the bed and looked out of the window, too deep in thought to notice that the shower had stopped running and the door opened until she felt a familiar arm sneak around her waist and gently pull her backwards against a solid chest.
"Morning." He heard him mumble into her ear and despite of the restless feeling that refused to disappear, she allowed herself a small smile as she relaxed against him.
"Morning." She returned, her voice soft and yet it seemed like she was unable to fool him for the next moment she felt him gently turn her body to face her, lips curled downwards as his brows pinched in concern when he took in her slightly uneasy expression.
"What's wrong?" He asked, knowing that something was plaguing her mind as Sakura pursed her lips into a thin line and sighed.
"I don't know." She admitted, stomach churning as she fixed her eyes on his chest, knowing that if she'd look up and see the very same concern in his eyes that laced his voice she'd only feel worse. "I don't feel too well."
She could feel Itachi's penetrating gaze on her but pretended not to notice as she gently patted his chest and slipped out of his hold to slip into the bathroom to take a quick shower before they'd meet the others, onyx eyes following her every more until the door to the bathroom closed.
Sakura hoped that the feeling would leave once she had taken a nice, hot shower but unfortunately, that heaviness that weighted down her heart refused to leave even when she met the others downstairs for breakfast.
Sakura and Itachi were the first ones to arrive, followed by Tenten who shot them a bright smile in greeting that Sakura tried to mirror but judging by Itachi's expression she did a rather poor job at it.
Ino was the next to arrive, looking quite exhausted as she rubbed her eyes and gave them a groggy greeting as she accepted the cup of coffee that Tenten offered her and gulped it down in one go.
Jiraya was last to arrive with Shisui, the duo seeming just as well rested as Tenten did as they sat down and joined them for breakfast.
"I hope that you all enjoyed the mission as much as I did." Jiraya told them with a bright grin that Sakura only half-heartedly returned as she kept her eyes on the slice of toast in front of her, her appetite lost.
"I heard that you managed to get the guy who poisoned you." Tenten conversationally said and Sakura instantly felt Itachi next to her stiffen, her own eyes rising to meet his arched brow with a timid smile.
"Yeah, Jiraya-sama took care of him." Sakura answered as she briefly glanced to Jiraya who nodded in confirmation, taking a bite off his apple before her eyes once more met Itachi's, this time shining with curiosity as she looked at the Hokage. "Shouldn't he be in Suna?"
Judging by the way Itachi's expression hardened she was right and he should be in Suna but before he was able to answer, Ino spoke up from where she was seated opposite of her.
"I actually overheard something as well." The blonde revealed, earning surprised looks from the others as she arched a brow at their reactions. "What, do you think all I did was get myself drunk?"
Sakura couldn't help the snort that escaped her and Ino threw her best friend a half-hearted glare before she looked at Itachi. "They talked about a handful of shinobi disappearing during the past weeks near Kiri's borders but they didn't say anything more than that."
"Patrolling shinobi near the coast?"Shisui asked with a light frown and Ino nodded as she took a sip from Tenten's coffee.
"That's weird." Tenten agreed, brown eyes narrowed as she chewed on a slice of orange.
Sakura glanced at Itachi out of the corner of her eyes and instantly caught his gaze, the darkening in his eyes telling her that they shared the same thought before he turned to look at the other's.
"I'll have one of my informants in Kiri look into it."
Ino nodded and let it drop, knowing that Itachi would take care of the matter as she returned her focus on drowning her headache with the bitter, brown liquid in Tenten's cup.
Breakfast passed by rather pleasantly, the group falling into a comfortable chatter that Sakura occasionally joined in, aware of the way Itachi kept on glancing at her and the untouched food on her plate.
When it was time to leave, they swiftly packed up their belongings and even though Sakura was well aware of the pair of eyes that never left her, she was thankful that he didn't ask any further.
They left shortly after breakfast, Jiraya deciding to accompany them halfway to the hidden waterfall village since he apparently had some business to take care of there.
The first day of their travel passed by rather quickly and even though Sakura tried her best to fight the apprehension that was slowly taking over her from the inside, it only grew with each step that they took towards Konoha.
Something was not right, but it wasn't until they were an hour away from reaching waterfall village that it happened.
Itachi suddenly stopped on a tree-branch, narrowed onyx eyes looking into the far distance as Sakura and the rest came to a halt, not daring to speak as they sharpened their senses and waited.
For a few moments the only sound that reached their ears was the sound of the water rushing through the stream to their right, Sakura pursing her lips as she scanned her surroundings with attentive eyes but when Itachi's eyes suddenly bled crimson, she felt her stomach drop.
The next moments were a mere blur.
She heard the object before she saw it and swiftly moved to the right, the scalpel only barely missing her as Itachi disappeared into a blur.
Sakura turned her head just in time to catch Ino's eyes, teal orbs hard before she suddenly pulled out her kunai in one swift motion and blocked a flying object that was aimed straight for her forehead.
She suddenly felt the air behind her shift and Sakura swirled around just in time to dodge the fist that was coming for her, reaching out to roughly grab her attacker's forearm to pull him closer before she swiped her leg to knock him off his feet and harshly pushed him off the tree.
She heard a rustle to her left but before she was able to block the Kunai that was coming for her temple Tenten appeared in a blur and blocked it with one of her own, the brunette kicking the black-clad attacker right in the chest and knocking him on the ground as Sakura shot her a quick, grateful smile that the weapon master returned with a smirk before they both jumped off the tree, their backs to one another as Sakura swiftly scanned their surroundings.
Jiraya was to her far left taking on five at once while Shisui was a couple of feet away from him, surrounded by what seemed to be six while Ino on her left battled two herself, the remaining eight circling Tenten and Sakura while she felt Itachi's chakra a couple of meters behind her.
Sakura frowned as she inwardly hoped that he would be alright on his own before she grabbed her kunai in one hand and loaded her other with her chakra.
Their opponents were dressed the same way the ones at the hospital and at Orochimaru's hideout were and Sakura instantly realized why she was feeling apprehensive for the past days.
"I'll take five, you take the other three." Sakura told her, knowing that she had a better chance of taking out five at once with the help of her chakra so that Tenten could help the other out as soon as she was done with the remaining three.
"Got it."
With that they jumped apart, Sakura jumping high into the air before she slammed her heel straight into the ground, shattering it effortlessly as it split in two and forced Orochimaru's men back, the pinkette using this moment to dart forwards and hurl her kunai into the first one, the weapon hitting him right in the chest and killing him in the very same instant.
She paid him no mind and channeled her chakra into her hands before she formed the familiar signs and a handful of Shadow Clones appeared. They instantly charged, each attacking one as Sakura used that distraction to take them down with swift movements, knowing that she would have to hurry to help the others out since she was more familiar with their fighting than them with the exception of Itachi.
When all five were finally down her eyes caught sight of Jiraya who was being cornered to the river and without a second thought the pinkette darted towards him, the adrenaline that rushed through her veins filling her ears as she balled her hand into a tight fist before she attacked the first with a yell, her fist colliding with his back, successfully knocking him into the river as she spun around and kicked another in the side, a third appearing behind her but before Sakura was able to block the attack he managed to kick her in the ribs, causing the pinkette to exhale sharply before she moved to the side and narrowly avoided a punch to her face.
She then twisted her body to ram her elbow into his collarbone, the grunt she received in return telling her that her attack had the wanted effect before she roughly grabbed him by the collar of his black cloak and hurled him against the closest tree.
Before she had time to catch her breath she saw a kunai whirl towards her and swiftly ducked before she formed a set of seals and pressed her fingers to her lips.
The huge flames brightened the clearing as she jumped backwards towards Jiraya, the flames slowly dying down as the sanin threw her an impressed look.
"You really are a talented one, aren't ya?" He complimented as he used his Rasengan to hurl another against a tree, Sakura returning his grin with a smile of her own.
She had no time to reply though for she suddenly caught sight of a duo appearing from the other side of the river, making their way straight towards Jiraya who was busy taking care of two at once.
The pinkette instantly jumped onto the wildly rushing water of the river and met them halfway, the first of the two jumping high in the air while the other charged at her from below, Sakura increasing her speed as she grabbed a Shuriken from her weapons poach and hurled it up towards the one in the air before she met the other and avoided his fist as she attempted to kick him in the ribs but he was faster and jumped to his right before his fist clashed against her temple, a sharp pain shooting through her body at the punch.
She felt the other land behind her and Sakura wasted no time and grabbed another Kunai, her grip on it tight as she charged at the first, knowing that the other would follow her from behind and just when Sakura was about to ram her kunai into the firsts chest she hurled it backwards, successfully impaling the one behind her with it as she jumped into the air and slammed her heel into the other's temple, knocking him straight into the river.
The pinkette landed on the water once more, her chest heaving but as she was about to turn around and return to the sanin did she feel all the air leaving her lungs as she felt a large form crash into her, knocking her off her feet and straight into the wild river below.
The second Sakura's body plunged into the icy water her entire body froze as a sharp pain cursed through her veins, the large figure above her joining her underwater as she tried to push him off her to reach the surface, the river harshly dragging them along with it as she forced her eyes open to look what was weighting her down.
Her vision was blurry but the second she was able to make out white hair, her heart skipped a painful beat and instead of trying to push him off her she tightly held onto him as she held her breath and channeled chakra into her hands before she pushed him up towards the surface.
The harsh stream made it hard for her to hold onto him as she struggled to push him up, her heartbeat echoing loudly in her ears as she felt the air slowly run out.
Her instinct kicked in and she used all the strength she had left to push him upwards just to feel him finally break through the surface before she pulled herself up right after, inhaling sharply the moment her head broke through the surface. The pinkette tried to clear her vision as she continued to hold onto Jiraya, noticing that he was only barely conscious as the stream continued to drag them further away from their team.
"Jiraya!" Sakura called over the loud sound of the rushing water as she turned him towards her, shaky fists using all her strength to keep his head over water. "You have to stay awake!"
The sanin grunted in acknowledgment before his body suddenly shook and he coughed up blood, causing her eyes to widen in panic as she tightened her hold on him until her knuckles turned white. Sakura's eyes swiftly scanned their surroundings and after some minutes of struggling to stay above the water she realized that the tree's lessened but when she fully turned her head around her eyes widened when she noticed that the river suddenly dipped down.
A waterfall.
Sakura turned to look at Jiraya once more and noticed his pained grimace, hands shaky as she gulped down the lump that suddenly formed itself in her throat as she forced the wave of fear down.
She had this one chance only and even though she was rather low on chakra because of their fight, it was that or dying.
"I need you to hold on tight!" Sakura called over the loud currents and barely caught his small nod before she turned her body so that Jiraya was positioned behind her, her body numb because of the icy water but Sakura ignored it and instead, wrapped one of his broad arms over her shoulder.
She saw the end of the river gradually approach and Sakura mentally prepared herself, knowing that she only had one chance and channeled her chakra into her left hand, her right keeping his arm secured on her as she watched the end gradually approach them.
Her stomach dropped the moment the river did and when Sakura was thrown into the air she swiftly spun her body and extended her chakra engulfed hand to grip onto the water as they fell.
Her hand burned as she held onto the water for dear life as an attempt to slow their fall, Jiraya considerably weighting her down as she gritted her teeth and channeled her chakra into the soles of her feet.
As they fell Sakura held her breath, waiting for the right moment to arrive and just when their bodies were about to hit the waters once more Sakura placed her feet against the river and pushed them off with one hard kick.
The duo landed on the soft grass next to the waterfall with a grunt and the moment her feet roughly collided with the ground, she felt a blinding pain shoot through her body before her legs gave in and she fell onto her knees, dragging Jiraya down with her as he hissed in pain.
Sakura gasped for air as her body shook as the cool air hit her wet skin, her hold on Jiraya loosening as she gritted her teeth and tried to calm her heart that was rapidly beating beneath her chest.
Sakura allowed herself no time to recover from the shock and forced herself to ignore the pain in her legs, knowing that Jiraya needed medical attention as she turned her body to gently help him sit on the ground and moved him so that he was leaning with his back against the tree.
He was still conscious but judging by the was he had a hard time keeping his head up it was only a matter of time until he would pass out if she didn't do anything to help him.
Sakura tried to move closer towards him but the second she tried moving one of her legs hot pain shot through them, causing her to grunt in pain as she clenched her eyes shut.
The medic gritted her teeth as she fought to keep the pain down, the realization that she managed to break both of her legs by the force of her fall despite of trying to cushion it with her chakra causing her chest to grow tighter as a wave of anxiety overcame her.
When she opened her eyes she took in Jiraya's pale expression, the droplets of blood that passed his lips telling her that he needed instant medical attention and Sakura inwardly prayed that her remaining chakra would be enough to heal him.
"Jiraya-sama." She called, her voice hoarse as she fought to keep the pain out of it. "I need you to tell me where it hurts."
Jiraya's chest rose and fell in an unsteady rhythm as he looked at her but instead of answering her question, he merely frowned as he took in her shivering form.
"You're hurt." He realized, his voice rough but Sakura wasted no time to wonder how he found out and decided to look for his injuries herself. Emerald eyes quickly scanned his body, looking for any open wound but with the exception of the small bleeding on his left arm from where a kunai had seemingly grazed his skin there seemed to be nothing.
That was, until her eyes caught sight of something glistening in the orange light that the setting sun cast and Sakura could have sworn that her heart stopped when she realized what it was.
Buried almost fully into the left side of his chest was a chakra scalpel, the object gleaming dangerously in the slowly darkening light as Sakura felt her entire body freeze.
Jiraya's eyes followed her line of vision until they settled onto the object Sakura's wide eyes were settled on, his lips curling upwards into a dry smile despite of the agonizing pain he was in as he looked back at the pinkette.
"Seems like bad news." He croaked out, ripping the pinkette out of her thoughts as she shakily reached out to towards the scalpel.
She didn't waste any time and channeled her chakra into her palms, knowing that she had not much time left to extract the scalpel and save his life if he was already in such a bad condition.
The medic in her suppressed her personal feelings as she forced herself to remain calm and professional, knowing that it was not the right time to display her concern when his life was on the line and she was his last hope at surviving the next minutes.
"I need to extract the scalpel." Sakura told him from where she sat, eyes snapping up to catch his own and even though they were filled with pain, the smile never left his lips as he nodded.
Sakura ignored the way her throat painfully tightened and reached out to gently wrap her fingers around the scalpel but the second her chakra filled fingers brushed against it, she felt an agonizing pain curse through her body, her fingers leaving the scalpel like she was burnt not even a second later.
The moment she removed her hand the pain faded almost instantly and Sakura held her hand with wide eyes, wondering what could have possibly caused such a reaction as she kept her emerald orbs fixed on the scalpel in Jiraya's chest.
Cold fear crawled up the length of her spine as she flexed her fingers and decided to once more reach for the scalpel, this time more slowly and aware of the threat but once again, just as she was about to touch it she felt a sharp pain curse through her body.
Sakura frowned in concern as she removed her hand, not knowing why she was unable to remove it like she did the times before and when she glanced up at Jiraya she noticed the way his expression softened ever so slightly, having seemingly realized that something was not right.
"I should be able to remove it." Sakura told him, her firm voice betraying the slowly rising panic she felt as she pursed her lips into a thin line. She needed to get it out of him soon so Sakura decided to try and heal the damage around the scalpel first until she figured out a way to remove it and once more allowed her chakra to fill her hands.
She reached out to gently place them on his chest but the instant she pushed her chakra into his body she felt the blood in her veins run cold when she felt something blocking her chakra, preventing it from fully entering his body. Her eyes widened for the split of a second before she narrowed them and tried to push harder against the barrier of foreign chakra but before she was able to pour every last bit of it into him, Jiraya suddenly spoke.
"It's the same."
Sakura's eyes snapped up to his grim expression, taking a moment for his words to settle in and the moment they did, her eyes widened in realization at what he meant.
The scalpel stuck in his chest was made out of her very own chakra.
"Impossible." She whispered, cold dread overcoming her as she realized why she was unable to remove the scalpel and heal him. The scalpel that was seemingly made of her own chakra was preventing hers from entering his body, rejecting it the instant they clashed and Sakura realized that it must have been Orochimaru's doing.
The night they broke into her apartment and stole her brush suddenly came to her mind and Sakura felt her heart-beat quicken as she realized that he must have used her DNA to create the scalpels made of her chakra and masked it with another one so that she wouldn't recognize her own.
The full weight of what it meant for both her and Jiraya crashed on her like a ton of bricks and Sakura felt her hands start to shake ever so slightly but she didn't dare remove them from him and continued to push her chakra into the injured sanin in hope of getting through it, though she knew it was in vain.
She needed Ino to remove the scalpel and heal him but considering that the river had parted them she didn't know when they would find them.
And by then, it would most likely be too late already.
Tears prickled the back of her eyes but Sakura refused to let them fall, her jaw clenched as she fought to break the chakra barrier the scalpel created. She inwardly prayed that it would work or that at least the others would find them before the damage would be too great to heal but when a big hand suddenly encircled itself around her small wrists her emerald eyes snapped up to soft gray ones.
"Don't waste your time dear." Jiraya mumbled as he gently removed her hands from him, face filled with resignation as his smile softened. He realized just as well as her that it was of no use and accepted it, knowing that there was nothing the young kunoichi in front of him could do to help him.
Sakura shook her head as she attempted to place her hands once more on his chest but when his hold on her wrists tightened she gritted her teeth.
"I need to try." She told him, the determination on her face betraying the waver in her voice as she looked up at him with glassy eyes. "I won't let you stop me."
I won't let you die.
"Heal yourself." Jiraya told her, expression now stern as he took in the visibly beat pinkette in front of him. "You need it."
Sakura briefly considered his words, her mind filled with thousand of thoughts a second as she tried to find a way to help him. Since both of her legs were broken she would be unable to seek out the others and even if she tried to heal them fast enough, she knew that she would have no chakra left to be able to get Jiraya out of his lethal condition.
"There needs to be some way." She said, the tears now dangerously close to falling as she removed her hands from his grip to place them against his chest once more, unwilling to give him up just like that as her face scrunched up into a frown. "I can do it."
Jiraya watched the pinkette with sympathetic eyes as he felt another wave of hot pain wash over him, though he fought now to let it show for her sake. He could see the way she was shaking and bit harshly onto her lower lip to keep the tears that filled her eyes from falling, her skin pale and orbs filled with panic that betrayed her calm expression.
He knew that he was beyond saving. The stream had dragged them rather far away from the others and he knew that it would take them at least half an hour to find them, and the Sanin knew that he would most likely not last this long.
His heart went out to the young pinkette as he watched her try to save him, feeling sorry for having her go through this because of him. The longer he looked at her the more he saw Tsunade in her, even the way they frowned identical and he couldn't help but smile as he thought of his old teammate and the woman that held his heart. She was just as stubborn as her, refusing to accept the truth and fighting to save a life despite of how bad or helpless it may seem.
He knew that he should consider himself lucky that he was able to spend his last moments with Sakura and didn't spent them lonely and filled with regrets, but he knew that his death would haunt the pinkette and bring great pain to both Tsunade and Naruto and that was something he felt sorry for.
Jiraya rested the back of his head against the tree as he stared at the darkening sky, the first stars becoming visible as he found himself thinking about the countless of nights he had spent watching the stars with his teammates, his own team and even Naruto.
Even though time changed them, the sky seemed to stay the same and that was enough to comfort the old Toad Sage.
"You know, I always imagined my death to be more dramatic." He suddenly spoke, causing Sakura to shut her eyes close at his words.
"You're not going to die." She told him as she pushed more chakra into his body before she opened her eyes once more to throw him a hard look, the desperation in her eyes visible. "You can't leave Tsunade alone, and Naruto still needs you."
Jiraya's lips curled upwards into a smile as a ragged breath left his body and when Sakura looked back at his face she noticed that the blood that passed his lips was slowly increasing and begun to drench his top.
She felt her insides twist sharply as she heard him suddenly chuckle, the sound followed by another cough that caused a new load of blood to pass his lips but he didn't seem to mind as he continued to gaze up at the stars, expression peaceful.
"Tsunade will be fine without me as long as she got you, same with Naruto." He croaked out and by now her tears were freely falling, the pain of her own injuries forgotten as all she felt was the painful realization that she would be unable to save him. "I am happy that they have people such as you around them to comfort them once I am gone."
Sakura closed her eyes as she bit her lower lip, her throat burning as her chest tightened painfully. She knew that the more he talked, the less time he would have left but Sakura didn't have the heart to tell him to save his breath for she knew that this would be his last opportunity to talk to someone.
The knowledge that she would be the last to converse with the great Toad Sage caused a fresh set of hot tears to silently roll down her cheeks as she inhaled a shaky breath and forced a smile onto her lips before she opened her eyes to look at him.
"You are an admirable shinobi, Jiraya-sama." Sakura told him, fighting hard to keep her voice steady despite of the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "I am beyond glad to have met you, and I know that Tsunade and Naruto love you with all their heart."
This time Jiraya lowered his eyes to look at her, his smile softening as he took in her tear-stricken face. He lifted an arm to gently reach out and wipe her tears as he looked at his teammate's apprentice with sad eyes, wishing that he could somehow ease her grief but knowing that he was unable to do so.
"The only regret I have is that I burden you with my death." He mumbled and Sakura shook her head, the smile never leaving her lips as she held his gaze.
"I am honored to be the one by your side." She told him, ignoring the sharp pang in her chest as she saw his smile widen at her words.
"You truly are a kind child." He muttered before he let out a long breath and turned his gaze heavenwards once more, the content that flickered over his face as he gazed at the now dark sky not going unnoticed by her. "It's about time that I pay my student a visit." His expression then softened as he added. "He shouldn't have left before me in the first place."
Sakura watched him close his eyes with adrenaline pumping through her veins and bit onto her lower lip to prevent the sobs from escaping her. She felt his heart beat become slower beneath her palms as she tightened her hold on his shirt, unable to do anything but watch as he took his lasts breaths.
"Thank you." Sakura said, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked at the fallen sanin through blurred eyes. "For guiding Naruto, for loving Tsunade-shishou and for being such a great, honorable shinobi."
She watched his smile brighten ever so slowly before he let out a small sigh, the sound ragged as Sakura watched him take his final breath.
She felt his heart beat one last, final time beneath her chest and the moment his body finally stilled and the life left his body, Sakura's heart broke.
X
The moment Itachi finally sensed her chakra, he knew that something was awfully wrong.
Her chakra signature was weak and there was no sign of Jiraya's but it wasn't until he finally found her at the foot of the waterfall, her small back facing them as she was seated in front of Jiraya that he realized what happened.
His heart shattered at the sight.
He could hear Ino and Tenten gasp at the sight of the fallen sanin, Shisui turning his head the other way as Itachi slowly approached the pinkette, heart heavy.
He knew that she had sensed him already, the small stiffening from her shoulders telling him so as he silently moved to stand behind her.
She didn't turn around to look at them, nor did she say anything, her hollow emerald eyes fixed on the sanin's peaceful expression as her body shook with shivers.
Though if it was from the shock or the cold, he didn't know.
"Sakura." He gently called as he crouched down next to her, the pinkette not moving to acknowledge his call as she continued to blankly stare ahead.
She didn't know how many minutes or even hours she sat there on the ground next to Jiraya's still body, staring at him as if only waiting for him to open his eyes or speak to him once more as she felt nothing but pain.
Now, all she felt was numb.
When she felt Itachi gently touch her chin she flinched, her bloody hands placed on her lap shaking as she kept her eyes fixed on Jiraya.
"I tried to save him." She whispered, her eyes suddenly burning as she clenched her shaking hands into fists, the pain in her chest beginning to suffocate her. "I tried, really."
"I know." Came Itachi's soft murmur next to her but Sakura merely lowered her head, eyes now fixed on her bloody hands as she frowned.
"The scalpel was meant to hit me." She told him, voice hollow and emerald eyes unblinking. "It's my chakra."
She had figured it out the moment she realized that the scalpel was made of her chakra and the mere knowledge that he had died because he took the hit that was meant for her was what finally broke her.
But she refused to lose it in front of them. As a kunoichi, she knew better than to do so.
Itachi said nothing as he gently grasped her shoulders and pulled her into his arms, his familiar scent filling Sakura's nose but all the pinkette could do was stare at her bloody fists, eyes glazed over as Itachi held her.
Ino and Tenten moved towards Sakura while Shisui approached Jiraya, checking his pulse to ensure that he really was dead before a sigh passed his lips and he looked at Itachi with a grim expression.
The blonde kunoichi watched her friend with a heavy heart, unable to imagine what the past hour must have been like for her friend before she noticed the angle her feet were at, face turning to hold a frown as she gently approached them.
"Sakura." She gently called, voice soft as she knelt down next to the pinkette and looked at her in concern. "What's with your legs?"
"Broken."
Itachi frowned in concern as he looked down at the pinkette in his arms before his eyes caught Ino's equally worried expression. He hadn't realized that Sakura was hurt until the blonde had pointed it out and the Uchiha heir's expression turned grim as he gently wrapped his arms under her slender body and lifted her onto his lap, no words of protest passing her lips as he did.
Ino shot him a grateful look before she knelt down in front of them and allowed her chakra to enter Sakura's body, not missing the way she flinched the moment it entered her body.
Itachi tightened his hold on her when she continued to remain silent and looked up at Shisui. "Send a message to the Godaime so that she can prepare everything."
Shisui nodded as he left the clearing, throwing Sakura a worried glance as he passed them before Tenten followed him, knowing that it would be best to give Sakura some space before the trio was left alone.
Sakura didn't speak as Ino healed her legs, her head resting against Itachi's chest as her eyes drifted back to Jiraya, his last words echoing in her mind.
He didn't deserve to die, especially like that.
How was she supposed to look at Tsunade knowing that he had died because she was unable to save him or even worse, Naruto?
Sakura didn't even realize that she once more started to shake as a wave of anxiety overcame her and Itachi swiftly tightened his hold on her, knowing that she was still in shock after what happened and he couldn't blame her.
"It's her first." Ino suddenly said, making Itachi look at her in silence as she thinned her lips, eyes never leaving Sakura's legs as Itachi realized what she meant.
Jiraya was her first death.
Itachi knew that Sakura faced death on a daily basis both during missions and at the hospital but it was the first time someone close to her died on the field.
Itachi realized what she meant when she said that it was her chakra that killed Jiraya, the chakra scalpel that was still buried in the sanin's broad chest giving it away as he felt his heart go out for the woman in his arms.
He partly blamed himself for Jiraya's death. As the team leader he should have paid more attention to them but he knew best that he was an experienced sanin who knew how to hold his ground against some of Orochimaru's underlings.
If it weren't for the scalpel he would have never died, and he could understand why Sakura blamed herself, though it was anything but her fault.
Some more minute's of silence passed before Shisui and Tenten once more returned and Ino allowed her chakra to fade before she looked up at Itachi.
"I healed them as best as I could given the fact that she completely managed to break both of them, but she won't be able to fully make it back on her own." She told him and Itachi nodded as he stood up and lifted Sakura as he did, but the pinkette suddenly tightened her hold on the front of his shirt.
"I'll go on my own."
Itachi frowned as he looked down at her, disapproval clear on his face but before he could stop her Sakura was already moving to get out of his grip.
He gently placed her feet on the ground, noticing the way her entire body stiffened the moment she fully stood but she said nothing as Itachi kept his hands on her waist to steady her.
Ino's brows pinched together in concern as she looked at her friend but decided against saying anything, knowing her best friend well enough to know what was going on in her mind and even though Ino didn't approve of it, she knew that calling her out on it would only make things worse.
Sakura felt a sharp pain shoot through both her legs as she supported her weight on her own feet, her legs aching and sore but she accepted the pain, knowing that it was what she deserved as she gritted her teeth and bit back the hiss that dared escape her when she took an experimental step towards Jiraya.
She channeled her chakra into the soles of her feet so that the pain numbed and she would be able to make it back on her own but when her eyes fell on the fallen sanin, she froze.
Her expression softened as she took him in, the moonlight gently caressing his face making him look half his age and Sakura couldn't help the way her heart twisted painfully at the sight before she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Let's bring him home."
X
They made it back before dawn broke, occasionally taking short breaks when Sakura's legs wobbled dangerously under her weight but no matter how many times Itachi and Shisui offered to carry her she always refused before she continued onward, bearing the pain as if it was her very own punishment for what happened.
The moment they reached the gates Tsunade and Naruto were already waiting for them, the sight of her blonde haired teammate breaking her heart as she gently landed in front of them.
Tsunade's expression was hard but Sakura could easily see the raw pain in her honey orbs as she caught sight of her dead teammate on Shisui's back. She couldn't even imagine what she would have done if she saw Naruto like that and inwardly admired Tsunade for her strength but when Sakura's eyes finally fell on Naruto, she felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.
His expression displayed all the pain he felt as the tears freely escaped his blue eyes, body shaking in a mixture of anger and disbelief as he caught sight of the one he considered his grandfather dead on Shisui's back.
Guilt crashed into her like a wrecking ball and Sakura felt the air leave her lungs as she unconsciously took a step towards Naruto, unable to offer him any words of comfort before his blue eyes finally met hers.
For a moment, it seemed as if time around them had stilled and Sakura didn't know how many seconds or even minutes have passed before the blonde suddenly flung himself at her and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.
Her eyes widened in surprise, emerald orbs filling with tears as the blonde's body shook with sobs, his face buried into her hair he held on to her for dear life.
The pinkette eventually overcame her shock and hesitantly wrapped her arms around his shaking form before she tightened her hold on her teammate, no tears escaping her eyes as she gently rubbed his back and allowed him to lean on her as he mourned the loss of his family.
Itachi watched the scene with a heavy heart before his eyes caught Tsunade's, the Godaime lifting a hand to signalize the Anbu duo behind her to do what they were called for as they stepped forwards to take Jiraya from Shisui.
Itachi knew that Tsunade would want to hear how exactly it all happened and the Hokage turned around to look at the remaining three shinobi with a soft expression.
"You can go home."
They did as told and, although reluctantly, left them as Itachi walked over to Tsunade who was looking at Sakura and Naruto with sad eyes. She then caught Sakura's eyes, the dark circles under them not going unnoticed by her as she nodded towards Naruto.
"Take him home."
Sakura knew better than to object and pulled back from her blonde teammate to gently hold his face in her hands, a sad smile on her face as she forced her own tears back.
"Let's go home." She gently mumbled, heart giving a painful jerk at the blonde's lost expression before he eventually nodded and slipped his hand around her smaller one, holding onto it as if it was his life-line.
Sakura briefly glanced at Itachi, her eyes shining with a mixture of emotions but Itachi merely offered her a curt nod, silently telling her that she should go and that he would seek her out later before he watched her gently pull the blonde into the village and most likely towards her apartment.
Itachi's eyes then fell back to the Godaime who was looking at the tree's behind him, eyes taking on a distant look as the Uchiha heir let out a soft sigh.
"I am sorry for your loss, Godaime-sama." He said, genuinely sorry as Tsunade's eyes softened, though her eyes never left the trees behind him.
"Let's go to your office."
Her words were soft but her message was clear. She wanted to know what happened but Itachi already expected her order and offered her a curt nod in return.
Together they made their way to his office where he told her everything that happened, the blonde attentively listening to everything as she stood in front of the window and gazed down at the slowly waking village.
By the time he was done Itachi felt his exhaustion slowly creep up on him but he didn't dare show it as Tsunade let out a deep sigh, shoulders slumping as she processed his words.
"He should have stayed dead." She eventually said and Itachi instantly knew that she meant Orochimaru, inwardly agreeing.
The blonde then turned around to face him, the orange morning light illuminating the bags under the sanin's eyes as she allowed her exhaustion to show.
"I'll have a look at his body tomorrow before we'll hold the funeral the day after." She decided and Itachi nodded, knowing that it would be best to proceed like that before Tsunade's eyes softened. "Go home Uchiha, it's been a long day."
Itachi pushed himself off the wall, knowing a dismissal when he heard it as he moved to leave the office to give Tsunade some time for herself,knowing that she was one who liked to keep to herself.
Just as he was about to step outside the Godaime's voice suddenly stopped him, causing the Uchiha to halfway turn his body to look at her.
"Keep an eye on her." She mumbled, honey orbs darkening as she thought of her apprentice. "She'll need you, especially after the past days. I'll talk to Naruto myself and send Hatake and your brother to him this afternoon so that they can look after him."
Itachi's curtly inclined his head towards the blonde, dark eyes shining with sympathy. "Of course, Tsunade-sama."
With hat, he left his office and made his way home, knowing that the next day would be anything but easy.
X
"I wanted to show him."
Sakura turned her head to look at the blonde that laid next to her in her bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling of her room as his fists were clenched from where they rested next to him. It's been an hour ever since they arrived at her apartment and ever since, this was the first time Naruto spoke up, the pinkette's hold on his hand never loosening as she looked at him with sad eyes.
Naruto didn't deserve it.
Her friend had been through so much pain already and now, fate took away the only family he had left without as much as a warning, leaving him beyond devastated.
"He knew that you'd make it." She whispered, thinking back of how the sanin had reassured her that the blonde would be fine without his guidance. "Even without him."
She felt his hold on her hand tighten as she noticed a lone tear escape his blue eyes, the hurt as deep as the ocean itself.
"Why do they all leave me?"
Sakura felt her heart break at his question and rolled onto her side to fully look at the grieving blonde, her fingers growing numb by the force used to hold her hand.
She used her other hand to gently reach out and pull his head into her chest, palm gently resting on his cheek as she brushed away the steady falling tears.
"They never leave." Sakura whispered, her voice firm yet warm as she held onto him and forced the tears that filled her eyes back. "Even right now he is somewhere watching you, knowing that you'll make him proud and fulfill your dreams just like the rest."
Naruto remained silent as he buried his nose into her collarbone and inhaled her familiar scent as she offered him comfort and promised to herself that she would make Orochimaru pay for Naruto's tears and Jiraya's death.
They fell asleep shortly after, exhaustion taking over the duo before they were woken by the sound of someone entering the apartment a few hours later.
The pinkette was not surprised to find Kakashi and Sasuke stand in the middle of her bedroom a few moments later, the copy-nin's usual eye-crinkle slightly softer than usual as he looked at the clearly grief-stricken blonde in sympathy while Sasuke leaned against the wall next to the door with dark, yet soft eyes.
They spent the morning together as Sakura prepared them breakfast after taking a shower, the team eating in a comfortable silence, content with the lack of forced conversations that would only worsen the mood and Naruto's grief.
Kakashi and Sasuke eventually took Naruto back to his apartment so that he could freshen up and spend some time together to give Sakura some space and time to herself, the medic having parted with the blonde with a chaste kiss on his cheek as he engulfed her in a tight hug.
When Sakura was once more left alone, the pinkette's mind kept on replaying the past nights events, the last hours seeming like a nightmare as she tried to occupy herself with something to get her mind off of it but unfortunately it didn't seem to work.
She was doing the dishes that were left after breakfast when she felt the chakra seal that guarded her apartment fade but she paid it no mind, too deep in thought to notice the familiar presence that entered her apartment and eventually joined her in the kitchen.
She was dressed in a pair of black shorts and a navy colored sweater, hair falling freely over her shoulder as she went over the same spot on the plate for the hundredth time before a voice spoke.
"Sakura."
The pinkette jerked in surprise at the sudden voice, the plate slipping out of her fingers before it hit the ground and shattered with a loud crash.
Her eyes widened in surprise as her eyes fell on the male that was standing in in the kitchen doorway, a concerned frown on his face as he looked at the visibly surprised kunoichi.
"Itachi." She breathed, obviously not having expected him before her eyes once again fell onto the now broken plate. She took a moment to realize what had just happened before she swiftly bent down to pick up the broken pieces, vaguely aware of the footsteps that came closer as she felt her heart involuntarily tighten beneath her chest.
"I am sorry." She apologized, her voice breathless as she gathered the small shards in her hand. "I didn't hear you and honestly didn't even expect you-" She cut off her own ramblings with a hiss, eyes falling onto her thumb to see that she had cut it, the blood dripping on the white plate as she frowned.
"Damn it." She muttered but before she was able to continue to pick up the shards she felt strong, familiar hands cover her own, making her still in place.
She didn't dare look up to meet his gaze, already knowing what would expect her as she stubbornly kept her eyes on the shattered pieces of the plate.
"Sakura, look at me."
Her gaze remained unwavering and it wasn't until Itachi gently lowered her hands and took the shards from her that she felt her chest tighten. He reached out to gently grasp her chin and tilted it upwards so that she would finally look at him, his concern for her growing with every second that ticked by as he noticed that her hands were slightly shaking.
The moment her emerald eyes met his onyx ones she felt her throat tighten, the familiar sensation making her gently remove her hands from his as she stood, pointedly avoiding his gaze once more as she turned to look out of the kitchen window.
"I am fine Itachi." She told him, her voice firm yet curt as she heard him move back to his feet as well. "I just needed some rest, I am better now."
"I know you're not." Came his velvet voice from behind and Sakura clenched her jaw, inwardly hoping that he would just go and leave her alone. She couldn't do it, she was in no condition to have this conversation yet especially after she spent the better part of the night trying to console a devastated Naruto while she tried her hardest to stay strong for both his and her own sake.
"Please leave." She said, voice hard as she tightly gripped the edge of the kitchen counter up to the point her knuckles turned white.
But Itachi didn't listen. Instead he grabbed her forearms and slowly turned her around, forcing her to face him as he stared down at her with a disapproving frown.
"Sakura, stop it."
His voice was soft yet the command was firm and Sakura couldn't stop the scowl that appeared on her face, her fists clenching as she glared up at him with burning orbs.
"You stop and just leave me alone." She grit out, her temper flaring as she felt all of her frustration rise to the surface.
Itachi's lips thinned as he pulled her closer to him, onyx eyes hard and expression serious. "I won't leave until you talk to me."
"What do you want to hear?" She snapped, her voice coming out harsher than she intended it to but at this point, she was unable stop herself. She was tired, hurt, and felt broken beyond repair as she looked up at him. "Last night I had to watch my best friends only family that he had left die in my very arms because I couldn't save him and spent the remainder of the night consoling him knowing that if he hadn't taken the hit for me he would be alive and with him!"
Itachi's grip on her loosened as she felt the adrenaline rush through her veins, her skin growing hot as her chest tightened.
"Sakura, calm down."
"Calm down?" She asked, her voice taking on a higher pitch as he looked at the Uchiha heir in disbelief. "How can I calm down knowing that someone lost their life and all I could do was watch?"
As soon as these words left her lips her eyes suddenly widened, her body stilling in his hold as her lips slightly parted.
"Oh my god." She whispered, chest tightening up to the point she could hardly breathe as she looked up at Itachi with the most pained expression he had ever seen on her face. "I killed him."
Itachi realized that Sakura was was close to having a panic attack and gently grabbed her face before he tilted it up so that she would look at him, tear filled eyes meeting his hard ones.
"You didn't kill anyone, Sakura." He told her, his serious expression not once wavering even as the first tears rolled down her cheeks. "Orochimaru did."
"No." She shook her head, trying to get out of his gasp as she felt her stomach twist painfully. "The scalpel was meant for me, it had my chakra so that I couldn't heal myself if I got hit."
"You didn't know." Itachi firmly reminded her, voice hard but he knew that it was the only way to prevent her from fully loosing it. "There was nothing you could have done Sakura, it's not your fault he died."
Sakura stared at him as if she was unable to comprehend what he was saying but after some moments her expression fell and with it, the barrier she had so tightly created to protect herself.
Her legs gave out under her as Itachi wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, lowering himself onto the ground with her as the past hours events hit her with full force and the pinkette came undone in his arms.
Her body shook as she wept for the male that died in her arms, his smile that flashed in her mind causing her chest to constrict as she tightly held onto Itachi's shirt like it was her lifeline.
With every sob that shook her body Itachi felt his heart break a little more, his own sadness rising as he thought of the fallen legend and what an impact his death had left on them, especially on the young pinkette even though she didn't know him for too long.
It was how they left what always broke one, as Itachi had first hand learned the hard way so he let her cry to her hearts content, knowing that every tear she shed would take some of the weight on her chest away.
He knew that Sakura was a strong woman and it was only a matter of time until she would finally break under all the stress and nerves from the past week including the incident with her father, Danzo and now lastly, Jiraya's death.
She needed this, and Itachi knew that the only thing he could do was offer her comfort and remind her that she was not going through this alone and that he was there for her, and would always be.
As she buried her face into his neck and her sobs eventually turned into soft whimpers he gently rested his chin on top of her head, arms never once loosening around her as he softly spoke.
"I'm here."
X
A/N: Here it is, all written in one go. I pulled an all-nighter just to finish this chapter and I have to say that I am quite happy with the way it turned out.
I know that many of you will most likely hate me for killing off Jiraya but it was something that was needed. I loved to write his character and hope that you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless.
Also, I made a tumblr where I'll post some chapter snippets, random one-shots and get to interact more with you all! You can find me there as: FF-SaraNero
See you very soon my loves!
Xoxo,
Sara.