Orochimaru gets what he wants and then some. Sakura doesn't
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Chapter Text
Sasuke appeared in the hall.
The new Uchiha couple drew a bit further apart, watching his approach.
His stride appeared a little unusual.
Sakura noticed,"Sasuke! Are you hurt?"
"Im fine, don't worry about me."
Sakura and Itachi tilted their heads in confusion at once.
Simple as it seemed, for Sasuke to respond to her this way was...strange.
Racoon flash stepped to the new visitor,"Do you have permission to be down here?"
Sasuke looked over the guard's shoulder, viewing the woman sleeping in the cell.
"I asked you a question. This is your last warning."
He simply stared back at the Anbu.
"Answer him Sasuke!", Itachi commanded, coming to intervene.
The guard moved to restrain the younger Uchiha for a lack of answer.
Sasuke withdrew his sword in a flash, smiling widely.
Itachi threw himself into his brother's side, knocking him away,"Don't!"
Moving to the guard the moment Sasuke was out of the way, he placed the man into a pleasant Tsukuyomi.
When he turned back around, Sasuke approached the Anbu, crouching to look him over where he laid, smirk in place.
"What were you thinking Sasuke?!", the elder brother hissed.
Sakura's mouth hung open while all this unfolded, but snapped out of it now.
"Have you completely lost your mind? You looked ready to kill Anbu-san!"
A jangle of keys was heard,"Now I don't have to.", Sasuke replied.
He stood and approached Izumi's cell door. "She's coming with me."
"You're not yourself Sasuke. Stop this.", Itachi was bewildered, sensing something very strange about his little brother and not
just his felt cold, wise, a bit malevolent but not quite.
Then he recognized it, an old memory ringing within him,"Orochimaru?"
Sakura had been walking to intercept Sasuke but halted at this, eyes widened briefly before getting directly into a battle stance.
"Ever perceptive Itachi-kun", said a voice more suited to the Sannin than the host,"I'm taking her with me to my base."
Itachi appeared calm, his voice smooth and measured once again, giving nothing away.
"Why?"
"He asked me to take this woman and her child in exchange for himself, save your family their pride.", the voice said with a chuckle,
using Sasuke's body to put the key in the lock.
Itachi's heart became a stone in his chest. Izumi was being let out for herself and Sasuke's innocent child to be given to Orochimaru.
If he did fight, Sasuke would likely die as the host, which was out of the question because he was certain that nothing could bring him to
kill his little brother. The Sannin was not above destroying the baby to escape, or many others if necessary.
Sakura would fight Orochimaru whether she had a chance at winning or not, because that's the kind of dedicated friend and kunoichi she was.
They'd had so little time. There was no good choice, but the best of bad choices could break her heart, something he never wanted to do.
At least the world wouldn't have to keep turning without her.
Taking a breath, he steeled himself to say the words that might destroy everything he ever hoped for.
Itachi let his eternal mangekyou show through, addressing the inhabitant of his little brother's body, wishing there was another way.
"It is my child, not his. He did this to protect me and the clan from embarrassment," he gestured to Sakura,"to protect the woman I
love from finding out what kind of man I am. Izumi and I will go with you and abandon the village. I won't allow my little brother
to suffer for my mistake."
"Please Itachi. Don't.", Sakura's voice sounded, breaking a little.
Itachi looked to Sakura, heart aching at the tears in her eyes, how she bit her trembling lip so as to not sob out loud.
Her veridian eyes begged him.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. Let Sasuke know I concede my heir rights to him for my misconduct.", he said, wishing he could say so much more than that.
"I can't let you leave.", she retorted, sounding pained and betrayed, voice quivering.
He approached her, tilted her chin up, giving her a sweet kiss she wanted more than anything now as she used the contact to implore him to stay.
Once he pulled back, she fell into his arms from the sweet dream he gave her and he set her down gently,"You won't have to."
She had been here once before, the day he thought she would be gone from this world all too soon.
The red sky and black landscape. Itachi's form stood across from her.
"Am I dying again?"
He shook his head, "You deserve a proper goodbye."
"I don't want you to go!", she cried.
"We cannot trust Sasuke's judgement in this. Izumi's eyes cannot be handed to an enemy, and the child…."
She wanted to argue but knew he was decided to anyway.
"We could fight!"
"And lose how many? I won't risk anyone else if I don't have to."
"Is what you said..to Orochimaru..", she hated asking but she had to,"is that true at all?"
If not for Sasuke, he would lie to her now, in case he did not live through his time at Sound.
Sasuke would tell her the truth, there was no point.
"No, Sakura. You know me, but you may have to pretend you do not."
"Why?"
"My cover has to be maintained.", a soft smirk graced his handsome face, chiding,"You are too clever to ask such obvious questions."
"Come back to me," Sakura sobbed, breath hitching,"when this is over."
He walked to her, touching her cheek,"I will try. I want to. Don't come after me"
"What if I do?", her wet green eyes looked defiantly into his soft black.
He leaned down to kiss her again, briefly. He pulled back just enough to whisper into her lips.
"My crows will always be watching, my eyes always on you, never far away."
Then he was gone.
"Ah, the tragedy of love.",Orochimaru crooned before sealing Sasuke's lips to Izumi's, giving his snake safe passage from one host to the other.
Sasuke's body hit the ground, Izumi's sitting up soon after.
The former Uchiha heir heard her voice saying,"I accept your proposal to go."
Looking sadly once more at the pink haired beauty, he replied,"Hai."
Sasuke woke up strangely exhausted on a concrete floor with a throbbing skull, eyes registering Sakura kneeling
nearby at his side,a cell door flung wide before him, an unconscious guard to the left of them muttering incoherently.
His cheek suddenly stung,"Wake up you idiot!"
Did she just slap him? Idiot?
He sat up groggily and rubbed his face, grumbling,"I'm awake."
Sakura looked angry and grieved, her breath heaving.
"Did you rescue me?", He asked her.
"Like hell ! ", she screamed, actually striking a twinge of fear in him, her balled fist above her head.
He winced,"What happened?"
Naruto appeared in the hall,"Sasuke?"
Sakura immediately dropped her intended assault and ran into her blonde friend's arms, clinging and sobbing.
"Where are they?", Naruto asked her, hugging her back but looking around.
"Who?", Sasuke snapped, growing irritated at the disorienting turn of events.
"Itachi-san and that Izumi girl.", the blonde replied,then noticed the guard on the ground."What happened Sakura?!"
"They left together… with Orochimaru.", Sakura choked out.
Sasuke blinked a bit before it hit him."Show me."
Sakura stepped forward but batted his hand away when he tried to steady her chin.
"Don't touch me!"
"I won't.", he promised, sharingan glowing now and probing her memory.
If only Itachi hadn't been there.
He understood it, of course, but this was an outcome he'd never imagined.
A trickle of fat tears streamed down the Uchiha's face.
Dumbfounded at the display and a little uncomfortable, Naruto reminded gently,"Guys, we have to tell Kakashi."
Sasuke looked at Sakura, feeling slammed in the chest at the sight of her.
For once in all the time he knew her, she actually looked hopelessly distraught.
He wanted to talk to her, remind her it was all to save them.
Maybe she knew.
When she looked back at him, he saw her heart burned with hate for him now.
Even when he stayed away, his selfishness had ruined things anyway.
She made a sound of disgust in the back of her throat as she walked toward the hallway.
Naruto stayed behind,"So, do you want my help or not? Let me in you tight lipped bastard! Sakura-chan looks like she wants to murde r you."
Sasuke sighed in defeat, knowing she would have a lot more to be angry at all too soon. He would let her be, but the clan wouldn't.
Maybe there was a way to explain the long absence of two of the village's best shinobi?
Itachi would fight if a rescue was attempted, at least until the baby was born or an alternative was found.
Sasuke nodded,"Hn. I will tell you everything."
He wanted his brother back, the girl he'd broken to be happy again, his child safe.
Everything else meant nothing at all anymore.
