Sasuke considers the burden of the past, present, and future because of his actions and everyone else hides what they must.

Chapter Text

The woman carrying his brother's child had come to wrap her arms around him, and in the few seconds

Itachi had before they were shun shinned away, he made a successful connection to his best crow.

The world swirled away then, only to return him to what looked like a crude and filthy operating room.

Izumi's body let him go and he took another step back, watching her. In a voice more like the Sannin's than

her own, she instructed him to wait there.

It was not lost on Itachi that she did not bother to lock the door as she left, but it was far from an opportunity to escape.

A web of chakra covered the area. Even his reverse summons to his hideaway would do him no good here.

Of course, he had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

The weight of his actions settled on him in the stretching quiet, bearing down on his chest and making him want to crumble.

He thought about the heartbreak in her eyes, the memory wounding him. The possibility of coming back to find her in the

arms of his brother or not coming back at all was more than he could bear to think about just now, so he pushed it away.

Being with Sakura for the little time they had was something he could not bring himself to regret.

Never in his life had he felt so free and light, so understood and connected.

Itachi was fairly certain such had not been Sasuke's experience with Izumi, and the more he thought about it,

the more sense it made that he had fallen into her. Their father pitted them against each other, and though Itachi despised

and dismissed it on the inside, he had been a good son and played along as little as he could get by with as Sasuke was his

father's child to raise and it wasn't really his place to usurp his judgement.

Poor judgement it would seem.

Sasuke had used his vast potential to compete with him in every way for Fugaku's attention and praise, when

his rivalry with Naruto had seemed sufficient to spur him into greater development.

He didn't have much choice in disposing of Izumi after the child was born as things stood, and he hoped that he

was right and his brother would forgive him for doing so.

After an hour with no visitor, he began meditating to calm himself and pass the time until someone came for him.

There was a presence on the other side of the mirror, likely looking in on him and standing guard, but after a while he

determined they probably weren't coming in. He bided his time, having discovered everything of note he could from here.


Izuna observed the quiet man she remembered as a boy through the glass, wondering if he indeed had married her sister.

She shivered at the fact her request had brought things to this. She had promised herself to Orochimaru in exchange for

her sister's presence, and now she not only had to deliver, but she had brought her sister to this horrible place as a woman with

child and a man that had demanded to accompany her.

The Snake Sannin would likely come for her tonight, pinning her to the bed and commanding her to open her legs as she agreed to,

and there was no escape from it.

She had spent the first part of her life disguised as a male child to avoid this very thing, being used to breed Uchiha.

If her parents had known this was how things would turn out for her anyway, perhaps she could have played with dolls and

worn dresses like the other girls her age had done.

She felt a slight spike of chakra in the room, but said nothing. It would be better for him to escape, like the other boy had done.

Like she wished she could.


Trudging up to the Hokage's door, Sasuke's stomach sunk. Sakura had slapped him, was ready to strike him.

Before, he could expect her to cover for or defend him. He would bet his left arm that she wouldn't now.

Sakura had ran ahead and was likely telling Kakashi everything. He would surely be interrogated, at the very least.

He sat down heavily on the bench just outside the entrance, wondering how he could make things right from a cell in T and I .

Shikamaru sauntered up, coming to a stop and leaning on the wall, hands shoved in his pockets.

He sighed heavily and said, "You guys aren't needed here right now. Hokage-sama said he'll call you when he's ready for your report."

Hearing this, Sasuke rose to leave while he still could, tugging Naruto's sleeve in a clear signal to follow.

Shikamaru warned,"Guys, don't go too far. He could call at any time."

"Sure thing Shikamaru!", Naruto called behind him, turning to give Sasuke a concerned side glance as they scurried away.

"Where are we going Sasuke?"

As if he wanted to go anywhere near home after what happened, or talk in a public place,"Your place, moron."


Sakura peered out the window until Sasuke and Naruto were out of sight, relieved.

She had raced ahead and asked for privacy before Sasuke could ruin himself.

"So, can I go or not?"

The Sixth sighed , no one had been hurt. Izumi had been neutralized for now. His best spy was invited to

Orochimaru's lair and he had a reverse summon in place that only one other very loyal shinobi knew of, two if

he ordered what Sakura wanted. She was right, Itachi would likely find a way to escape to his hideaway with the

infant when he was ready. He was always very thorough and probably had multiple protections in place to safeguard it.

It was just.. he had a feeling Sakura's pain was far from over.

"Two nights a week Sakura, no more. I want a location, too."

Clearly she struggled with his request, worried about sharing her husband's escape route, but she relented after a long silence.

It was this or have no way to reach him. Itachi wouldn't be strolling back through the gates of Konoha anytime soon.

She could trust Kakashi. Well, mostly. She couldn't tell him about Sasuke's part in this yet, or maybe ever.

Sakura had enough diplomatic experience to know you don't imprison a family's only heir, especially when that clan

has threatened Konoha's stability before. He would likely come to the same conclusion, so not saying anything for now

about his part in things was the best option.

"Deal."

Kakashi nodded,"Get to it then."

"I need to get my things. Can you summon Shisui to meet me at the gates in an hour?"


Sasuke grimaced but did not verbalize his distaste of the mess in Naruto's apartment, heading straight for

the kitchen and rummaging for usable tea.

"What do you know already?", he asked Naruto, distantly wondering what horrors awaited in the tea tins.

"That Uchiha lady is pregnant, probably your kid. Is she the one you wanted to marry?"

"Hn." Explaining why he didn't anymore and probably never should have was an embarrassment he would deal

with when it became necessary.

"Why did your brother leave with her?", the blonde asked, a dark expression taking over his normally sunny countenance,

pounding a fist into his hand,"I'm gonna give him a serious beat down for hurting Sakura-chan like that! If you see that bastard

first, you tell him I'll see him on the training grounds, just like he promised!"

Sasuke quirked a brow, wondering why his peaceful sibling had offered to fight his friend.

"When did he? Why?"

"He said if I didn't like the way he treated Sakura-chan we could handle things that way."

It wasn't hard to determine why his brother would say something like that to Naruto.

He wanted to be in the blonde's good graces for Sakura's sake.

Guilt washed over Sasuke so strongly his knees threatened to wobble.

"Do you think he really cares about her?", he asked, back turned to his friend.

"I did before he went and left!", Naruto fumed. "Here I thought I'd never seen anyone so wrapped since Lee. He kept

spacing out when we were playing cards, and when I got his attention again and teased him about being so into Sakura,

he went all red. I was so happy for her after all…", the blonde looked up and trailed off, realizing Sasuke was glaring at him

now and daring him to finish that sentence. All was silent for a while, and Sasuke turned back to make the tea.

The raven haired man finally spoke,"Izumi was Itachi's fiancé before Sakura."

The blonde's eyes went wide,"Is he the dad… or are you?"

He would tell him the truth, eventually.

"Never mind that for now."

"Whaddya mean never mind?!"

"Look, Naruto, I'm worried about Sakura too. My brother has to come back. Soon. If he doesn't," Sasuke swallowed,

struggling to get it out,"she'll be ordered by my clan to marry and breed with me in his absence."

Naruto laughed, incredulous, "There's no way she would do that Sasuke."

That she would probably rather die at this point went unspoken.

"I know.", Sasuke acknowledged.

"What could your backwards clan do to her for saying no anyway?", Naruto asked.

Sasuke, alarmed enough at the consequences for both of them, stayed silent.

Marriage in the main family was given a year to produce a pregnancy, to prove it viable in providing the next generation.

Itachi would have the respect necessary to protect her from this. Sasuke knew he had a long way to go before he measured

up, if he ever could. No one would listen to him at first, he would start as a puppet.

Hopefully Itachi had the mercy within him not to tell the clan he had 'fathered' a child with Izumi and all of this

could be explained away somehow. If Itachi was declared a missing nin or a traitor, Sasuke would be required

to immediately take his brother's place with his new wife.

In Sakura's memories, he had seen the brief hesitation in his brother when Sakura asked if his confession was true,

as if he thought it best to lie. He had a horrible feeling Itachi would make sure the clan knew what he claimed

to the Snake sannin as truth, if for no other reason than preparing Sasuke to replace him if he fell and give Sakura

a sense of family and comfort in his death.

Being forced to do this to them would be hellish, and he hoped there was another way. He already felt crushed by shame.

Well, there was one way. "Do you think she might be pregnant?", Sasuke asked, trying to keep his voice flat.

Naruto rolled his eyes,"Sakura's a medic nin Sasuke, she doesn't want kids yet."

The two men suddenly flinched and fell quiet.

Sakura was making her way up the stairs, her chakra erratic and pinching the air around them.

Naruto hopped up and let her in before she could punch the door open.

She ignored her blonde teammate, taking two steps inside and narrowing her eyes at Sasuke.

"I told Kakashi Orochimaru came on his own for Izumi and Itachi volunteered to defect to find out where his base

was.", she spat, glaring at the new Uchiha heir with her balled fists on her hips.

She took a menacing step towards him, sneering,"Satisfied?"

Obviously a rhetorical question meant to pick a fight, Sasuke did not reply to it.

He was astonished that she hadn't thrown him under the bus with the Hokage.

Her reddened eyes and blotchy face from crying stabbed him with guilt once again.

The only good news he could think of right now was his helper in Orochimaru's lair. Deciding on telling her

about that instead of rising to her bait was the best he could manage to comfort her.

"There is another Uchiha there, one who seems to care about Konoha. She has a strong and layered genjutsu over her

eyes, but she used them on me to keep Orochimaru out of my head. Itachi will probably have an ally."

Sakura nodded, scrunching her brow and momentarily distracted from her wrath by this new information.

For ten blessed seconds of silence, she seemed deep in thought. Then she got right back to business,"We need

to go back to the compound. I need to pack my things and I'm not going to face your parents alone."

"Are you going after Itachi-san?", Naruto asked her.

Sasuke immediately chimed in without waiting for her answer,"I'm coming too."

Sakura vented her fury at him, hoping it stung,"You wanted his life. Now you've got it. Let me handle this."

"I need to get him out of there!", the dark haired man ranted, his panic and guilt choking him,"This is my burden!"

"You're the burden!", Sakura yelled, feeling slightly satisfied at Sasuke's barest flinch at her words,"Stay out of

my way Sasuke! Go home and fill his shoes, and try not to embarrass yourself. You owe him that at least."

Clinging to what felt like his last thread of vanity, stepping forward and towering over her, he asked,"What can

you do that I can't?"

"Be there for my family without destroying it.", she retorted, turning back to the door and taking her leave.

Astonished, both boys watched her go in silence.

"What are we gonna do now? Should we stop her?", Naruto asked when she turned out of sight, eaten up with

worry for his friends. The admiration Sakura had held onto for his best friend even after the break up had just

vanished before his eyes, and Sasuke had to feel like dirt to let her talk to him like that.

The young Uchiha was taken aback by Sakura's venom at first, but as she walked away to retrieve her things alone

after all, rather than bear his presence, he could admit he deserved even more.

He only hoped he hadn't made such a mess that it would have no end in sight.

Sasuke answered his friend at last,voice sounding hollow,"I'll do whatever the two of them ask me to. For now,

it's staying out of her way."

Naruto clapped his friend's back and said,"Alright Sasuke.", but his smile faltered.

Sadness gripped the heart of the man hosting the nine tailed fox. Sasuke being pressured into taking Sakura as

a wife after obviously feeling utterly ashamed about what he'd done already wouldn't be good for him at all, and Sakura…

what if she left the village instead? He never really imagined her being gone forever from his life.

The thought made his chest ache, even worse than the thought of her crying again over lost love.