I'm not allowed to return to this story again until I update To Duel With Fate. Enjoy, and I'll be back!
The stillness would have been peaceful if it felt natural, but there was an undercurrent of tension in the air. It could have easily been her imagination, given how troubled she was, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the emptiness around her was artificial. Nerves pulled taut like thousands of bow strings straining through her body, waiting for the slip of a finger that never came. If she wasn't alone, where was the chase?
'Please don't run…'
Yeah, she ran.
'...don't know what they will do.'
Keep her guessing, apparently. That's what they would do.
Birds chirped distantly in the towering trees above. Somewhere in front, the river babbled in a steady flow interrupted by boulders and ancient, gnarled roots. Behind, there was the high-pitched laughter of playing children and the occasional shrill clash of blades in training. In her immediate surroundings, it was a vacuum.
The thick shade provided by enmeshed branches and layers of leaves kept the air cool and damp. Moss covered earth that was free of fallen leaves, with no sunlight for grass to grow, and blanketed the dark trunks in different hues of green velvet.
Sakura stood there for several minutes. First, in waiting for someone to seize her and haul her back to their village. When that didn't happen, she simply…tried to breathe.
If she could trade in the raw emotions she felt for physical blows, she would in a heartbeat. She wanted to get a grip on them, but she couldn't. Not with the intensity they burned, and not with the firestarter that had expertly stoked them–like only an Uchiha could. Unlike real injuries, she couldn't heal them with her ninjutsu. So…they seared like a lightning strike in a drought.
Her judgment felt too clouded, trapping her in a mental prison of helplessness. Again and again she tried to fight through the anger to clear her own head, and each time, she came to the same fork in the road: paralysis that led to subservience, or a fight to the death.
No . There had to be a middle ground. She would hack and slash her own path if that useless fork persisted, but she would accept neither of those options. She couldn't be reckless, and she refused to give in to whatever his whims were.
'There are two roles you can fulfill…'
The echo of his voice haunted her. Goading her even in his absence, like a nefarious little parasite worming through her mind. Intent on disrupting any progress she made. Her teeth clenched, scorn and defiance welling inside of her with no outlet.
Her feet moved without thought. Desperate to purchase even more space between her and a man whose location wasn't even known to her anymore.
It didn't matter. The further she could get from the Uchiha village, the better. At the very least, she hoped she could sneak far enough to escape any residual sounds of life. The only problem was, she had no idea how close she was to crossing their invisible line of leniency. There had to be scouts keeping an eye out for threats. The Senju always had them. Some were in plain sight, and others in hiding. Why would the Uchiha be any different?
There was only one way to find out.
A cautious pace wove her through the maze of earthen pillars and arching roots. A subtle means to placate anyone that may be watching from the shadows and judging her motives. As much as she wanted to bolt off into the forest, she knew better than to believe escape would be that easy. A paranoid whisper in her mind considered she was able to get even this far because of Izuna.
Maybe he wanted her to try to run. She couldn't claim to know him, but she did know enough . She knew he toyed with her today. The fact that he was successful in eliciting all the wrong reactions from her didn't mean she was ignorant to what he was doing. The way he watched her was like a coiled snake, waiting patiently for its prey to slip within striking distance.
Whatever happened, she wasn't prepared to deliver herself on a silver platter. He would have to work harder than that to make her overstep.
Yet, despite her intentions, she knew she already had slipped, and that's why she was flooded with as much guilt as she was anger. The only reason there were no repercussions was solely thanks to Izumi's quick interference. What had the poor girl earned as a token of gratitude? A shattered front door.
She didn't mean to do it. It was a surprise even for her when the wood splintered and misted into the air. Better a door than the Uchiha, though. Izumi deserved much better than that. Much better than anything Sakura could offer right now.
The river drowned the silence, easing the strained nerves through her limbs and spine as she gazed into its depths. Specks of sunlight glinted sporadically in sharp bursts of white. Like shooting stars through an undulating sky. Dark, muted shades of green, brown, and gray blended together in a surface that shivered in its current. Appearing far more gentle than the hidden strength it coursed below.
It was wider than she expected. The distance was hard to judge, but she knew she couldn't make it one leap, even using her chakra. It gave her an even greater appreciation for the trees that tangled above. The distance they reached from one bank to the other was impressive. The trunks closest to the water's edge leaned perilously over, their weight supported by the branches hooking into them from the other side.
Wading through it would be too dangerous. It took surprisingly little force for rushing water to sweep someone off their feet. That left her with one clear option, in her limited skillset.
The soft, thin fabric bunched up in her hands as she lifted it from the ground. A plain, white layer of undergarment folded beneath the dark blue and disappeared around her knees. She had been negligent enough for one day, damaging Izumi's property. She wasn't about to carelessly soil the clothing she was donated, too.
She knelt down at the edge of the short cliff, and stretched one bare leg to the glassy surface lapping along the steep, mossy wall. The blue glow that flared earlier in a raw power returned, encasing her foot in a luminescent veil and supporting her weight.
The water felt as solid as stone, but sloshed around her feet as easily as it did to the boulders and roots. She couldn't remember the last time she did this, but she didn't expect it to feel so effortless. The river should have swallowed her whole, yet she could glide across it weightlessly now like she was skating on ice.
The palm of her hand glided across the spongy ledge next to her as she walked, never venturing out of arm's reach. Not because she doubted her ability to stay above the water, but because she sensed the invisible line was near. It could have been her own paranoia peeking again, but she was in no mood–and no position–to push her luck any further. This would be a short stroll to clear her head, and nothing more.
That's what she told herself as her gaze flickered to the opposite end of the river. Gauging the distance and mapping its shape. If she kept walking, maybe she could find a place where it narrowed. The shorter the sprint, the faster she could reach the protection of the trees on the other side.
"Stop." She grumbled to herself, eyes closing briefly to shake the temptation from her mind. It would be a mistake she knew she would pay for.
Maybe someday…but not today.
Sighing, she stared down at the rocky riverbed beneath her feet. Its depth rising and falling between a few inches and several feet. Thoughts returned to Izumi as she ambled along. Her toes dipped into the cool surface and kicked small splashes into the air, trying to wrestle away from the regret that nagged every time her friendly face reemerged in her head.
Were they in different circumstances, Sakura knew they would be friends. It was too easy to like her. Initially, she was skeptical of her generous nature. So trusting and considerate. She thought nothing of sharing her space and her belongings with a complete stranger, from a clan she should hate. There had to be a catch.
Then she witnessed her interaction with Izuna, and she began to doubt her own suspicions. The Uchiha was afraid of him, even if she tried not to show it. The fear was guarded by respect for his station, but Sakura could read between the lines. She wondered how Izumi would respond to him if there were no consequences to fear. How respectful would she be, if she could say whatever she wanted?
Or was it Sakura's own wishful thinking…
She wanted Izumi to be an ally, but how could she be? Her loyalty must be to her own clan, in the end. No matter how much sympathy she might have for the position Sakura was in, she was an Uchiha first.
With every line of thinking, the distrust infested. Poking small, but significant holes in any understanding she tried to piece together to make sense of her own predicament. It was maddening, and yet there was no way around them. There was no one to confide in. No one she could trust with absolute certainty to help her navigate this uncharted territory. Enemy territory.
She was alone.
The thin pink brows furrowed in anguish as another wave of hopelessness surged up to claw her down from the inside. Trying to anchor her back into stagnation, inaction.
The worry crimping her forehead smoothed away in wonder when she finally lifted her gaze from the collage of rocks passing below. Expecting to see the wide, empty river piercing its path through the wild columns of trees ahead, she found a man blocking her way instead.
Not so alone, after all.
Several meters away, far enough for her to question if he even noticed her existence, he presented a unique sight. Shirtless, and almost as pale as she was, he faced the opposite riverbank. Unlike her, he let the river wash over him. Concealing him from the waist up. She couldn't tell if he was sitting or standing, but he was close enough to the ledge she was tracing with her hand that it could have been either. There were still shallow enough areas to be safely seated.
Short black hair hung in his eyes as his head tilted downward. Water dripped slowly from the inky strands to rejoin its source below. His chest rose and fell slow and steady, as if he was asleep. Elbows bent slightly, his forearms disappeared into the water in front of him.
He was sitting. She could see it now, in the way his back curved forward. Relaxed with his hands in his lap. The black band of his pants could be glimpsed occasionally above the surface as the waves lapped rhythmically.
Most striking of all was the gaping wound carving a clean stripe through his back. Yawning open and closed with each intake of breath. Were it fresh, it would have bled profusely, but it merely oozed in pink trails over his skin now. Collecting the river water that clung to him and staining it with color as it traveled slowly down to his hips. Following the natural dips in the lean muscles of his lower back. The glint of white caught her eye as the tip of his spinous process poked through the split in his skin between his shoulder blades, where the layers were most shallow.
As she assessed him from a distance, she outlined the bruising and other abrasions and cuts that could be seen. Most of them looked like injuries that would heal just fine on their own, in time.
Her first thought was that he was a part of Izuna's ambush, but that couldn't be. The wounds may not have been dealt today, but it was more recent than the night of the massacre. She'd seen enough mutilated bodies in her life to make fairly accurate guesses about such things.
Whatever happened, his solitary presence sparked many questions. He should be getting treated in their hospital, not meditating in a river, so exposed.
She couldn't tell his age without getting closer, but from what she could see, he appeared to be in his mid to late-twenties. Older than her, possibly older than Izumi. Unless the harsh battles aged him prematurely. It wouldn't be the first time she mistook a teenager for someone twice their age.
More than old enough to understand war, and prove he could weather its abuses...if not master them. Distractedly, she wondered how many Senju he killed in his lifetime. In the process, her concentration slipped just a little too far.
She forgot–so briefly, but it only took a fraction of a second to matter–that she was standing on water. The blue shimmer dispersed, taking with it her ability to defy gravity and plunging her unceremoniously into several feet of cold darkness.
The shocked yelp was drowned by the swirling water. Flaring panic quickly turned to irritation as she thrashed her way back to the surface. Of course she managed to fall in one of the deeper pockets that submerged her well above her head. Fortunately, there were enough large rocks surrounding her that she smacked into them instead of whisking away with the current.
She breached with a coughing fit, shaking her hair from her face and scrambling to find her footing on the uneven, algae-covered stones. When enough pink peeled itself from her vision, she sucked in a sharp breath at the feet hovering above the water next to her. Balancing on the surface the way she once did.
Much more agile and perceptive than she was expecting, based on his appearance.
The mossy wall knocked into her back as she tried to lurch away from him, reminding her of the wedge she trapped herself in with her fall. Her right arm braced over a slimy boulder, and her left brushed up along the muddy velvet. Water rushed across her chest, pulling for her to join its journey and twisting the layers of dark blue, now black in saturation, and white fabric around her legs and arms in a heavy, cumbersome curtain.
Chakra swelled around her hands in flashes of light. Blue glittered with white, humming in volatile warning. Mesmerizing to look at, but far less benign than the soft glow used to tread the river. She didn't think before she reacted, and she sorely wished she had when the man in front of her took an angled step back in caution. Her eyes reached his the moment they blazed red, and snapped to the chaka funneling down her arms.
Sakura stiffened, breath hitching as she waited for his assault. The water weighed her down, entombing her and threatening to slip her footing if she moved the wrong way on the uneven rocks. If she needed to dodge quickly, she wouldn't stand a chance. If she was being honest, she probably didn't stand a chance on solid ground with a suit of armor, either. She wasn't trained to be a fighter.
'Do you regret surviving…'
Again, Izuna haunted her…but it provided a mental shove to correct the mistake she made before it could spiral into something worse.
"I'm sorry!" She blurted, eyes closing in an impulsive flinch while instinct cursed at her to keep them open. The chakra pacified and faded away with conscious effort.
"I didn't mean to… You…scared me." The tremble in her own voice betrayed her. She didn't want to sound afraid. She wanted to be calm and disarming, without the vulnerability. A difficult facade to pull off while she huddled between a literal rock and a hard place, but she had to try.
There was no answer. To her relief, there was no attack, either. She waited, losing the nerve to open her eyes the longer she kept them closed. The silence could've fooled her into thinking he vanished, but she knew he was there. She could feel him watching, and she let him study her for the same reason she would let him make the first move.
"I don't recognize you." His voice murmured gently after a long pause. Soothing her in the way she failed to do for him. Not the tone she expected.
The sharingan drank her in slowly. A habit. It wasn't necessary, even if she never tamed her own chakra. He knew she was no shinobi the moment he laid eyes on her. Some women were, but his years of experience enabled him to pick them out as easily as she analyzed wounds.
Her lips parted to speak, then hesitated. A tongue darted to wet them even as water dripped down her face. Trickling from her hairline, her pink lashes, and following the curve of her jaw. A nervous gesture.
"I haven't been here long." She muttered quietly. Vague and unhelpful, and nothing he didn't already piece together. Every face in his village had long been memorized. Hers did belong.
The red glow dimmed as his lids sank lower in relaxation, noting how she kept her eyes shut. Did she know what he could do, if she looked at him? Doubtful…though if that was the case, it was a useless precaution. She would have already lost to his genjutsu before she closed them.
The soaked robe clinging to her, however… He did recognize that. It belonged to Izumi.
"I know." He murmured again. Short and to the point, but keeping his volume low and passive. There was no reason to make her more afraid than she already was. Far more afraid than even her admittance conveyed. Her arms shook. She wanted to pull them in close, but she didn't dare move. Her refusal to look at him spoke volumes alone.
"Where are you from?"
A natural question, but the last one she wanted him to ask. Sakura swallowed uncomfortably. Her eyes cracked open to look at his feet. He hadn't moved since he stepped back into a defensive stance. They climbed up the sagging wet pant legs, and hovered at the strip of dark hair trailing to his navel.
She couldn't look any higher, wary of what might flit across his features when she answered him.
"I'm…" The control slipped as oxygen deprivation got the best of her, forcing her to breathe faster. There was no physiological reason she should feel so out of breath, yet her nervous system responded as if she was in a sprint.
"I'm from the…the Senju camp…that Izuna invaded."
The red dimmed further when his eyes narrowed. Few things took him by surprise anymore, but this news did. Survivors, orphans, recruits–whatever they were called that day–were few and far between. The Uchiha discriminated passionately against outsiders. Izuna most of all. They would certainly take them in, but they had to prove valuable or promising in some way…and actually want to be there.
For him to suddenly bring home a Senju without the express purpose of interrogation, even a woman…
Well, he would sooner believe Madara proclaiming his love for Hashirama, and skipping off with him into the sunset.
"I see…"
The words expressed less than continued silence would have. She could interpret nothing from them. Not even deserved skepticism.
His eyes followed the sharp neckline that joined at the surface of the water. The wet cloth stuck to her like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination. Her heartbeat thundered visibly in her chest. Beating quick vibrations between her small breasts. The red and white flowers contrasted brightly against the darkened background, and hugged every minute curve and indent. Including the tender buttons outlined beneath them.
He made it a point not to stare.
"For what purpose… Do you know?"
The mild inquiry gave her the courage to trace up his abdomen and chest, mottled reddish-purple with bruises, to his face. She expected him to turn on her the moment she said Senju, yet he seemed strangely unbothered.
When she managed to look into his eyes a second time, the sharingan was deactivated.
"No…" She whispered the lie, but he knew.
If she felt compelled to lie, then her visit wasn't a voluntary one. Whatever Izuna's intentions were in bringing her here, they were not stirred by compassion.
That was something he could believe.
The Uchiha said nothing at first. His black eyes drifted down to the water between them. Ignoring her as she willed her arms to scrape down and hide, crossing over her stomach.
"He would have told you by now."
Sakura glanced away, unwilling to confirm or deny anything. She understood his curiosity, but it was the last conversation she wanted to have with him. Or anyone in his village, for that matter.
He knew that, too.
"Tell me your name."
The movement from the corner of her eye drew her attention back to him. He stepped towards her and knelt down in small splashes, moving slowly to avoid alarm. Arms decorated in the violent aftermath of his recent battle extended as if he meant to lift her out of the water, and then he waited.
"Sakura…" She answered quietly, staring at his rough, empty palms facing the speckled canopy above. Tentative hands resurfaced, hovering in the air. When she hesitated, he leaned closer, grazing his calloused hands beneath her slender wrists and dipping them inside the sleeves draping her forearms. He gripped gently around her elbows, and pulled.
The cold air whirled around her as she burst from the water. Landing several feet away as he hoisted her free with him in one strong, backwards leap. In her shock, she missed the opportunity to plant herself on the river's surface again, and nearly plunged down into it a second time.
He caught her before she realized what was happening, reeling her into his chest and locking his arms around her back. The wet sleeves slapped against his sides as she clutched him in return. Careless of where her hands landed, one of them scraped inside the gash angling horizontally from one flank to opposite shoulder. He grunted in a stab of pain, abdominal muscles flexing in a quick pulse against her stomach as she pressed into him.
A gasp sucked the tiniest, chilling breeze over his chest where her mouth hovered, realizing both what she'd done, and how completely flush her body was to his.
Her fingers released their unwitting grip on the raw wound, painted in fresh blood. Whatever his body managed to heal reopened enough to drip dark rivulets from the lower left side of his back and down into the hem of his pants.
"I'm sorry–" She yelped anxiously, but he sensed her sincerity. Her bloodied hand immediately covered the wound and pressed gently. Green energy trickled into him, tracing and filling the laceration like an intangible liquid conforming to its container.
"Your feet–" The gruff reminder cut short as the healing light warmed him, stunning him into silence. A pleasant numbness replaced the pain where her hand was positioned as it rejuvenated flesh. Nerve endings prickled in little sparks of life that broke through the numbing heat in faint tickles. Eyelids sank heavy in bliss.
Sakura felt the arms tighten around her. Sealing whatever remaining space there was between them. Her mouth brushed into his chest, and she faltered. The chakra lost some of its intensity as she clung to him in silent apprehension.
What was she doing?
What was he doing?
His eyes drifted open, remembering himself as the pain returned in a dull throb with her wavering confidence. Much easier to endure than before, but it served a mild warning. In his brief reprieve from reality, he missed her heart slamming its erratic rhythm into his chest.
It wasn't intended, but such a close embrace was far too familiar for a couple of strangers. For an unwilling captive, it must have been terrifying.
Cold wind beat around her as they flew through the air again. This time, her feet hit the ground. She stepped backwards at his release, pulling her hands in close to her waist and casting him with an uncertain look.
"Ah, sorry… I thought you would catch yourself on the water," He explained offhandedly in that same easy tone. "You're a healer?"
Sakura glanced down, fussing with her own nails nervously. "Well…uhm…yess…" The earth pattered steadily in the raindrops from her clothing. She shivered slightly, and then worked on wringing the excess from her sleeves and skirt with her hands. Something to do that saved her from having to look at him.
No reaction. She couldn't say if she preferred one, but it didn't put her at ease.
Thoughtful eyes watched the repetitive movement of her small hands drumming water to the ground between them in short bursts. Every little piece of information meant something, and he hoarded them. As if she was a puzzle that needed to be solved. There might be a lot more pieces to weasel out of her, but he was patient.
"That's why Izuna brought you here. He wants you to work in the hospital." It was a statement, but he wasn't convinced it was that simple, and waited for her confirmation. He watched her facial expression closely while she kept her eyes down. There was the hint of a cringe at the name. Understandable…
Even with the mission being a success and benefiting their own clan, it was laced with controversy. Not everyone supported Izuna's tactics, though few were brave enough to speak against him. Some wanted to surrender entirely, but they weren't stupid enough to admit that, either. He'd heard some rumors of what happened that night. How it was more of a slaughter than a battle. Not even the women or incapacitated were spared.
Yet, it was probably the only reason he was home now. May be the only reason he was alive at all.
War was not fair or kind to anyone, but they had been sustaining heavier losses than usual, and were pushed dangerously close to the border of their own home. Wiping out the Senju camp helped turn the tide in their favor.
"My name is Shisui." He offered when she evaded his subtle prodding for more insight.
"It's…mm…nice to meet you." She mumbled politely in return, only to hear a sharp snort. Sakura peeked up at him through her stringy hair.
"I highly doubt that…but it's alright." He was still looking down at her hands. Giving her the opportunity to inspect him curiously while he wasn't paying attention.
Being in his presence was unsettling, but she imagined she'd feel the same with any other Uchiha. Well, no…she would probably feel worse. So far he had been surprisingly neutral towards her.
"Don't move."
Without explanation, his hands lifted and danced between different signs. Dying leaves skittered over the moss at their feet and began swirling around them. Collecting and following the cyclical breeze he summoned. It was chilly for only a second, and then a ring of fire ignited and fanned up into the air. Incinerating the leaves and trapping them both in a funnel of flame. The golden heat spiraled above their heads. Masking them in flickering light and steam that wafted up from the desiccating moss.
Sakura coiled into herself, expecting it to burn her, but it never drew close enough. The temperature inside remained just hot enough to gradually sap the moisture from her clothes, and end her shivering.
"It won't hurt you, it's just so you can dry faster."
"You would waste chakra…on this?" She questioned in awe. Still a little unsure, but captivated by the controlled fire just the same. Never had she seen a fire jutsu used for something other than pure destruction before.
"Waste…?" Brows lifted in surprise, "This is…negligible."
She looked at him. Meeting his eyes without worry, finally. He seemed sincere without being cocky, and it suddenly made her wonder what he could do with some real effort.
The water was evaporating from his hair, returning it to its natural wavy texture. Tilting his chin, he glanced up to the circle of green high above their heads, framed in the spinning blaze. Then he closed his eyes, basking in the warmth while his hands remained locked in the sign of the tiger.
"I'm not complaining, so I…hope you don't take this the wrong way, but…" She chose her words carefully, speaking slowly. While his focus withdrew from her, she took the chance to inspect him. Glancing from one angry welt on his shoulder, to a cut encircled by a deep purple bruise on his arm, to the many other injuries peppering his visible body. Briefly, she wondered if she knew any of the men who dealt those blows. "I…didn't expect you to be so…indifferent towards me. It's like you don't even care what I am."
"What are you?"
The question came without pause. Dry hair wisped gently against his cheeks, and his eyes stayed closed.
Sakura hesitated.
"I'm…a Senju. I don't belong here…obviously."
"Hmm…" The hum disagreed. She watched him soak up the heat. Enjoying it the way a lizard would savor the first rays of morning sun.
"You think I should be cruel to you? Because you are Senju?"
She didn't answer. There was no need to, and they both knew that.
"If you aren't threatening me or my family, I don't care who you are." At that, his eyes cracked open to peer down at her. She looked away, considering his answer with conflicting feelings.
"I doubt most Uchiha agree with that sentiment." She murmured softly, vision lost in the wall of shimmering heat next to her. This time, he scrutinized her while she wasn't looking.
"More of them agree than you would think…" His volume matched hers. She had been correct in her earlier assumption that she was being watched. Their borders were always guarded by hidden eyes, and she was absolutely someone they would be keeping tabs on. For this reason, he was conscientious in everything he said, and how loudly he said it. Especially now.
Her inquisitive glance caught him, but he didn't elaborate.
"That being said…" Shisui inhaled for a sigh. The crackling glow dimmed around them enough for the forest to fade into view behind it. Some of the heat dissipated, but he left them in a warm cocoon for a little longer. "You are right to be cautious. It only takes one person with a grudge to target you, and as a Senju, few would risk jumping to your aid."
She nodded. None of it was news, but it was strangely comforting to hear someone echo her own thoughts, even if they weren't positive ones. For two days, she felt isolated with them, as she voluntarily spoke little to Izumi.
"Which makes me wonder…because I'm sure you're not that naive… Why are you out here alone?"
Some dampness remained, but they were both much drier than before. The fire fizzled away, leaving them in the stillness of the forest with a perfectly symmetrical ring of charred earth encircling them. She didn't look at him this time. Her gaze melted into the ground as unwanted memories replayed in her head. Brow creasing in a faint mix of sadness and concern.
"It's…" Throat tightening, she struggled to make up her own mind. What to tell him… How much to trust him… Wanting to believe he was safe, like Izumi, but doubting her own judgment at the same time. Part of her wondered what her own friends back home would think of her, if they saw her making conversation with him. Would they call her a traitor?
Would they be right?
Itama's smile flashed in her mind, his tired face staring up from the humble cot.
Shisui watched her feet shift backwards, slinking away from him. Tears sparkled along her eyelids. Just enough to catch in the light, but they didn't fall. She was fighting them back.
"Sit." Hands closed around her arms, guiding her down before she noticed him move. "You don't need to tell me anything, but don't run. No one will bother you while I'm here."
It felt counterintuitive, but she let him pull her on the ground without a fight. Eyes cast faithfully down while she composed herself. Sealing away the worst emotions and toxic inner ramblings before she was forced to acknowledge them under his magnifying glass.
She listened to the rustle of fabric as he sat across from her, and then…silence.
Several minutes would pass before she found the courage to look up. When she did, she saw his peaceful face and closed eyes, sitting cross-legged with his arms resting on his thighs. Sinking back into the meditative state he was in when she first spied him on his perch.
"You…have a lot of injuries. Shouldn't you be getting treated?"
The voice pulled his attention, though he kept his eyes closed. It was weighted by a heavy burden he couldn't yet define. His imagination could fill in some of the blanks with reasonable accuracy, but he tried not to assume too much. In time, he was bound to find out more of her story.
"The hospital is full." His murmur was distant and dreamlike. Giving the false impression that he was far less intune to their surroundings than he was. "I'd rather be here anyway."
"That's a pretty significant wound on your back. I'm sure they would make room for you." She insisted, missing his faint smile while she returned to assessing the marks on his body.
"I'm not worried about it."
Sakura glanced up to his closed eyes, knowing he spoke the truth. Aside from when she dug into him with her hand, she could tell the gash was one of the last things on his mind…let alone all of the lesser damage. Frowning, she considered him thoughtfully. Teetering back and forth between opposing urges. The medic in her was restless to continue where she left off, especially with how good-natured he'd been. Another part of her wanted to hold fast to the role of a stubborn victim who wouldn't dare betray her own clan.
Her gaze sank down again as she debated with her own internal conflict. Trying to rationalize both decisions, and weighing their merits. Before she met him, the answer would have been clear as day. No form of bribery would have been enough to convince her to heal him, or any other man in their village. Now it was a little…muddy.
The decision wasn't an easy one to make, but she settled on it faster than she thought she would.
Shisui listened to her rise. Expecting her to drift away, in spite of his earlier warning not to wander alone. He wouldn't chase her, if that was her choice, but he would watch her for a time. Instead, her steps padded around him in a half-circle. His eyes opened when she maneuvered behind him, and stared curiously into the trees as he waited for her next move.
Warmth flooded his back in a much more concentrated wave than before. The throbbing he'd been enduring for the past day lulled into numbness, spanning from one end of his wound to the other. Beneath the analgesic mask of healing chakra, his nerves lit up in ticklish sparks again. Mostly subdued with her effort, but prickling his senses just enough to signal the beginning of mending tissue.
"You don't need to do that."
Green light burned the shadows from her face in fluorescent stripes through her fingers. Hands hovered millimeters above his skin, concentrating her energy in the deepest segment of the gouge, and letting it pool outward from there. She knelt with one knee digging into a pillow of moss.
"I know… But whether it's me or the medic in your hospital, your outcome should be the same." She reasoned passively. If he was dying in the field, then her decision would have a much greater impact, but that wasn't the case. Unless a major infection set in and was left untreated, his wounds weren't lethal. It was a rationale that eased her own guilt through the whispers of traitor in the back of her mind, but only led him to investigate further.
"Then why heal me at all?"
A worthy question that made her brows furrow. He made a good point. If he would be fine to wait a bit longer…why was she bothering? Sakura stewed over the best response. Something truthful, without being too revealing of her tangled feelings. She never found one in time.
"What are you doing?"
The new voice made her jump. Vaguely familiar, but not enough to prevent panic from spiking through her nerves. It came from the left, and was so close she should have heard their approach, but she missed it. Even Shisui jolted slightly, his head tilting to glance at the man next to them.
Itachi straightened, having just leapt down from some lofty branch nearby like a silent shadow. The eyes evaluating her were black, but sharp and skeptical. Tracing over her chakra and quickly darting up to her face, narrowing.
The vibrant glow sputtered as she shrank away from the wound. She pulled her hands into herself and leaned away from him, staring wide-eyed.
"I-I'm just… I was healing him…that's all!" The explanation was halting, as if she doubted her own words even though there was no intent to deceive. Should she not have touched him?
The piercing stare lingered, but he said nothing. Eyes flickered between hers.
"It's alright, Itachi… I'm fine." Shisui's hand lifted between them in a barrier. Sakura angled herself slightly behind him inch by inch, keeping her eyes on Itachi from over his bare shoulder.
"...I see that…" He murmured almost to himself. Second-guessing her clear intentions as much as she did under his suspicion.
"Am…am I not supposed to…?"
Itachi stared at her a moment longer. The dark creases lengthened down his face as his eyes softened, concluding that she wasn't a threat at the present moment. He glanced at his friend, and the hand slowly lowered between them and returned to his lap.
A sigh sifted through his nose. Quiet, but heavy. Laden with his own unspoken burden.
"No, you can. It's just…" He glanced away from her, picking at an equation in his head that didn't seem solvable. "You, of all people, have every reason not to. I don't understand why you would want to."
"Oh… Well…he's…been nice…" The excuse grew softer with each word. Feeling a bit silly and suspect for finding nothing more compelling to support her decision on the spot. She had to fight to keep the cringe off her own face, but still winced a little as she looked down.
"You've met?" Shisui asked mildly, watching Itachi since she was still mostly hidden behind him.
"...Yes…"
The stiff response opened a landslide of new questions, but Shisui filed them away while he studied his tired eyes. It wasn't unusual for his younger friend to be protective and cautious, especially around a foreigner, but he knew him well enough to tell there was something more complicated brewing. They had yet to talk about what each of them experienced during their days apart, but that would have to wait a bit longer.
"He pulled me from…" Sakura slipped a mirthless laugh under her breath, "...from a pile of burning bodies and rubble."
"If you had listened when I told you to stay down–" The biting response ended abruptly with the closing of his eyes. The flare of anger wrestled itself out of sight. He paid no mind to the penetrating stare Shisui bore into him.
"Ah… Not the best introduction, then…" Shisui inferred gently. Withholding judgment in the absence of any real information, but finding his friend's reaction particularly interesting.
"I can think of few worse introductions." They heard her mutter bitterly. Wary of speaking the words she really wanted, but she managed to get the point across. To say any Uchiha made a good first impression that night would be a severe understatement.
Tension thickened around them in awkward silence.
"There is space for you," Itachi changed subjects, snapping to the reason he sought him out in the first place. "But you should go now, before he gets impatient."
Shisui's head lifted and tilted to the side at this news.
"Oh? They suddenly had room as soon as you showed up?"
Itachi's eyes cracked open, leveling him with a meaningful stare through the narrow sliver.
"Hmm… Alright, I won't ask." Shisui smirked slightly, and then finally released him from his inquisitive spotlight. He didn't want to leave the riverbank. The peace and quiet of the forest surrounding his own home was the closest he ever tasted to a vacation from the endless fighting. It would only be to appease Itachi, since he went out of his way to find room for him in the hospital.
With a sigh, he glanced back to Sakura. Sitting behind him with her legs folded under her, eyes aimed down to the ground. A touch of sadness found him, and he almost insisted on staying behind for her sake.
Shisui's hand drifted into view, hesitating before slowly closing over one of hers resting on her knees. The gesture surprised her.
"Don't stay here alone." He reaffirmed.
She nodded, but fixated on his hand, rather than look him in the eye.
"I'll take her back." Itachi suggested. Tone leaving no room for debate.
The hand squeezed lightly over her own, and then vanished. She heard Shisui rise to his feet. They whispered something to one another that she couldn't hear, and then he walked off between the trees. In his absence, her heart quickened nervously.
Minutes felt like hours while she waited for some kind of direction from Itachi. After all, she wasn't a real guest. The circumstances of her arrival all but guaranteed that, and today, Izuna killed off any fragile optimism she did have at being free to do as she wished. Sullen, she waited for him to order her back to the village.
"I didn't mean to scare you." When he did speak, the irritated edge was gone. Her fingers fidgeted nervously, toying with the fabric covering her knees. "You're the last person I expected to see out here with him."
Sakura glanced to his legs first. Taking her time traveling up the black pants bandaged around his shins, to the dark blue coat so many of them wore.
"I came out here to…get away, for a while. I didn't think I would run into anyone. He was…much kinder than I anticipated. I'm glad it was him, and not someone else..." When she got to his face, she could sense the complex emotions burning within. Whatever was bothering him was a mystery that she didn't expect to ever figure out, but she could relate to the struggle of pretending everything was fine when it wasn't.
"Not all of us are as…harsh…as Izuna." His cheek flexed in a clench of his teeth, eyes darkening momentarily. "But I'm also glad it was him you ran into."
Weighing his choice of words with interest, she tried to remember what little memories she had of him the night they invaded. Whatever crimes he committed himself were unknown to her. He couldn't have been there without taking part in the violence, yet he gave the impression he didn't approve of what they'd done. At the very least, he had seemed angry at the thought of her being in danger, but maybe it wasn't that simple.
"Did you…not want to be there?" She whispered the question, certain she knew the answer already. Hearing him admit it was another story. Confirming a truth like that was probably too risky, so she wasn't sure what he would say. "I guess it's…not really a choice for anyone, in the end."
His eyes hardened, and he glanced up into the treetops around them. Agitated by the question, she assumed. He was, a little, through no fault of her own. In truth, he was more intent on scanning their surroundings for covert visitors. The emptiness of their forest was never genuine.
"Izuna's methods are his own. It wasn't the path I would have taken." Purposely vague, but it was about what she expected.
"What path would you have taken?" She pushed a little further, watching the guarded strain return to his features.
Itachi considered the question. Quiet for a time, his gaze lost itself in the distance. Less concerned about eavesdroppers after skimming the area, but she didn't know that. Her eyes tried to follow his line of sight, seeing nothing but green flickering in sunlight.
"Is that really something you want to know? This is the destruction of your clan, we're talking about." He murmured softly, evading the question with one of his own.
"Izuna doesn't see it that way." Sakura scoffed under her breath. "He already figured out that I was adopted by them."
His eyes narrowed, and he looked down at her. Watching her distractedly search the trees
"He spoke with you?"
"This morning." She answered easily, but her breath caught in her throat when she glanced to him again. The glare that met her was striking, though she sensed it wasn't meant for her. It almost compelled her to ask another question, but she second-guessed the wisdom in it just yet.
"Stay away from him." He nearly growled.
"I…would love nothing more… But I don't really think it's…up to me…?" She said cautiously, captivated by his reaction. Oh, there was definitely some bad blood there. She didn't know how deeply rooted it was, but it seemed to be the final nail in the coffin of his opinion on the man. Comforting to know she wasn't alone in her loathing, but the fact that she couldn't escape Izuna was the real problem.
"What did he say to you?" He fired back. Never raising his voice, but he didn't need to. The animosity was palpable.
Visibly uncomfortable, her gaze darted away. This was the second time someone tried to make her revisit that conversation, and it wasn't any easier to stomach now. Talking to Itachi about it seemed even more precarious than Shisui, given his visceral anger.
"That's really not a subject that I want to talk about…if you don't m–"
" What …did he say?"
She froze below him with an unblinking stare trained on the ground. Once again, he closed his eyes for a minute, recognizing his assertiveness might be a misstep in her delicate position. It was difficult to continue suppressing his own frustrations. They weren't aimed at her, but she played an unwitting role of her own now, whether either of them liked it or not.
Petrified as she looked, she wasn't afraid of him hurting her. At least once already, he'd shown that he wanted her to be safe. There was still the question of him carrying her to Izuna that she wanted to address, but it wouldn't be at the present moment. She guessed she knew the answer to that question, anyway. Itachi probably didn't know he was planning to kill them.
The shadow blanketing her shrank down as he crouched in front of her. Balancing on the balls of his feet. When she spared him a glance, he was looking at his hands hanging between his knees. Ponytail sliding over his shoulder.
"I know none of this is easy for you to deal with." Clearing his throat, he forced the edge from his voice. "You see everyone here as your enemy. Anyone would. As absurd as it sounds, you need to look for people you can trust. Seek them out. They won't find you on their own. If you act like you hate and fear everyone, and avoid them, your life here will be unbearable. Possibly even short."
"I don't want to have a life here at all…" She whispered.
"That isn't up to you anymore." Cold, blunt, but it was the truth and she needed to come to terms with it.
"Sakura… We are no different from you. We're all just…people." He looked up, catching her eyes and holding them in his gaze. "Some of us are bastards who can't be trusted. Some of us will move mountains for our friends. I guarantee more than one person in this village will accept you, Senju or not, and that's what you want. They will be a buffer between you and anyone who would see you as an easy target."
"I've only been here a couple of days–"
"You think this world cares? We send our own kids to war, remember… Fate has dealt cruel hands to the least deserving of us. Don't give it the chance to decide yours."
He was right, and she knew it. She just didn't want to acknowledge any of it yet. She wanted to hide for as long as she could. Stall the inevitable, until it smashed down her own door and dragged her out against her will. Everything about her current situation made her want to rip out her hair and scream, but it would change nothing.
"And you want me to trust you…is that it?" She asked in a way that sounded defeated. Like she'd already given in and made the decision. Not that there was much of a choice.
"Yes." A confident answer, with no hesitation. It surprised her, though she wasn't sure why. "Now what did he say to you?"
Sakura flushed immediately, dreading the words she needed to repeat. It was necessary, though. If there was any chance at altering the road Izuna was forcefully paving for her, she likely wasn't going to change it by herself.
"Basically…when I said I wasn't going to heal any of his men, he gave me a few weeks to…figure out…who I'm going to sleep with. If I'm not going to contribute to your hospital, I guess…the only other purpose he will 'allow' for me is to be a mother."
The eyes narrowing curiously as he listened quickly eased open again. All expression washed from his face. She didn't notice, too busy trying to look at anything but him. Once more flooded by indignity.
From the corner of her eye, she saw him sink back into a sitting position and cross his legs. Leaning forward, his hands clasped together, index fingers meeting in a point and pressing to his closed lips. His breathing was audible. Slow, controlled, but slightly too loud. Just like she did, when she was trying to contain her emotions in front of Izuna.
"And what did you say to him?" He asked with forced calm.
"Nothing that mattered…" Acid ate through her words as her cheeks burned. "I…tried to go after him, when he left…" She swallowed with regret. "I've never been so angry… Izumi is the only reason I didn't get very far. I may have…accidentally…exploded her door." Her brows knit, recalling as it shattered into irreparable, tiny pieces. There was no better way to put it. "Then I ran."
His eyes flit up curiously, anger briefly abating with that last detail. Some more elaboration would have been nice, but it was the least pressing concern, so he let it go.
"You're lucky she stopped you. Do not ever engage him. He let you live once, but I don't know how much it would take to change his mind. No one distrusts the Senju more than him. I'm surprised he let you come back with us at all."
"I remember…" She looked up at him. Still plagued by embarrassment, but reassured by his own composure. "You told him I might be useful… What did you mean? Are you the reason I'm here?"
Shock lit up his face for a second, then he fell blank again. At the time he said that, she'd been so close to passing out that he didn't expect her to be paying attention. Least of all to him.
"I might be." He admitted, but she didn't hear any guilt. "My only intent was to keep you alive. I didn't know what would come after."
"But…why? Why care about me? How am I any different from all the Senju you slaughtered?"
An annoyed wince tugged his brows and creased the corners of his eyes, as if she insulted him. He glanced down at his hands again. A small crack came from his jaw when it shifted.
"You aren't different. You're just the one I thought I could save, so I tried." He murmured. Clearly moved in some way by her questioning, but he was careful in how he responded. "I took no more pleasure in their deaths than I have in watching my own clan die around me. There are no bad guys or good guys in this war, Sakura. Both of us are responsible for this mess, and it would take both of us to end it."
Itachi stood suddenly. She followed his movement, and the hand that extended down for her to grab.
"There are some things I need to take care of, so we'll have to pause for now, but I will walk you back to Izumi's first."
Her lips parted, and then shut again. Wanting to say more, but knowing it was better to wait. The food for thought he just gave her would be better off marinating for a while. As much as she wanted to stay out there longer, she knew he wasn't prepared to leave without her, either.
"Oh, of course… Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you–"
"You didn't. I stayed because I wanted to. But I've borrowed enough time…"
Reluctantly, her hand slid into his palm. He closed his fingers, guiding her to her feet.
"Izuna won't force you to sleep with anyone. Avoid him, if at all possible, and give me some time to figure things out. And thank you, Sakura…for being willing to treat Shisui."
She glanced to him in awe as he led them away from the river. Filling with timid hope and respect, but hesitant to believe he could find a way to change Izuna's mind. A man like him couldn't be that easy to sway. Nevertheless, he brought a smile to her face.
Long hair swished over Itachi's back, splitting the Uchiha symbol in half between his shoulder blades. His hand let hers slip free, and it curled into a loose fist at her side. Strangely missing its warmth the moment it disappeared.
