A/N: (Updated: March 10th 2021)

Hello my lovely readers. Yes, that email alert you received is correct, there is a new chapter posted. I wrote chapter 10 simultaneously with chapter 9 (that's totalling over 8000 words in less than two days, I think that's my new record) However, before you scroll down and begin reading, I would like to say something that has been on my mind.

I really enjoy writing this story, it's something that's sat at the back of my mind, begging to be written for a long time. However, I will be honest with you, I am starting to lose my motivation to keep writing. Which is upsetting considering I have planned this story to be around 30 chapters if not more.

I'm not a stickler for reviews, but I feel like I need to voice this.

Your reviews help me as writer not only improve but see/read how you (the reader) perceives what I post. How can I expect to get better if I am not aware of what might cause confusion or even if there is a scene you particularly enjoyed? I get it, reviews can be a pain, you don't what to say, you think you might just have nothing but criticism, etc. …. or it's just laziness (that would be me sometimes but I try to leave reviews every time I read something because I know how much work goes into creating a plot, writing it and actually having the courage to post your work online).

If you are hooked on this story and you continue to read it, just leave me a few words, a little morsel, that's all. For me your reception to the story is my motivation to keep writing.

I am trying to balance my university schedule with my creative writing schedule to make sure I update as often as I possibly can.

Now, there's a few comments I wish to address.

To those who commented on the death of Mikoto: (chapter 9)

I know, it's sudden and it's cruel, and it hurts because Mikoto is such a lovely character and pretty much the primary mother figure in the story. That said, her death was not written on a whim but instead thoroughly planned.

eternalrose: You don't think it's the Senju? I must say that is an interesting observation. Also thank you for your consistent reviews. =)

LiluFaery87: I just want to say thank you for easing my doubts about the depicted battle scene in previous chapter. Your reviews are always a joy to read and I am always thrilled to read what you think of the chapter(s). I feel like I did my job as a writer that you have . The plot is slooowly unraveling, but we're getting there. So thank you for giving me feedback, um it really helps to see how the chapter that I post is perceived. =)

That said, I do hope you take the time to review.

This story has been rated M for a reason — you have been warned.

Happy Reading! ^^

Chapter 10. Itachi

"Come on Itachi!"

She repeated the motion. Again, and again.

"COME ON!"

Again, and again, and again.

This was not supposed to happen. He must live. He must. As she pressed her hands against his chest in continuous motion, the palm of her hand began to glow green with her healing chakra. She stopped the compressions and let the glow intensify as it began to crackle with the intense energy. Then she pressed both hands against his chest, sending a jolt of the chakra through his body. As his chest began to move on his own, Sakura exhaled deeply as she reached forward, placing two fingers to the side of his neck. He was breathing on his own, and his pulse was stabilizing. He would live.

"Sakura-sama we're here, what do you need?" Kazuo asked.

"Kazuo, bring over the anti-bacterial mixture we have been working on, I will need at least a quarter of the jar. I have the situation under control, but we need to make sure to prevent any complications from arising. Satsu, please bring over a clean yukata for your brother to be dressed in after," Sakura delegated as she kept her focus on Itachi.

"Hai Sakura-chan," Satsu nodded and she rushed out of the house.

They were in the infirmary. Sasuke was sitting on one of the vacant futons, his back leaning against the wall as he had his wounds checked over. He was fine, apart from minor burns and the cut on his cheek — courtesy of Tobirama Senju. Hikari was applying a healing salve onto the burns on his arms before he turned to the cheek. Aoi was sitting on the futon next to him, watching over her cousin.

"He's gonna be fine Sasuke."

"If he dies, it's my fault," Sasuke said.

"He won't die. Now shut up and let Hikari finish stitching that cheek of yours," Aoi replied.

She glanced around the infirmary, noticing that the injured warriors were stable and that they had not sustained any further losses — unless Itachi would not pull through. Then again, this attack, the Uchiha were in control and they successfully managed to burn the Senju estate and its fields to the ground. Sasuke winced as Hikari pierced a needle through his cheek, stitching it as quickly and efficiently as he could.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-sama, but I am nearly out of chakra after healing Keisuke-san and Tomaru-san. I have to do this manually," Hikari explained.

"It's fine," Sasuke managed to utter through his discomfort.

Aoi looked towards the entrance to the infirmary and noticed young Satsu returning and looking over the injured ones.

"Your sister is back," Aoi commented, and she waved to Satsu to come over.

Satsu smiled at her cousin and she made her way towards them. She sat down next to Hikari, looking over the nearly stitched wound on her brother's cheek.

"I'll do it Hikari-san. Sakura-chan taught me the technique," Satsuki volunteered.

Hikari nodded, "Alright, I will go prepare the medicine for the injured."

As Hikari made his way into one of the rooms, Satsuki took over as she quickly removed the thread from her brother's cheek. She followed step-by-step, just as her mentor taught her as she readied her chakra into the palm of her hand. and let the soft green glow seal the wound quickly. Once finished, she pulled her hand away and smiled happily, content with the result.

"Annnd all done," Satsuki commented as she wiped then took a wet cloth and wiped the dried-up blood from his cheek.

"Satsu, did you see Itachi?" Sasuke asked.

"I didn't see him but Sakura-chan has it under control. Kazuo-san is with her right now, so don't worry, Itachi-nii will be alright," she said.

"You're a natural at healing Satsu-chan," Aoi commented.

"Thanks, Aoi-chan," Satsu smiled at her wild-haired cousin.

"There all done. I gotta check on the other patients and then head back to Sakura-chan," Satsu said as she stood and made her way around the infirmary from patient to patient.

Later that evening.

Behind the closed doors of the main hall, were four Uchiha members sitting on zabuton pillows around a low wooden table. The patriarch of the clan remained seated while the other three members of his family conversed — he seemed vacant, as if only his body was present while his mind was somewhere far away.

"After what happened tonight, you know the Senju will retaliate," Shisui said suddenly.

"Let them. I'll be ready," Sasuke said coldly from his seat.

"You can't be reckless Sasuke, not when it comes to the safety of everyone in this compound," Aoi countered, trying to ease the young Uchiha's bloodlust.

"They murdered my mother Aoi. Hell, they killed your father and our uncle Izuna. How many more do we have to lose before we lay waste to the Senju once and for all?" Sasuke argued angrily.

"Calm down Sasuke," Fugaku finally spoke up.

"We will need allies. We cannot expect to fight this by ourselves. That was my father's mistake in the past," Aoi suggested as she glanced around the three men.

"I will speak with the Namikaze clan then. I am still friends with their heir," Sasuke offered.

"Any other choices?" Aoi asked, looking at their clan leader.

"From the council clans? Hyūga will side with Senju and so will Nara. Shimura clan is unpredictable they tend to stay away from conflict, so we can't rely on them. Yamanaka possibly, but they will want something in return," Fugaku said calmly as he assessed the situation.

"I'll speak with the Yamanaka clan," Shisui piped in.

"You?" Fugaku said as his gaze ventured to the curly-haired Uchiha.

"Yes, I am courting the daughter of the patriarch. He is fond of me, so I do believe if I were to offer an invitation to the Uchiha compound the Yamanaka clan would accept our proposition," Shisui explained as he crossed his arms across his chest casually.

"Very well. Sasuke will speak with the Namikaze clan and Shisui with the Yamanaka clan. But for now, this stays between us. I don't want to involve the elders," Fugaku ordered.

"Let them uncle. Perhaps Saizō needs a reminder not to mess with the head family," Aoi commented.

"If it comes to that, you do what you have to do Aoi, but for now this stays between us, alright? I will handle the elders and you two" he pointed towards Sasuke and Shisui," handle the potential allies got it?"

"Hai otousan," Sasuke nodded.

"Hai uncle," Shisui nodded.

"What about me?" Aoi asked.

"As much as you want to venture out again, I'd rather you stay in the compound. We need to close ranks," Fugaku said.

"As you wish uncle," Aoi nodded.

"Where's mother?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

"At the temple. The priests are preparing her body for the funeral tomorrow," Fugaku answered.

"I see," Sasuke said softly, and he gazed down onto the wooden floor.

The door to the main hall slid open and all the Uchihas present in the meeting turned towards the intruder. Each of them was tense — only a natural instinct after what they have been through in the last twenty-four hours. They relaxed once they noticed the familiar rosette enter. Fugaku was the first to break the silence.

"Sakura-san, is there an update on my son?"

Sakura bowed in respect, and then she looked around the Uchiha main hall, realizing all eyes were on her — Fugaku's, Sasuke's, Aoi's, and Shisui's.

"Yes, he is alive and recovering. However, I must be honest with you and tell you that for a while I did not think he would. He stopped breathing, but I managed to get his lungs working again. He sustained several injuries but the one that worried me the most was the stab wound to the abdomen. I had to perform a chakra-fused surgery on him to fix the damage. He is stable for now, but I need to monitor him closely for the next twelve hours because of the blood loss and possible infection. We won't be able to move him until he wakes. I will update you on his status in the morning," Sakura explained.

"We understand. Thank you for saving my son Sakura-san," Fugaku stated.

"Of course. Now please, get some rest. All of you, doctor's orders," Sakura said.

"Come on little cousin," Shisui grabbed Sasuke by the shoulder, ushering him to head out.

"Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," Sasuke had said sincerely to which Sakura nodded in acceptance before she made her way back into her house.

She spilled the water from the bucket into the empty basin next to her patient. Once she set the bucket aside, she made her way back to him, holding the clean cloths Satsu brought earlier. She kneeled down and let one of the cloths sink into the basin.

She started with his hands, then his arms, making his way to his shoulders. Then she moved onto his neck, his torso — taking extra precaution to be as gentle as possible as she removed every speck of dried blood.

"Do you need help Sakura-chan?" Satsu asked.

"Yes, Satsu. I will need help dressing him," Sakura replied.

"Alright."

Later that night.

It was the middle of the night when Sakura was checking on her patient for the umpteenth time. She couldn't sleep much — then again, her own futon was currently occupied by an injured man. She lifted the covers a bit higher, making sure he was comfortable as he rested. Her hand had been resting on his forehead, measuring his temperature before she placed her fingers to his neck once again. She exhaled deeply, feeling a sense of calm wash over her — everything was good. After she had completed her latest assessment of her patient, she stood slowly and made her way towards her kitchen. Her mind wandered towards what had transpired over the last day or so — so much has happened that she hadn't even had the chance to process it completely. It all started with the assassination of Uchiha Mikoto. Sakura shut her eyes as tears began to slip down her cheeks. Her heart ached as her mind replayed the scene — when she entered the main household with Fugaku and she helped the Uchiha servants tend to the lifeless matriarch, how she helped redress the woman, and how she had sewn Mikoto's throat so that her children would not see what had been done to her. Sakura took a deep breath and then brought the sleeve of her kimono to her face, wiping away the tears. As a doctor she had seen her share of death. But this was not a lost patient, this was a cold-blooded murder. How dare those Senju proclaim that she was one of them? She would never slaughter another human being. She shook her head, trying to erase the image from her head as she focused onto dread of waiting for them to return — she was even tempted to pray to Kannon for their safety, a thing she swore she'd never do again. Then her thoughts ventured once more to the man currently recovering on her futon.

"Sa…ku…ra."

Pulled from her train of thoughts, Sakura stopped stirring the pot of stew and she made her way over to the patient. She sat down next to him, noticing that he has indeed recovered his consciousness. Itachi was looking at her weakly, his eyes fluttering as he focused on her form. She gently took his hand in hers and gave it a soft squeeze.

"I'm here. Take it easy," she said softly and smiled as he squeezed her hand in return.

Then he slowly tried to sit up but winced as pain shot through his body.

"Hold on, I'll help you," she said softly.

She brought his hand to her shoulder, and she channeled her chakra into her arms so she could lift him into a sitting position with ease. He rested his back against the wall while Sakura brought up the covers a bit more, making sure he was comfortable.

"How's the pain?" she asked.

"It's fine," he replied softly, watching her closely.

"No, it isn't. Here, we gotta get something in your stomach," she ordered as she placed the small, low table over him.

Then she stood and made her way towards the kitchen. It didn't take long for her to return — in her arms a tray of medicine and food ready for consumption. As they made their way through the stew and medicine, Sakura poured him a cup of tea.

"Sakura."

"What is it?"

"Thank you," he said softly as he set down the wooden spoon.

She nodded and then she smiled as he took her hand in his once again.

"Look I know you don't want to get married but if this was your way of getting out of the omiai, then it wasn't very smart. I can't perform miracles. You were lucky this time, please don't do it again," she said softly.

He remained silent, just holding her hand in his as he let her continue. He noticed her tired appearance, her worry written all over her face.

"I-I thought you were gone. You stopped breathing, and I tried to bring you back, but you weren't responding. I had to shock with you with my chakra to kickstart your heart and lungs," Sakura said as she gently caressed his cheek.

"I'm here," Itachi soothed as he rubbed his fingers against her knuckles in a calming motion.

"I know," she said softly and then she quickly added," You need to lie down we don't want the wounds to reopen."

She let go of his hand, and she grabbed the table off him and put it aside, letting him lie down comfortably onto the futon. Sakura took the covers and brought them up for him, making sure he was warm. Then she turned to leave, only for him to take a hold of her wrist.

"What's wrong?"

"Stay, there's plenty of space for the two of us and you need your rest too," he said calmly as he patted the small spot next to him.

For a moment it seemed she hesitated — an unmarried woman and an unmarried man together sharing a bed in this time period was not something to be taken lightly. And yet, she felt comfortable enough to lie down next to him, letting the covers wrap around them both. She could feel the heat coming from his body as they laid close to each other. She closed her eyes, her sleep ready to claim her. Itachi killed their silence as he spoke softly, his eyes focused onto the wooden ceiling.

"Have they buried my mother yet?"

Sakura opened her eyes and glanced over to him— as if to study his face for a moment — before she finally answered," No, they haven't."

"I see," he said softly.

Then he inhaled deeply and closed his eyes firmly.

"I'm so sorry about Mikoto. I am so sorry. I lost my father a few years ago in an accident by someone else's hand…what I'm trying to say is that I can relate to what you're going through, and I just want you to know that if you need a friend to talk to, I'm here," Sakura said softly as she kept her eyes on him.

"Thank you," he nearly whispered.

He placed his hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment before he let his hand fall back down next to him. Then he turned to her, noticing that she was looking at him intently.

"Say you'll stay in this time. I can't bear to lose another person," Itachi said suddenly.

"Itachi."

"I refuse to believe that fate would allow us to meet only to separate us once more. If you are taken from us, I will find you," he promised.

Sakura could only nod in agreement as she met his gaze. And yet her mind wandered to all the possibilities of her future in this era. How much longer would she be in this time period? Why was she here in the first place? Would she remember them, or would the gods be so cruel as to make her forget everything and everyone?

The following day.

It was already mid-afternoon when Itachi was once again sitting on the futon, his back pressed against the wall. His pain — thanks to Sakura's painkillers — was nearly gone, leaving him with only a slight discomfort in the abdomen. However, he still did not feel like himself, it could have been due to the fact that he had suffered from blood looked over to the young Uchiha that walked towards him. His young sister was dressed in a plain white kimono — no doubt her attire from their mother's funeral. He hated the fact that he was unable to attend, that he was stuck here, still in recovery while others were able to mourn the loss of his mother properly. On the inside he ached, still struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss. And he was frustrated that he was unable to be there with his family.

"Sakura-chan left me in charge so for once you have to listen to me niisan," Satsu announced as she brought over another dose of medicine to her big brother.

Itachi took the cup and drank it quickly as he was particularly not fond of its bitter taste. Then he passed the cup back to her.

"Arigatou Satsu-chan," Itachi said.

"I have to finish your lunch and then you'll have to take the anti-inflammatory medicine as well. It shouldn't be too long though," Satsuki explained, and then she made her way back to Sakura's kitchen.

The front doors slid open, only to reveal the third Uchiha sibling. Sasuke slipped out of his tsuranuki shoes and made his way farther inside. He waved to Satsuki — who waved back — and he walked towards his brother.

"Sasuke," Itachi greeted as his younger brother settled down next to him.

"Niisan, I…" Sasuke started only for Itachi to jump him.

"It's fine, you're my brother and you were in danger. I'd gladly jump in again."

"But," Sasuke tried again.

"It's fine, it wasn't your fault. Tobirama targeted you," Itachi added.

"Just get better, ok?"

"I will little brother," Itachi agreed and smiled as Shisui entered Sakura's home.

Shisui made his way over to the two Uchiha brothers and he sat down on the ground in front of them. He crossed his arms across his chest all casual as a small smirk played on his lips. Itachi raised an eyebrow at his cousin.

"Well, you've looked better," Shisui commented.

"Hello cousin," Itachi greeted while a small chuckle escaped his lips.

"Is this how you behave in battle when I'm not there to watch your back? How reckless of you," Shisui said, shaking his head in disapproval — he was teasing him as usual, a thin veil to cover how much he worried for his wellbeing.

"I saw Sasuke in danger, and I reacted. Yes, it was foolish to just jump in, but I guess big brother instincts kicked in," Itachi said simply, and he reached over to Sasuke, ruffling his already wild hair further.

"Niisan," Sasuke nearly pouted as he slid slightly away from Itachi's reach.

Shisui grinned at the two brothers and then added," yeah, thank the gods that we have such a skillful doctor. Talking about the doctor where is she?"

"She went to check on the infirmary and run a few errands," Itachi explained.

"Ah, I see," Shisui said.

Satsuki finished preparing the oyakodon and set it onto the tray along with the blood replenishment and anti-inflammatory medicine. As she neatly placed a cup of warm tea next onto the tray, the front doors slid open.

"We're back," Sakura announced as she walked through the door and kicked off her shoes, in her arms she was carrying a clean Uchiha kimono for Itachi.

She made her way farther inside, allowing Aoi to enter her home. Sakura looked over to see Itachi surrounded by Shisui and Sasuke. Then she looked over to Satsuki, who lifted a tray of food and made her way towards her brother only to come to a sudden halt as her eyes fell onto the pink-haired physician. Satsuki dropped the tray of food that she held in her hands, its contents splashing across the wooden floor. The three Uchiha men glanced over to see what was going on.

"Sakura-chan, you're fading," Satsuki stated in shock.

"No," Sakura exclaimed as fear took over her.

She glanced over to Aoi, who was in the same state of shock like Satsuki. Then, as if she quickly recovered, Aoi took a step forward towards the rosette and she reached out to touch her arm, as if to pull her back, but her hand went through the air as Sakura's body was nearly gone from their sight. Sasuke was stunned as he watched the scene before him unravel. The Uchiha physician with pink hair began to fade before their very own eyes. Sakura's eyes wandered from one Uchiha to the other until she locked with Itachi's who started to frantically peel himself out of the futon. Sakura held onto the clean kimono in her arms, feeling herself pulled away from this world.

"SAKURA!" he yelled, ignoring the pain that shot through his abdomen as he tried to stand up, needing to reach her.

"I….ta…" she managed to utter before her entire being vanished before their eyes.