Chapter 9: Fearing
Sakura looked wide-eyed and frightened at the strip of cloth that Itachi was holding in his outstretched hand. "I-why…I…" she stuttered, trying to deny it all or come up with some excuse, like she must have ripped her shirt or something and that's how it got on there, but when she looked down she was wearing a black shirt, not a white one like the strip of cloth was.
Itachi did not look mad or accusing at her. In fact, he looked a little…disappointed, even if his face was blank, but she could tell it from his eyes, and the way they curved down on the outsides, as if he were sad. It was funny, she had been with him for so long it was almost as if she could now read his emotions and learning his habits. Such as, when he was irritated, his eyes would narrow and widen and then narrow again, almost as if he were twitching but now quite. She almost smiled, but with her stomach dropping remembered the situation she was in.
She looked at the ground, oddly ashamed of what she had done, like a child would when his mother was scolding him for stealing a piece of candy in a grocery store. She looked up at Itachi through her eyelashes, trying to see what he looked like now…would he be forgiving like the mother to her child when she realizes that her child is just a child, and that mistakes are made…or would he look down on her as a father on his disappointing son, and ignore him or harshly discipline them, like Itachi's own father had done with both of his sons?
She finally got a full view of his face, he had his eyes closed and he was looking slightly away from her. His eyes opened when he felt her glare on him. "Sakura…You have betrayed the trust of Kisame and I twice. I've already tried punishing you with the Mangekyou Sharingan…It's not working. What am I supposed to do with you?" Itachi asked, his voice monotone and blank without any emotion, and it pained Sakura how calm he could be, where in the same situation she would have been shaking with anger and would have beat the person because of it.
She looked away again. "Itachi, I…"
Why are YOU apologizing, Sakura? It's not your fault you're trying to escape! They have you at their mercy it's only right that you would want to escape! Don't fall for all that "Betraying Their Trust" crap! Show him a piece of your mind! If he puts you under the Mangekyou again, you'll hold up like last time! Show him who's boss and give him a piece of your bad ass, girl! Inner Sakura yelled, flaming and punching her fist into the palm of her hand.
"…I'm not sorry." Sakura said, whispering at first. She looked up at him, a hard determined look on her face, her fist clenching. "You put me in this situation, I didn't choose this! I have the soul right as a human being as survival instincts even, to try and escape! And I think you telling me that you're 'disappointed in me' and how I 'betrayed your trust' is just a bunch of bull! I don't know why you had any freaking trust in me in the first place as a hostage. Why do you even give a rat's ass if I betray you or not? You're always so cold there's no way I can't even be close enough to you for you to feel any hurt that I tried to escape! I don't care if you beat me until I bleed, emotionally scar me senseless…I'll gladly let you do it to escape this constant hell you're putting me through…I never wanted to go on this mission in the first place. I knew I would be able to assassinate any of you or follow you with getting caught but I did it anyway. I don't want to be here…I rather be home in Konoha or looking…looking for Sasuke." Sakura finally finished.
She hadn't realized it, but halfway during her speech she had started to cry, the tears making paths of wet teary substance on her face. She wiped at it, but it didn't hardly do anything and she gave up, looking at the ground and letting the tears fall, the sobs racking through her body.
Shinobi and Kunoichi were not allowed to cry, but right now she was letting out everything that she had been holding in forever. It felt as if the tears should never stop, and she hid her face behind her curtain of hair, not wanting him to see her face or see her weakness, though it was clear what she was doing and pointless in her trying to hide it.
Sakura felt a warm hand on her face, lifting it up. She opened her closed eyes, sniffling and looked at Itachi. His face showed nothing, and she couldn't even read his eyes, which were staring at her intently, as if trying to memorize every detail, every crevice on her face. She felt the tears leave her face as his thumb raked across her face, the tears going with it, and she closed her eyes, her face almost subconsciously leaning into his hand, not wanting his hand to leave her.
She stopped crying, and she felt as every girl did after a good cry; clean and refreshed, with the exception of some dry epi-sobs, and the occasional hiccup. Itachi removed his hand, and he turned away but before she did she could have sworn she saw a very light, almost unnoticeable blush creep over her face, and she was stunned for a bit, but it turned into a smile.
She watched as he went over to start lunch, and she started walking to a stream to wash off her face, one of her cheeks still streaked with tears. She touched her face where he had, not washing it. She giggled like a school girl as she remembered it and a blush crept up on her own face. She didn't know what emotions she was feeling for the eldest Uchiha, but she felt guilty once again for Sasuke. She wasn't sure if she was feeling them because he looked like Sasuke and was like Sasuke in a way…or maybe the feelings for Itachi were genuine.
When did I even start having feelings for him? She asked, brushing the thought off. It's definitely because he looks like Sasuke. She decided. But then she began to think of how they did look alike, and acted the same sometimes…but they were so different, some differences like day and night.
Such as the way they both walked. Itachi walked with a straight back, and had a confident stride that was almost filled with maturity. Sasuke walked lightly and cautious, as if something were going to poke out and attack him at any second, where as Itachi was confident that even if something did try to attack him, he would defeat it easily.
Their personalities were different as well…even though they were both cold, Sasuke's was more open and challenging, such as in his quarrels with Naruto…at least, his personality before he had joined Orochimaru, the memory sending painful memories of both her nightmares and of the past.
Itachis was just as cold, but his was…mysterious and dark and dangerous, which sent shivers up her spine. Itachi also had sweet side to him, which she found was her favorite part because it only showed up sometimes….but she hated it too, because at the risk of her loyalty to Konoha and to Sasuke, these feelings she was determined to ignore.
This is lust. Hormones are acting up, and it's just because he's…he's someone of the opposite sex, it's just chemical hormonal crap that attracts people together even if they don't like each other. She said, shaking her head.
Hn…then how come you don't feel that way for every boy you know. Like Kisame…Naruto… Inner Sakura listed.
That's because Kisame can't even be considered a man…at least a human one, and Naruto…ew, he's just a friend, and from a friends perspective and as nice as possible, he's gross! She replied.
You never felt this confused, emotional and…lustful, as you put it with Sasuke. Inner Sakura pointed out, a victorious grin spreading across her face.
Sakura, once again, was silenced by her inner self, no comeback arising, and she felt sorely disappointed in herself for it. If she really was loyal to Sasuke…she would have thought of an instant retort to her inner protestings…but she couldn't, and it scared her.
-Itachi-
Itachi walked away, ignoring the way his stomach was churning. He had touched her, intimately, and this time…she hadn't protested. He looked blankly at the fire that was cooking the vegetables over the flames. He couldn't have these emotions he told himself for about the 15th time since he had met her.
She made him feel things he hadn't felt for anyone before, and it made him disappointed in himself for feeling them. He had remembered the way his mother had spoken to him, saying he needed more feeling that such coldness would be his biggest downfall and that it wasn't healthy for him. He remembered him ruffling his hair in the annoying way she would, and how he scowled and left the table, her smiling sadly after him.
He thought of Sakura again, then tried to think of something different. He thought of how much stronger he would be with the kyuubi in him and how he would fight Sasuke which would be an actual challenge.
"You shouldn't make her expect more than you can give." Kisame's voice spoke, Kisame leaning against a tree, his arms crossed and his eyes closed.
"I'm not making her expect anything." Itachi replied, glaring at him, his nose turning pink.
Kisame grinned. "Whatever you say, but I didn't think I'd ever see you with emotions or such before but you really are a mysterious man full of suprises, eh?" Kisame said, and cringed as Itachi clocked him in the head with a spatula, the spatula bending under the pressure of Kisame's head.
Sakura walked into the camp again, with Itachi eating and Kisame rubbing his head while doing the same. She looked suspiciously at the two, then grabbed her food, staring at it, completely in thought.
She kept on snatching glances of Itachi, blushing every time, whether he caught her in the act or not. Itachi was suddenly alert, and he stood up quickly, the plate on his lap crashing loudly onto the floor. Kisame did the same, but set his plate down before. Kisame snuffed out the fire as quickly as he could, then threw the left over food from their plates into the woods, as well as Sakura's to her protest as they snatched the plate out of her hands, and then threw them into a random bag. Itachi grabbed his bag as well as Sakura's, and he grabbed her arm as well, starting to drag her along.
She made herself heavier, pulling back. "What are we doing?" She asked, much to the two s-class Criminals annoyance.
"We have company." Itachi said.
"And thanks to you we couldn't lose them in time." Kisame complained.
A couple of teams of ANBU walked out, the familiar cloaks and masks of Konoha ANBU sending waves of relief and comfort to Sakura. Sakura's eyes felt grew wide as she saw her old sensei and friend, Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei!" She called, smiling broadly, and trying to get out of the grasp of Itachi to go meet him, but Itachi held her fast, and she sent a glare his way, Itachi staring at the ANBU and not her.
"We've come to take Sakura-chan back, and we will either compromise or fight you but we go back with her." Kakashi said, a scary seriousness in his voice that Sakura had heard rarely, and it still scared her.
Itachi smirked. "Fine. Come take her." Itachi said, and pushed her behind him, and she was grabbed by Kisame. Itachi unbuttoned the top of his cloak and moved his hand out, prepared to fight.
Sakura watched in awe as he did it, praying to god that she wouldn't loose anyone she cared about in this fight…not before she figured out her feelings.
Ack…-hides- Sorry, lol I'm tired, I just got home from a sleep over then a party, so I'm worn out and this wasn't really good but I shall return with a better one! I promise you! I got so many reviews I thank you all! –hugs- I would reply to them but there were so many and I'm so tired I'll reply to them all in the next one I promise! I also won't disappoint you with the next one, which I know you shall enjoy because the last two chapters have been fluff….but important fluff which leads up to the next one where…-clamps mouth- -evil smirk- I guess you'll have to find out in the next one, lol. I :heart: you guys! Lmao, byeas!
