Chapter 13

The sun was high but it wasn't warm. The breeze was mocking in its gentleness. It would have been a perfect day, with the sky so blue and the weather perfect, but it would never be a perfect day. It had been the day that Sasuke had been laid to rest in his final resting place. The peacefulness of nature became an eerily quiet that made the loss even more pronounced.

After getting home, Itachi couldn't stand being inside the house. It reminded him too much of his younger brother. He made his way to the lake near their home. He sat by the dock, looking out beyond without really seeing anything.

Itachi didn't notice time pass. He a part of him was numb. He didn't really fight it since it made his loss easier to deal with. Fate was cruel and at the moment, allowing himself to numb even only a part of him was the only way he could keep it together. It wasn't fair that his brother was taken away from them so soon. He had seen so much potential in his brother that it angered him that he wasn't given the chance to explore them.

He had been told that there was another child inside the car, a little girl. He knew from Sasuke that she was his best friend. He never did ask about how she fared now. She wasn't there during Sasuke's funeral or burial. The last he heard about her was that she was still unconscious in the hospital while her father had passed away with Sasuke.

For that particular moment, Itachi wondered how that little girl would feel when she was told that sasuke and her father had died. Would she feel the same loss that he was feeling or more? She was younger than him. He wasn't even certain if she already had the concept of death.

The sound of dried leaves being crushed behind him brought him out of his thoughts. Itachi didn't turn who it was that intruded on his peace. He already had an idea who it would be. It didn't take long for him to hear footsteps on the deck. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Shisui sit beside him.

For a long while, Shisui didn't say anything, just simply sat there. Itachi didn't mind. He appreciated that his cousin didn't pressure him to talk. Itachi knew that Shisui wasn't one to stay quiet for a long time so he knew it was only a waiting matter when he would break his silence.

"I just came from your house. Two police men were there, accompanied by the lawyer of the driver. He was saying that the man responsible for the accident wants to apologize personally to your parents." Shisui said.

Itachi contemplated on what his cousin revealed. A deep anger was his first reaction. No matter how many times the man apologized, it wasn't going to bring his brother back. Itachi clenched his teeth to keep him from saying anything.

Shisui was watching his younger cousin's reaction very carefully. He felt the same. He decided to continue. "Mikoto Oba-san broke down and had to be taken from the room by my mother. I've never seen your dad that mad before."

"I do not blame my father for having that reaction. It is but natural."

"Yes, I agree."

Both teenagers were silent once more. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts. It still felt like a walking nightmare. They knew that they shared the same sentiment, the same denial about Sasuke's death. No one could question that Sasuke had be taken from them far too soon.

This time it was Itachi who broke the silence. "I regret never to have told Sasuke how proud I am of him. He would tell me stories of this girl who was being bullied and he would stand up for her."

Shisui turned to look at Itachi and gave him a look of both wonder and regret. It didn't faze him in the slightest.

"I swore at his grave earlier. I swore that I would make up for that mistake by living his dream." Itachi paused and looked straight at Shisui. "He had always admired Otou-san and his work. He wanted to become like Otou-san. He told Okaa-san once after Otou-san took him to see the office."

"I thought he wanted to become like you?"

"I may excel in what I do now but in the end I am still a student."

Shisui allowed himself to consider what Itachi had told him. After awhile, "What about you, Itachi? What about your dream? I thought you always told Sasuke that he should never allow another person to tell him how to live his life."

Itachi met his eyes and replied, "It died along with Sasuke."

XxXxXx

20:40 (8:40 p.m.)

Itachi sat at the car. A lot of delay had happened before they had finally left. He cursed the circumstance silently, knowing that they could have left much earlier. Sakura and the others would have been safe by now. It didn't matter now. They were already on their way to save her and to him and that was the most important thing.

From the driver's seat beside him, Kisame noticed that Itachi had been quiet the entire trip. Looking back on the road, Kisame decided to break the silence. "I heard from Shisui last night. He said that his next assignment will be at Okinawa."

"Aa," Itachi answered. "It will be his last assignment. He intends to quit after."

"Whatever floats his boat."

"Hn"

When moments passed and Itachi didn't say anything else, Kisame broke the silence again. "You know, I don't care what you say but it would seem to me that Haruno Sakura is someone special to you."

"I never said she wasn't." Itachi answered without pause.

Kisame was stunned with the admission. "But you said she isn't your girl friend?"

"She is not. She will not be for some time yet."

Again, Kisame stilled with what Itachi revealed without so much as blinking. He couldn't help his jaw drop a bit. "You mean you actually plan to make her your girl?" He didn't even try to hide the incredulity in his voice.

Itachi turned towards Kisame. "Not that it is any of your business, yes. Although, I am aware that she is going through a lot of harsh circumstances and she is not ready to open her heart to the possibility of a relationship. However, I already promised her that I will not shut her out. I will be there for her."

"Damn," Flabbergasted, that was the only thing Kisame could say. He had never heard Itachi talk like that. "You know what, now I'm having second thoughts in bringing you along. I can't have a half-assed civilian going in there and making a mess that we have to deal with."

"With or without you, I would have found a way to get in. All I care about is getting Sakura out of there and ending this once and for all."

"You and me both, Itachi, you and me both."

XxXxXx

20:45 (8:45 p.m.)

The gun shot echoed within the walls of the small room. It was then followed by deafening silence. Blood had splattered everywhere. Sakura had her hands against her ears. The rest of her body was shaking. She knew without being told that whoever was in front of her had fired a gun. She also knew that wherever he aimed it, it had hit something, or rather, someone based on the wetness that had showered her after.

It brought about more chills down her spine when she realized that without the shadow of doubt, blood had splattered at her.

Juugo didn't seem bothered by the gore that had ensued. He simply stared at Sasori's lifeless body with indifference. Deidara was stunned, remaining immobile beside his fallen partner. Juugo had killed Sasori without remorse or after thought.

In a blink of an eye, Deidara's eyes grew cold with anger. His blood started to boil. He stilled when he saw that Juugo had aimed the gun at him. Deidara's eyes narrowed. Without another word, Juugo threw a phone at Deidara and said, "Dial Uchiha Itachi's number now."

When Deidara didn't so much as move, Juugo aimed the gun at Sakura. "Don't think that I'm above shooting her, even if I think she's pretty."

Deidara didn't take the threat lightly. Even if the urge to avenge Sasori was strong, he still had a duty to protect the innocent, in that particular moment, Sakura. He knew her to be blind but was aware that didn't stop her from being frightened. He knew that even if Sakura was blind, she was very much aware with what was going on. He could see the tremors that were rocking her body. Clenching his teeth as tight as he could, Deidara started to dial Haruno Itachi's number.

XxXxXx

20:47 (8:47 p.m.)

Itachi's phone started ringing. His first impulse was to ignore it but when it persisted, he finally relented and got his phone. He froze when he read the name flashing. "Uchiha,"

From beside him, Kisame had a very bad impulse run through him. Basing on Itachi's expression, he had a very good idea on who had called.

XxXxXx

20:47 (8:47 p.m.)

"Uchiha,"

Deidara looked at Juugo in the eyes. Juugo said, "Identify yourself."

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Deidara complied, "Uchiha-sama, this is Agent Deidara, from the Akatsuki division."

"Tell him that what happened to your partner." Juugo instructed with a sly smirk on his lips.

It made Deidara narrow his eyes more. Itachi was saying something from the other end but he didn't bother listening. "My partner, Akasuna no Sasori, is dead." There was a sudden deafening silence from the other line. "He was shot in cold blood just now."

"Tell him he has sixteen minutes left." Juugo prompted. He then released the safety of the gun again.

"You have sixteen minutes." Deidara parroted, cold sweat was starting to build inside of him. He just knew that Juugo had something in his sleeve. He froze when the man fired again.

XxXxXx

20:49 (8:49 p.m.)

Itachi froze. A great amount of fear rushed through him when he heard a gunshot and a very distinct feminine cry of pain.

"Sakura!" He called out, hoping, even if he knew it was impossible, that she would hear his voice, giving her hope that he was coming for her. At the moment, he could only pray that she wasn't in total harm. He could only hold on to the hope that they would be able to reach her alive.

The call suddenly ended. Itachi cursed and started to call back, wanting so much to confirm that Sakura wasn't in a critical state, hear anything that could give him the slightest lift in hope that he was going to reach her alive.

"What's wrong?" Kisame urged, stepping on the gas instinctively.

"That was one of your agents, Deidara. Sasori's dead. Whoever has them just fired another shot. I heard a scream. A female scream of pain." Itachi's insides clenched in anger, pain and desperation as he relayed everything to his long-time friend.

It was Kisame's turn to curse. Without another word, he sped up some more.

XxXxXx

20:50 (8:50 p.m.)

Sakura screamed. She was already scared out of her mind, not really knowing what was happening and then a shot was heard. Also, just as suddenly, a searing pain could be felt from her left thigh. She had been shot! The thought brought about a new found fear. Her heart was already at her throat.

She had to gulp down her tears to keep the man in front of her from seeing. She would not give him that pleasure. He already knew that she was scared. She wasn't going to have the pleasure in seeing her tears.

Sakura bit her lip to keep her sobs from escaping her. She forced her body rigid since she knew that there was no place for her to go and hide with her back already against the wall. She stiffened when there was suddenly someone by her side.

Deidara rushed to her, not caring or looking at the man that could very well end their lives.

Juugo smirked and walked out of the room without another word or a backward glance.

"Shit!" Deidara cursed. He then ripped a sleeve of his shirt. When he moved to tie off Sakura's thigh, she started pushing him away from her, trying to crawl away.

Deidara held both her forearms and said, "I'm not going to hurt you, un!" He tried to be gentle but his words came out with urgency. He didn't want her to bleed too much. "My name is Deidara. I work for the police. I promise I won't hurt you un."

Sakura seemed to be placated a bit. "Please trust me un. I'm going to put some pressure on your leg and try to help stop the bleeding, un. I'm going to have to touch you, un, and it's going to hurt. Are you ready?"

It was important for Deidara to have her permission before he could help her. He knew that she was already traumatized. He knew with her blindness, it has increased tenfold. When Sakura nodded, he immediately pressed on the gunshot wound. He couldn't help but admire her more when she didn't whimper or move away from him despite the pain. He had seen her wince but he couldn't help acknowledge that despite their situation, she was still trying to keep it together.

"Damn!" Blood was pouring out of her wound and Deidara was almost at the point of panic. For her sake, he desperately wanted to control the bleeding. He knew that help was coming. It was going to be a messy rescue but still help was coming. They only had to hold on until then. They could get her the help she needed when they arrived.

"Deidara-san," Sakura's voice startled him, making him pause. He looked up at her. When she knew that she had his attention, she continued, "Itachi's coming, isn't he?"

"Yes," He then continued to tie a firm and constricting knot around her thigh. "He's coming for you, un."

Sakura nodded. After a moment, she said, "If something happens to me, please help him get out of here alive."

He cursed under his breath and ripped the other sleeve of his shirt. "We're getting out of here alive, Haruno-san." In his frustration at her words, he pulled the other cloth tighter without being gentle. He apologized when he saw her wince again.

"Just promise me, Deidara-san."

"Uchiha-sama will be safe, un." He then checked the tourniquet he made. It was the best he could do. At least it stopped the bleeding a little bit. "Alright, un, that should hold until we could get out of here."

"Thank you, Deidara-san." After a moment, she tilted her head to the side and asked, "What time is it?"

"Um," Deidara checked his watch. "It's 8:59. Why?"

"Didn't that man say that Itachi had sixteen minutes earlier?"

Deidara stilled. She was right. He did say that. Before he could voice it, Sakura continued, "I'm guessing that you don't know how long it has been since then, do you?"

When he didn't answer, Sakura took that as an affirmative. She then asked, "What do you think is going to happen once that time period ends?"

Deidara had an idea and it wasn't a very promising one. He knew that more or less Sakura's thoughts were the same. He let her question hang in the air between them.

XxXxXx

20:59 (8:59 p.m.)

"Six minutes is not a very long time. Are you sure that is the room?" Itachi commented as he and Kisame breached the border of the line of trees near the house. They had arrived way before the others.

"I am positive. Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of time to wait for reinforcements."

The news of the Sasori's death and Sakura's supposed gunshot wound weighed heavily on both their minds. It's not the smartest of plans but it was now or never.

XxXxXx

21:00 (9:00 p.m.)

Suigetsu turned his seat towards Juugo. "It's almost time."

Juugo nodded and was about to get up when the door opened. Both men looked at the newcomer. Kabuto walked towards them. He stood in front of them. "5 minutes."

"We were on our way." Suigetsu replied. He stood up.

Kabuto snickered. "Orochimaru-sama gave his blessing to do whatever the hell you want. He also was very precise in his instruction to make the other agent die a very slow death. He is still pissed that he was able to weasel into the company."

"That wouldn't be a problem," Juugo answered while he too stood. "I believe that girly boy will squeal like a girl."

"Girly boy?" Suigetsu snickered. "You really call him girly boy? Just shows how original you are."

"Hey! It's not my fault that he has long blond hair that could make models run for their money."

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow. "Holy shit! Don't tell me all this time you're gay!"

Juugo lunged at Suigetsu while Kabuto sniggered. "I'll show you who's gay!" He commented, quite outraged.

"Sorry. I don't swing like that." Suigetsu replied, making his way towards the door.

Before Juugo passed the doorway, Kabuto said, "Keep the blind girl alive. Orochimaru-sama has plans for her."

The man nodded and followed his partner to that room where the captives were held.

XxXxXx

21:01 (9:01 p.m.)

Deidara's guts were telling him that something was going to happen in the next few minutes. It included him dying. He also knew that with the vindictive nature of Orochimaru, Sakura wasn't going to be spared of anything. She might be even subjected to worse.

He glanced at his dead partner's body not a foot away from them. He knew that Sakura was aware that his body still wasn't taken out of there. He could only thank her blindness that she couldn't see how Sasori actually looked. If she did, Deidara was well aware that if she survived that night, it would hunt her for the rest of her life. He knew it was going to hunt his. He craved blood. He craved to avenge Sasori's meaningless death.

At that moment, Deidara made a decision to fight back. If he was going to die, then so be it. But damn, he wasn't going to go down without a fight. He was going to take down as many bastards as he could. Also, he told himself that he would make sure that Emily would find safety. He only had to fight until back-up arrived.

Deidara moved to Sakura's side again, "Listen," He waited for Sakura to turn towards his direction before he continued, "We only have a few minutes left, un. I will bet that they are going to kill me first."

Sakura stiffened as she absorbed what he was saying. If he died, she knew that she would be totally alone and no one would be there to help her.

As if sensing her rising panic, Deidara quickly explained, "As of now, I don't have anything to use against them, un. But that won't be for long. I'm going to try and overpower whoever is coming. More than likely, he is going to have a gun, un."

"Deidara-san-"

"Just sit tight. I'll do the rest, un."

XxXxXx

21:01 (9:01 p.m.)

Kakashi was pacing outside the operating room doors, while Mikoto was seated at one of the chairs. He couldn't keep still with all the anxiety about his family. There was still no word from Dr. Tsunade nor was there any news from Itachi about Sakura's safety. He had thought that he was helpless before when it all went down with Rin, but it didn't even scratch the surface of what he felt now.

Truth be told, he wanted to break something really bad. He wanted to hurt whoever took Sakura. He was slowly starting to suffocate being inside the hospital, like some useless caged animal. There was nothing he could do there but to wait for some news on both his aunt and his cousin. He truly hated that feeling.

"Kakashi," He stopped and turned towards Mikoto. "You will have to be strong."

He said nothing. He looked at the Uchiha matriarch. When he still didn't reply, Mikoto added, "When Mebuki had the attack earlier, I knew this was different from her first one. I wouldn't blame her. I know how exactly what that shock feels."

Kakashi made his way towards Mikoto and sat next to her. He stared at that wall across from them. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "I am more worried on how Sakura is going to take this once she finds out. It hasn't been long since Neji died. Now, she was taken and her mother is like this. There is only so much a person can take."

Mikoto sighed. "Everybody is worried about her, Kakashi, but we must believe that she will be able to overcome it."

Silence then followed them. Not much needed to be said that both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Just then, the operating room doors opened and Tsunade came, walking towards them. Kakashi immediately shot up from where he was seated. Tsunade's expression worried him since she was not giving anything away.

Tsunade stopped in front of him and laid a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, giving a quick glance towards Mikoto. "I'm sorry." She said.

It felt as if something squeezed inside his chest as he suddenly felt faint and out of breath. Mebuki didn't make it. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell that to Sakura when she gets back. He wasn't sure how he was going to take it. She was like a second mother to him after his parents' death.

"Can I see her?" He asked.

There was something in Tsunade's gaze that stopped Kakashi. The older woman then added pressure on his shoulder, motioning him to take a seat. She then said, "There is something that you must understand before you go and see her."

"There was a moment she was lucid after the attack. She reiterated her will not to be resuscitated if she goes under again."

"I don't understand. She didn't want to live?"

Tsunade took a breath before answering. "It wasn't that. She had actually started talking to me of possibilities after her first attack. She wanted to become an organ donor when she passed."

Kakashi froze. "Does that mean…?" He couldn't finish his sentence.

Tsunade nodded. "She wanted her daughter to have her eyes in case something happens. She wanted to leave something to her. Don't get me wrong. Mebuki wanted to live. She wanted to see her daughter get married, have children and grow old before she passed but apparently fate has other plans. She had forethought that if things didn't get better, she was going to give her organs to help other people, mostly Sakura."

"Other organs? Does that mean she is giving away more than her eyes?"

"Yes. Several patients are now being contacted and asked to check-in the hospital for the procedures. As of now, a machine is keeping her organs functioning to keep them fresh and viable. I know this is a trying time but Sakura must be found and brought here within the next 10 hours because that is when the hospital is going to start harvesting Mebuki's organs. I tried to postpone it but the hospital wouldn't hear of it, not when so many lives are affected and Sakura is not the only one who can have those eyes."

XxXxXx

21:04 (9:04 p.m.)

"I hate this!" Ino exclaimed as she stood from the couch and started pacing.

Hinata looked at her longtime friend. "I know, Ino, but we can't actually do anything else."

"I'm so tempted to call Shika right now."

"I know but just think, if you do, you'll take away his concentration. They are probably trying to get to Sakura now."

Ino gave a sigh of defeat and sat back on the couch. She leaned back and closed her eyes. "You know, come to think about it, Orochimaru is totally creepy."

"Orochimaru? Isn't he one of your clients?" Hinata asked as she poured more tea on their cups.

"Yeah. He sought us out after the Uchiha Corp. deal faltered with almost the exact specifications." Ino suddenly sat up straight. She then turned to Hinata, "Don't you think it's strange that immediately after, Orochimaru would come to us with almost the exact same plan as with Uchiha Corp.?"

"That does sound strange. But with the advent of things, I think it had been their plan all along. It seems to me that there are a lot of things going on for a very long time and you and Sakura were just dragged into it."

Ino thought for awhile. "Perhaps. Maybe that's why Sakura…maybe Uchiha-san told her something."

"Do you think he warned her? Or, at least, explained?"

"Could be. He met with her earlier today when I was out."

"It says something about Uchiha Itachi, I think." Hinata commented before taking a sip of tea.

XxXxXx

21:04 (9:04 p.m.)

As Suigetsu reached for the door, his phone rang with a message. He quickly looked it up. He impassively turned to Juugo and said, "You go, Juugo. It seems that we have a breach in security. I'll handle that." Not waiting for a reply, the man turned and started to walk down the hall.

Juugo gave of a small smirk as he watched the man disappear down the corridor. He then reached for the door.

When he opened it, Juugo saw that Sakura was still huddled in the corner. When he didn't see Deidara right away, Juugo readied his gun. Cautiously, he entered the room. As he passed the threshold of the doorway, Deidara surged from the side and engaged Juugo to gain possession of the gun.

Both men struggled, trying to overpower the other. Deidara attempted to shove Juugo to make him lose balance but it only made Juugo shove back. It was a deadly tug of war. Amidst their struggle, Juugo pulled the trigger of the gun. The vibration of the recoil was not lost to both men. It bullet flew and made impact on the adjacent wall.

"Get down on the ground, Haruno!" Deidara shouted.

Sakura dived forward, keeping her body as close to the ground as possible. She could hear the scuffle. She knew that both men were engaged in something, what, she didn't know. Her haphazard guess pointed that they were all in a very life-threatening situation, especially her, if Deidara ordered her down.

Another shot resounded. Sakura could do nothing but swallow whatever whimper threatened to escape and bring her hands over her ears. She kept them tightly covering her ears. A part of her was willing that everything going on was nothing but a nightmare and she was bound to wake up soon.

Juugo elbowed Deidara on the face but the man tightened his grip because he knew that Juugo wouldn't hesitate using that gun against him. He wasn't dying there just like that. He already vowed to put up one hell of a fight.

Not going to let Juugo one up him, Deidara moved his leg and motioned it forward, taking Juugo's leg forward as well. The move made him lose some of his balance to which Deidara used to overpower him a bit. But as Juugo recovered at the last minute, it made the men drop the gun, away from them.

Juugo turned and delivered a swift punch on Deidara's face. It made the other man stagger but then pulled back his arm and delivered one of his own to his opponent's abdomen before Juugo could even blink or follow-up on his first punch.

They traded blows while Sakura lying terrified on the ground. She could hear them just a few feet away and from where she was, her sensitive nose could start to pick up the stench of death a foot from her. So much was happening around her at the moment that it was like her mind just froze and couldn't keep up with what was happening. Before she knew it, she was yanked up and what felt like a knife was pressed against her throat. It had been so sudden that she didn't have time to scream or react.

Deidara had been able to get away long enough to dive for the gun. He straightened to aim it at Juugo but froze when he realized that the other man had grabbed Sakura and was holding her hostage. With the pressure that he was applying on her neck, he knew that it wouldn't take much more before blood was drawn.

"Not so though now, huh?" Juugo taunted while pulling Sakura closer. He then started to back out of the room.

Deidara followed them, not lowering the gun. At that moment, he could only thank the kamis that Sakura was blind so she couldn't see that a gun was aimed at her direction. She was a smart girl, though. He knew she could guess easily what was really going on but at least she didn't have any visual provocation to add to her stress.

XxXxXx

21:10 (9:10 p.m.)

"Damn it, Kisame. That route took longer than we expected." Itachi commented as they raced down the now empty corridor.

"It's not like we had another way in. If you liked it faster, maybe we should have just rung the doorbell and waited for them to let us in." Kisame answered.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Hn. Your wit astounds me." He drawled out, nonchalantly.

Before Kisame could reply, they both noticed that a door to a room was open. They could hear struggling. They both hurried but froze when the sound abruptly stopped and a man emerged, dragging Sakura out with a knife against her throat. Kisame and Itachi aimed.

Kisame then yelled, "Drop the knife! Let the girl go!"

Juugo turned slightly and smirked, "Well, well, well, look at what we have here. The prince came for the princess after all. It just got interesting, Uchiha Itachi."

Sakura stilled at the mention of the name. Somehow, hope started to seep in her heart but was dulled when she felt the knife dig deeper against her throat. She had felt it break skin and that blood was starting to trickle down. She could only whimper as she tried to pull the man's wrists away from her. It was a useless effort as the man was too strong for her and she couldn't find all the strength she had as she was unbalanced on her feet. Her bullet wound hurt more now that more of her weight was on it.

XxXxXx

21:10 (9:10 p.m.)

Orochimaru sat in his office looking out of the window, waiting on word about the traitors and Itachi. He knew that the younger man wouldn't be able to resist not going to save Sakura. He liked the idea that Uchiha Itachi had become predictable. It was so very easy to manipulate him in that regard.

There was a knock from his door. It opened soon after. "Orochimaru-sama," He turned to acknowledge the call.

Suigetsu entered and continued, "There has been a breach in security. They are within the premises."

Orochimaru smirked and turned to look back into the night. Suigetsu took out his gun and aimed it at his boss. "I have waited patiently for this day to arrive." He said.

Orochimaru turned again. His face was perfectly devoid of emotion. There wasn't any trace of surprise or fear. There was nothing. As if to taunt the younger man, he stood up and started walking towards him. "I always knew you had potential. It seems you have finally developed a backbone."

Suigetsu's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to enjoy killing you."

A smirk graced Orochimaru's lips. "You should. After all, that is what you are, a killer. A worthless bastard child who was thrown out by his own mother after killing his stepfather. That's right. Killing is what stirs your blood."

"Shut up! You know nothing about me! That man deserved to die after what he did to my mother and the women he sold so he could live in luxury. That man is no stepfather of mine! It is because of you my father lost all his money, got into a huge debt that made him sell my mother to that whore house and never looking back."

"So you blame me for decisions your father made?" Orochimaru couldn't help the snort. "I did not make him gamble his money. I did not even help him make all bad business deals. He did it on his own. You are lucky that at least at that point your mother was still worth something."

Suigetsu fired. The bullet graced Orochimaru's left arm.

"If you wanted to kill me, I suggest you aim higher or more to the right to hit my heart."

Suigetsu aimed again. "Like I said, I'm going to enjoy killing you slowly."

"A lot of people have said that throughout the years. You think you're special?"

"I am the one who will succeed in killing you."

Before Suigetsu could pull the trigger, the door opened. It momentarily distracted him as Kabuto entered. That split second was all Orochimaru needed to close in on Suigetsu and snapped his neck.

Kabuto raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything. He ventured into the room more. "Orochimaru-sama," He started, ignoring the dead body only but a foot away. "A lot of police men are on their way here. The helicopter is ready if you wish to go."

"Hmm," Orochimaru considered a moment. "Yes, very well. I trust that you will take care of matters here." He added as he moved towards the door.

Kabuto bowed as Orochimaru passed.

XxXxXx

21:13 (9:13 p.m.)

The longer Sakura remained Juugo's captive, the more the urge to break down grew heavy. As if sensing Sakura's thoughts, Itachi said, "Sakura, listen to me. We are going to get you out of here."

"Itachi," Sakura was able to say before she sucked in a breath.

Juugo had tightened his hold on her while deepening the pressure of the knife. "How touching,"

From where he stood, Itachi clenched his jaw, fingers itching to just shoot the guy. He stopped himself. Sakura was the only person stopping him from doing anything stupid.

From beside him, Kisame whispered, "When I give you the signal, you get Sakura."

Itachi chose not to answer. He wasn't really sure what Kisame was planning to do. "Yo asshole! Since you're not going to be walking out of here alive, let the girl go and I might just consider it." Kisame yelled.

Juugo snickered. "I'm not-" A shot echoed within the hallway. Everyone was stunned into silence. No one moved.

Sakura froze. Then it seemed like a dream, the grip around her loosened. She staggered forward and the next thing she knew, someone else was holding her. She immediately started to struggle but calmed when she heard, "Shh. It is me, Sakura. You are safe now."

"Itachi?"

"Ah,"

"Damn, Itachi," Kisame said as he walked over to where they were. "I haven't given the signal yet."

"You were taking too long." Itachi replied as he pressed on Sakura's neck wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

Kisame turned towards Deidara. He was a little worse for wear. "You alright?"

"Damn, I wanted to him, un. He killed Sasori." Deidara answered. He kicked Juugo's side as hard as he could.

Both men then turned to Itachi and Sakura. Itachi was able to control the bleeding since it was only a shallow wound. "That should hold for now." Itachi commented.

Sakura looked up at him. She laid a hand on his face, as if affirming to herself that it was indeed him. "Thank you for coming for me, Itachi."

Itachi's eyes softened. As he was about to answer, Sakura's eyes started to close and her touch fell limp back at her side. "Sakura, Sakura!" He quickly checked for a pulse. When he determined that it was strong and regular, he allowed himself relief. He turned to the other men as he gathered her in his arms, "We have to get her to a hospital."

Kisame then started toward a direction with Itachi close on his heel and Deidara covered the rear. "She's going to be fine, Itachi. With all the stress and her injuries…" He let the sentence die out, not really certain what else to say. He then stopped. "Do you hear that?"

Both men stilled and listened to what Kisame was talking about. "That sounds like a helicopter, un."

"I wouldn't be surprised if that is Orochimaru running away like the coward he is." Itachi commented.

"The question is," Kisame said, "Why is he running?"

"Aside from the obvious, I am definite that he has something else planned. It is all the more reason why we need to get out of here." Itachi replied. Deidara and Kisame shared a look before they started.

As they descended the stairs, Deidara said, "Is it me or is this place deserted, un? Did you kill everyone when you two got in, un?"

"It is strange." Kisame answered.

Suddenly, they heard a blast. All three men froze at what the implied. It sounded not that far away from the room they were in. Sensing the danger that they were in, they started to run. As they reached the bottom step, a huge fire cloud rushed towards their direction from the nearest corridor from them. It effectively blocked them from the main doors. Everything started to go up in flames.

Deidara, being the one more familiar with the area, took charge. "This way, un!"

He led them to another direction but as they were about to enter the hallway, the walls exploded. They were lucky enough to have been far enough to evade the blast and the debris that went flying.

"So that was why he left," Kisame commented. "That son of a bitch!"

Itachi turned to Deidara and said, "It seems you are familiar with the layout of this place. What is the nearest exit from here?"

"All the exits have been blocked, un!"

"Then let us make one!" Itachi snapped back.

"Make one? But-" Deidara stopped, remembering something that could help them. "If we could make our way towards the living room, the doors towards the backyard garden are made of glass, un. We could possibly get out from there."

"Lead the way then!" Kisame ordered.

At that moment, they realized that the fire had advanced and getting to the living room will be a very dangerous endeavor yet. As they crossed the main room, they heard cracking from above. All three men looked up and realized that the ceiling was about to collapse on them. As the chandelier fell, Kisame pushed Itachi forward. It crashed in between them.

"Kisame!" Itachi called out as he turned to check the other two. A large portion of the ceiling was burning in between them. He could hardly see the other men.

"Head towards the living room, Itachi! Deidara and I will find another way out!" Kisame ordered.

Itachi turned and saw that he was near the living room although fire had mostly consumed the way there. He turned to look at the precious bundle in his arms. Sakura was still in danger. He knew that he was going to do anything to get her to safety. At that moment, he just had to trust his long time friend that he could take care of himself and that they were going to get out another way. "Alright! Just get out of here safely!"

"We'll see you on the other side!"

Itachi could hear them start to run another direction. His legs brought him to the living room. He wasn't sure how he did it. Everything around him didn't seem to matter anymore as long as he got to those doors. When he caught sight of it, he hurried towards it. Smoke was making visualization difficult. It was also starting to get really hard to breathe.

Once he reached the doors, he saw that the handles were chained. Itachi cursed. Safety was on the other side of those doors. They were almost there. He figured that since the doors were made of glass, he could break it. But as he delivered his first kick, he realized that the glass was the bulletproof type. He cursed again.

Sakura started to cough. It brought his adrenalin up. He started kicking the handles. He wasn't going to let those stop him from saving her. He wasn't going to fail again. He kept kicking. The progress was slow but he felt it starting to open little by little. It was only the matter of the chain that he knew he would have to really deal with.

The room around them was slowly crumbling because of the flames. The fire was closing in on them. Even the sides of the doors were already burning. Itachi kept on kicking. As the ceiling was beginning to crumble around them, one final kick broke the hinges of one of the doors. Itachi ran out, collapsing on his knees when he deemed it safe.

He was panting, gasping for fresh air. Sakura was still unconscious in his arms. He turned back and watched as the entire house collapsed on itself as fire consumed everything.

Thank you so much for taking this journey with me, from the first page until now. I might decide to edit some parts still or I'll probably just leave it as it. But just to give you a more personal touch, this story is close to my heart because there are some things that I lived through. I lost my best friend in kindergarten. I'd like to believe he's in a better place now. I also lost the first love I've had. He died a hero. So with this story, I do hope somehow, I know their lives and let their legacy live on. I'm also one for a happy ending so please enjoy the epilogue.

Michiko

EPILOGUE

Sakura woke up in a very soft and fluffy bed. It was unlike anything she had ever lain in before. But the bed was soon forgotten when she opened her eyes and for the first time in years, she could see light. She closed her eyes again and opened. A gasp escaped as she stood. Everything was so bright and has color that as she walked forward, tears started to fall down from her eyes. She found herself in a beautiful garden with flowers of different colors all around her. She took her time to touch and scent each flower.

Her fingers delicately touch each petal, memorizing its image. She continued walking the path until she saw a magnificent fountain. It was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen. She walked towards it, skimming her hand on the water's surface when she got there.

As if sensing that she wasn't alone anymore, Sakura looked up. She saw a man with long brown hair, with soft pearl eyes looking towards her. There was a smile on his lips. She tilted her head to the side, wondering who he could be. As he walked towards her, she felt that she knew him. He stopped an arm's distance from her. His smile widened. He then said, "Hello, Sakura."

She stilled and gasped. With trembling fingers, she reached up and touched his face. "Neji," She whispered. As she cupped his cheek, his hand rose and laid it on top of hers. The other brushed away tears that were flowing from her eyes.

"I thought I told you that I don't ever want to see you cry." He said softly.

It only brought more tears as she launched herself into him. Her arms were around him just as his wound around her. He closed his eyes as he tightened his hold, allowing her to cry.

"Why did you have to leave me?"

He gently broke from her embrace and looked down at her. "I never left you, Sakura. I will always be here," He pointed at her heart. "It is time you forgave yourself for not being able to help me. I chose to save you because I love you. I have loved you for a very long time."

"Neji,"

He smiled. "I will always look out for you even if you don't see me. But you have to promise me that you will live. Choose to be happy, Sakura. Allow your heart to heal. There will come a time when you realize that there is someone there beside you who will love you like you deserve, probably more than me."

"Neji,"

"Promise me."

"I promise."

Neji smiled again and kissed her forehead. "I will always be with you. Be happy, my love." He whispered before he let her go and turned her.

Standing before her were her parents. For the first time in years, Sakura could see and feel her mother's happiness. They approached her and each gave her a loving embrace and kiss on the cheek.

"My beautiful daughter, how proud I am of what you have become." Her father said as he lovingly cupped her face. Tears started to gather in her eyes again.

"Otou-san,"

She then turned towards her mother and said, "Oka-san,"

Mebuki gathered her daughter in her arms. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to say goodbye to you, for leaving you."

Sakura pulled away and shook her head. She then offered a smile towards her mother. "I knew that you were never the same after Otou-san left us. Finally seeing you so happy again, it is fine, Oka-san."

"There are so many things that we still wish to tell you but time grows short." Mebuki said. It confused Sakura but her mother went on. "There is someone else here to see you." She motioned to someone at their side.

Who she saw next made her weak on the knees. She held on to the side of the fountain for support. Standing in front of her was Sasuke just as the boy she last saw him. He gave her a small smile and started walking towards her. As he neared, her appearance started changing, becoming older.

"Sasuke-kun," She whispered.

He smirked as he stood in front of her. He offered a hand in which she gave him hers. He pulled her towards him and engulfed her in a hug. He tightened his embrace.

"Never would I have thought that even in my short time on earth I had the pleasure of meeting someone as strong and as loyal as you, Sakura. I have heard you throughout the years."

"I've missed you so much, Sasuke-kun."

"Ah," He then broke the embrace and looked at her. "It is not your time yet, Sakura."

"Not my time?" She asked him in confusion. If she was being perfectly honest, she didn't want to leave where she was at the moment. She didn't think she could bear living in so much darkness ever again.

"You have so much to live for and I want that for you."

"But Sasuke-kun-"

Just like Neji, he kissed her on the forehead and said, "It was you who made me believe that there are rainbows after storms. Perhaps this time, you must remember that too."

Sakura pulled him close to her again, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "I don't want to lose you again, Sasuke-kun."

She could feel his laughter. "I've never left you alone, Sakura-chan. You still talk to me like you've always done and I still don't talk as much."

That made Sakura giggle. "There's my Sakura-chan." He said as he looked down at her. "Can you do me a favor?"

Sakura looked at him in the eyes. Her eyes were soft. "Of course."

"Please tell my father that I forgive him and it wasn't him fault I had to leave early. My mother, please tell her that I will never forget her as well. As for aniki, well, you've done what I have always wanted for him so now, you have to wake up."

XxXxXx

Sakura could hear voices around her. She tried to move but found herself unable to. She also tried to speak but her mouth just wouldn't cooperate.

As moments passed, the voices started to become familiar. Remembering all the light and color from where she had been, Sakura more than tried to open her eyes. All she could see, though, was darkness. It disheartened her a bit. Slowly, feeling returned to her fingers and when she tried to move them again, she was able to.

It seemed that that small movement caused the room to grow quiet. She felt someone hold her hand. "Sakura?" It was Kakashi's voice.

"K-ka-kashi-nii?"

She could hear the relieved breath he released. "Yes, Sakura. It's me."

"Who else is here?" She questioned as she tried to sit up. Kakashi assisted her.

"Uchiha Itachi is here. Ino went to get the doctor." He answered.

"Itachi?" Sakura raised her hand, not really sure which direction Itachi was. A hand gently held her hand.

"How are you feeling?" Itachi asked.

Sakura tilted her head on the side and reflected on the question. She let go of Kakashi's hand and raised her hands to touch her eyes. When she noticed that it was bandaged, she also let go of Itachi's hand and explored the extent of the bandage. She didn't remember being injured in the eyes aside from the accident that took her vision years back.

"What happened?" She asked.

Itachi and Kakashi looked at each other. Itachi gave Kakashi a nod. "Um, Sakura," Kakashi started.

"I have to tell you something." He wasn't sure how to tell her that her mother had passed. "You see, your mother-"

"-is dead. Yes, I am aware, 'nii-san." Sakura quietly finished for him.

Beside her, Kakashi stilled. Out of all the things that he imagined this scenario would play out, he honestly didn't expect that. At his silence, Sakura knew that he was lost for words. "I had a dream. She was with Otou-san. Seeing her that happy and after her apology, I knew. She had this sparkle in her eyes that made me accept that I had to let her go."

Kakashi pulled her to him. "Everything is going to be better."

Sakura let out a breath full of emotion. "A part of me will probably always wish that my mother is still with us but after her prolonged suffering, another part of me is relieved that she had finally found happiness and is pain-free."

"You can cry, you know."

"Hmm," Sakura then sat back up.

Silence fell inside the room, only to be broken when Tsunade, followed by Ino, entered the room. She examined Sakura pretty quick. After, "You are recovering just fine, Sakura. The wound on your neck is starting to scab and the gunshot on your leg is healing nicely."

Sakura nodded. "What about my eyes, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade looked at Kakashi, Itachi and Ino before turning back to Sakura. "You had an operation." She took a deep breath and explained, "When your mother was alive, she asked me that when the time came and she passed, I was to give you her eyes."

Sakura stilled. She didn't want to believe the implication of what she had been told.

XxXxXx

A few days had passed since Sakura woke up and was told about everything. She had cried for her mother and her mother's last gift to her. It was official that she had been at the hospital when both her parents were buried. It had been overwhelming. Now, it was time for Tsunade to remove the bandages. Sakura was filled with anxiety and excitement.

Itachi was with her, holding her hands, while Kakashi looked on from the sides. Tsunade cut the gauze gently.

"Alright, Sakura. I'm about to remove the bandage. I want to keep your eyes closed. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Her voice was so small. Itachi squeezed her hand in silent support. She returned it in thanks.

Layer by layer, Tsunade removed the gauze around Sakura's eyes. When the final layer was removed, Sakura felt movement but dared not open her eyes.

"Sakura," Itachi's voice called out to her. It didn't sound from her side. It sounded like he was in front of her. He still held her hands. "You can try to open your eyes slowly now."

Taking a deep breath, she did what she was told. At the first, slight opening of her lids, light touched her eyes with a gentle caress. Its warmth spread throughout her body. When her lids were finally fully open, everything was a blur for awhile before it started to become clear.

Her eyes softened at the man in front of her. She reached both of her hands and touched his face. "Itachi," By now, tears were falling from her eyes. He reached up and brushed her tears away. She started to look around. She saw another man standing by the corner. He was smiling at her.

"Yo!"

Sakura's smile turned brilliant. "Kakashi-nii'," She reached out to him. She watched him walk towards her and kneel in front of her. "You told me you were disfigured."

Kakashi laughed and squeezed her hand. "Well, I am. Look at this zit. It's huge." It made Sakura laugh. She reached out and messed his hair. He didn't seem to mind though.

Tsunade cleared her throat. It made Sakura blush when she realized that she forgot that her doctor was still there. When she looked up at the woman though, Tsunade had a smile ready for her. "Now, you will have to take it easy for the next few days. Let your new eyes adjust. No strenuous exercise or heavy lifting while your thigh is still healing. I am also recommending therapy for you so that you can get used to seeing with your eyes. Right now, it seems that you do most of your recognition using your hands."

XxXxXx

That night, Itachi had brought Sakura home to his apartment. He had talked with Kakashi before she was released that he would like to bring her there when she got out. At first, Kakashi was skeptical but when Itachi had said that it was to fulfill a dream of hers, he knew that it was about the longing she had of watching the sunrise again. She had dreamt about it since she was a little girl.

Itachi led her to the expansive windows of his apartment. "I would like you to see the city at night." He told her.

Sakura was in awe. She approached the windows and looked out into the metropolis below them. If she had seen something like that when she was a little girl, she didn't remember. Seeing it now, it only made her appreciate the beauty of the world more.

Itachi could see the undeniable fascination in Sakura's eyes. He couldn't help but wonder what the world looked like from her eyes. She had such a unique view when she had been blind and now that she could see, he could only imagine what she thought of now.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would see such beauty ever again." Sakura whispered.

Itachi looked out. He had been looking at that scene for years and had never appreciated it. Now, he could look at it with new eyes as well.

"Would you like some tea, Sakura?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Yes, I would love that."

They settled on the couch. For hours, they talked. She had asked all about what really happened that night, how they survived, what happened to everybody, and what ultimately happened to Sayaka and the Uchiha Corp.

"Kisame is still recovering from the burns he received. Unfortunately, Deidara did not make it. A part of a beam fell on top of him and Kisame was powerless to help him out. Kabuto, Orochimaru's right hand as you may very well know, is already in custody. Orochimaru still remains at large. Do not worry though. It is only a matter of time before he is captured as well."

"Hmm,"

When she failed to say anymore after a few moments, Itachi turned to his side and smiled when he realized that Sakura had fallen asleep. Carefully, Itachi picked her up and carried her to his bed. He lay her gently and whispered, "Good night, Sakura. Tomorrow is another day." For a moment, he could only look at her lying there on his bed. She looked so at peace and beautiful. Against the black silk covering his pillows and bed, she stood out like a beacon of light. His eyes softened as he trailed gentle fingers against her cheek, pushing back strands of pink hair. A smile graced his lips before he stood and headed back to the living room.

Itachi settled back at the couch. Sleep eluded him that night. He wanted to be there with her when he showed her. He wanted to be the one to share with her the first sunrise she would see for the rest of her life. When he did get to sleep, he was in and out the entire night. Just before dawn, he got up and headed back to his room where he gently shook Sakura awake.

"Itachi? Where-"

"Come on. There is something you must see." Not giving her time to ask more questions, he pulled her up and made her stand in front of the windows.

"Itachi, what am I-" Sakura was never able to finish what she was saying as the first rays of the sun for the new day rose on the horizon. After the never ending darkness that was her life for years, now she was able to see the beauty of the rising sun. It was on that moment that she finally understood what Neji and Sasuke were telling her.

XxXxXx

Before anyone knew it, two full years passed. Things have settled back to how the flow of life. A lot of changes happened.

As Sakura was locking up for the night, Itachi walked up to her. As she turned, he presented her with a bouquet of flowers, white roses with peach colored one. They had been going out for five months and in that time, Sakura knew without a shadow of doubt that she had fallen in love with him. She knew that he was the one Neji had told her about in her dream after that fateful night two years back.

She smiled and inhaled the delicate scent. "They're lovely. Thank you, Itachi." She stood on her toes and aimed to kiss his cheek. He turned on the last minute and they ended up brushing their lips. Itachi deepened the kiss, pulling her towards him. It made Sakura's heart want to burst with much love. The kiss ended, leaving the two catching their breaths.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," Itachi guided her to his car with his hand on the small of her back. He opened the door for her and was soon driving down the road.

"Are you tired?" He asked.

"No. Not really. Why?"

"The night is still young. Would you like to go with me somewhere?"

"Sure." Sakura really didn't mind but she knew that something was up. She knew Itachi well enough that he never did something without a plan. Also, to go to a somewhere at night? She could only guess what he was up to. The trip there was comfortably silent. Every now and then, Itachi would reach over and hold her hand. He would run his thumb on her skin. It was small things like that that made her love him more.

When they got there, Sakura was surprised to see that beauty of the scene before her. With the gentle lights that lit the path between fully bloomed cherry blossoms to the edge where you can oversea the lights of Tokyo, it took her breath away. Beside the path, there was a picnic blanket spread out with several food items laid out. She looked to Itachi who simply smirked and ushered her. "Come," He said.

Their dinner was light and filled with laughter. Itachi's loving stare never failed to bring butterflies in her stomach. He offered his hand towards her, to help her up. Sakura didn't hesitate to allow him to pull her up. She thought he would be guiding her to somewhere else but was shocked when he sank to one knee.

"You are such a beautiful soul. I will forever be grateful for my brother bringing you into all our lives. Will you marry me, Sakura?"

Sakura gaped. "I am not perfect and living with me will not be easy. But know that I will always treasure you and support you in reaching your dreams. Will you have me?" Itachi continued.

She felt into his arms, toppling them over. She kissed him with all the love she had. Itachi held her tight, knowing what her answer was. When they broke apart, Itachi pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I need to hear you say it." He whispered.

"I love you, Uchiha Itachi. Yes, I will marry you."

Sakura suddenly found herself on her back, Itachi hovering over her from the side. From his pocket, he produced a ring. A simple emerald atop a gold band designed to look like stems and leaves, with small diamonds atop the leaves. He slid it on her left hand and kissed it while looking at her green eyes. They were the emerald gems that showed him life and reflected the same love he felt for her.

She was never the blind one. She was the one who taught him how to see through the darkness, through the past. She taught him what it is to love and be loved. For the rest of his life, Itachi knew that his Sakura would be his world, his beloved.

FIN

Yarrow – in the language of flowers it means 'health and healing'