Chapter 6 – It's Gone On For Too Long

It was going to be risky. Impossibly risky. Wishing to keep that risk to himself, Itachi had decided to go alone, taking only his best weapons with him: his eyes.

More than anything, Shisui wanted to accompany him. It didn't matter how old he was or how powerful he was. Itachi was still a kid brother to him, was still an important person in his life. Knowing that he was going straight into ROOT's headquarters, where Danzo would slaughter him without hesitation, brought forth a suffocating weight to his chest, had him feeling so anxious that Shisui was nearly sick.

Itachi was an intimidating man. Watching him leave the hideout with only a minimal amount of weapons and his Sharingan activated, like he didn't even need anything else to get the job done, left many in a state of awe – his brother included. The second Itachi left, Shisui didn't fail to notice the way Sasuke's eyes continuously trailed over to the entrance of the hideout, didn't fail to notice how he remained seated at the opening like a child who was left behind.

That was the Sasuke he remembered.

Sighing, Shisui focused on the ground as he made his way over to him, trying to decipher the uneven terrain as it reached the mouth of the hideout. Appearing as just an ordinary cave, the ground was bumpy with large rocks protruding from it, giving it the impression that it was inhabitable. It was one of few entrances, but the main entrance was blocked off, like the hideout had already been discovered and destroyed so that no Uchiha could hide there. Itachi's idea, he'd told him when Shisui asked. Just a precaution.

It had been a few days since Itachi decided to go alone and during that time, several of the others had attempted to change his mind, saying they wished to aid him in rescuing Sakura. Shisui got the impression that it was not Sakura they wished to save, but Itachi. They didn't want anything to happen to their fearless leader.

"He's always been like that," Shisui said lightly as he stood beside Sasuke's seated position. The younger Uchiha didn't look away from the entrance, didn't acknowledge him in the slightest or give any indication of acknowledging him any time soon. "Shouldering the burden alone, I mean."

"He's an idiot," came Sasuke's gruff response.

"I can't argue with that." Breathing out another weighty sigh, Shisui reached for the wall, holding onto it while slowly sitting next to him. Finally, he had Sasuke's attention, could feel his eyes glued to his movements until he was safely sitting without risk of being harmed. It had Shisui biting back a smile. "So," he began quietly, senses stretching out to ensure they were alone. "Are you going to explain why you're so angry with your older brother?"

There was no response other than looking away again.

He wouldn't open up to him if others were around or capable of listening in. Sasuke was too much like his brother in that regard – both like their father, in fact. He'd need to know that they were truly alone.

"Sasuke," Shisui said with a sigh. "Itachi was following orders that night. You know that."

"He's always following orders," he snapped in reply, though didn't raise his voice. Again, his dark eyes were focused intensely on the forest below the cave, narrowing at the breeze that blew through the trees. "There's going to be a storm tonight."

"Oh?"

Sasuke nodded once, but didn't elaborate on how he knew such a thing. Perhaps his affinity was lightning? Could lightning users sense when a storm was coming? It didn't seem possible, but in the past few months Shisui had learned that anything was possible, even time travel.

"Your parents ordered Itachi to save you," he tried again. "He would never go against a direct order from them."

"If he had, they would be here with us." Sasuke's voice had lowered considerably, wavering with his emotions.

It nearly had Shisui sighing again. Poor kid. Had he even experienced the death of a loved one before? And to suddenly lose not only his parents, but an entire clan… While not impossible, it was difficult to understand how he was feeling. It all happened at once for him, whereas Shisui had lost his parents a while back.

"We could've gone back for them. Could've fought alongside them. We-"

"You weren't there, Sasuke," Shisui said more seriously, trying to focus on the forest even when the younger Uchiha's eyes snapped to his face. "There were too many of them even for our clan to handle – and we had outside support from others, too. Anyone who got involved was killed or called a traitor to Konoha. Danzo even killed the Hokage and anyone who tried to assist her."

Leaning back on his hands, he shut his eyes, breathing in the fresh air deeply. It was hard to believe how much he'd missed something as simple as that. After being held captive in Katsuyu's body for over two months, he'd awoken in a hideout he hadn't been able to leave unless it was to relieve himself and even then, they had to leave with others and go at set times, just in case anybody was watching or planned to attack them at their most vulnerable. To merely sit half outside with just the two of them, with a storm brewing in the distance, was refreshing.

"Did you see them?" Sasuke asked, voice almost inaudible. Then, like he suddenly realised what he'd asked, he said, "I didn't-"

"It's fine," Shisui assured him and smirked slightly. "I'm not completely blind – Sakura made sure of that." Tilting his head to the side, he allowed him to take in the sight of his eyes, to notice that they weren't entirely focused or meeting his eye. "To answer your question: yes, I came across your parents. They made an opening for Sakura and myself to escape from Danzo and his operatives."

"Danzo…" He sounded like he was going to be sick. "Mother fought…?"

"Don't underestimate your mother, Sasuke." It felt wrong lying to him, like his skin was crawling and he felt sick to his stomach, but what was he supposed to do? Tell the truth? Tell the kid his parents were both more than likely dead and had their eyes stolen? How was he supposed to tell an obviously already unstable boy that? "She was our matriarch for a reason."

It wasn't out of love that Fugaku and Mikoto were together, although it did eventually develop into love. How could it not when they created two children together? Granted, there didn't have to be love to create another life, but Shisui had seen the couple interact when they thought no one was watching. He'd seen Fugaku put his life on the line to protect his wife and had witnessed Mikoto defend him with everything she had.

It didn't start with love, but it ended with it. In the end it was their love for their children that had them fighting Danzo and his ROOT operatives head on, creating a distraction for Itachi and Sasuke to escape. No doubt Danzo would have wanted to fight Itachi himself. He wouldn't leave such a formidable opponent to his operatives. They knew that and it was that knowledge that had them fighting their hardest to keep Danzo's attention on them, rather than their sons.

"Your parents made the brave decision to face Danzo," Shisui continued gently. "They wanted to protect you both."

"But Itachi-"

"Itachi was only following orders, Sasuke. He knew what it meant to follow those orders, that they were sacrificing themselves to save you both. There was nothing he could do to prevent that outcome." He glanced up at the ceiling of the cave, trying to make out the grooves and spikes. They'd done a good job of making it seem inhabitable and intimidating. Only a fearless fool would try to stay there. "Don't you think he is suffering enough without your anger piled on top of his grief? They were his parents, too. While he doesn't always show it, he loves them just as much as you do. And he has to live with the decision he was forced to make – to run instead of fighting with them. Itachi is a powerful man, Sasuke. You already know this. He knows it, too. It will be weighing on him that he didn't offer his strength to them that night, knowing that he could have made a difference if they combined their strengths."

Sasuke was unable to meet his eye when Shisui looked back to him, once more focusing on the trees. Like the weather was responding to his mood, a heavy rain started and part of Shisui was grateful for that, as it would help in covering Itachi's tracks should he grow sloppy (it didn't seem possible, but he would feel desperate to return Sakura to them – even someone like Itachi could make mistakes).

"Can he do it?"

The question was spoken so quietly that he almost missed it and in response, he sighed. "He won't stop until he does. Sakura is just as much his friend as she is yours, Sasuke. Your leaving brought them together, their love for you forming an unbreakable friendship. All these years, they just wanted you home. They shared their pain and heartbreak, opening up to each other in ways I never thought possible for Itachi."

"And you?" he asked. "I know she was your carer, but why are you so close to Sakura all of a sudden? I know she wouldn't grow that close to all her patients. She…" Dark eyes narrowed fractionally and for a moment, he was certain Sasuke wouldn't continue, but he did so with a sigh, muttering, "Her heart isn't fickle like many believe it is."

That was the Sasuke she'd fallen for, wasn't it? The Sasuke Itachi missed dearly. Beneath that tough, angry exterior, he was lost and vulnerable and because he felt that way, his anger and hatred was multiplied. He didn't want anyone to see how vulnerable he really was.

"No, it isn't," agreed Shisui.

"But she loves you now."

Why did he feel guilty all of a sudden? "We were talking about Itachi, weren't we?" he said lightly, trying to lighten the tension. "He'll bring her back, Sasuke."

"He's still an idiot," came his quiet words.

There was no malice behind them. Shisui could feel the concern radiating from him even though Sasuke tried his hardest to hide it.

Smiling faintly, for he could feel the same worry, he looked out at the forest. "Aa."

It had been a day and a half since Itachi left. If he was calculating correctly, then that meant he was close to Konoha. He wouldn't go in straight away. Knowing Itachi, he would survey the area for a while, thinking of the best way to get in and out without being detected.

After their talk, Sasuke had remained by his side, deciding without saying a word about it that he would assist Shisui. He simply went from staring at him from across the hall to standing beside him, acting as his eyes. It was definitely useful having someone like Sasuke around, Shisui admitted. Instead of being forced to stay in his bed all night, he was able to move around with Sasuke's assistance.

They chose to sit in the opening of the cave on the first night, watching the storm as the thunder roared in the dark sky, the flashes of lightning somehow soothing Sasuke as he watched it closely. While he was a lot different from the child he'd once known, there were still some traces of the old Sasuke in there. With no one else around to witness his show of emotion, he waited loyally and with obvious concern for his older brother's return. Shisui hoped it meant that it was a turning point for him. No, the Curse of Hatred wouldn't have been broken so easily, but it was a start. It meant there was still something left to salvage.

They hadn't spoken much during the storm. They were comfortable sitting in silence together.

On the second night, when the storm didn't let up, Sasuke spoke more. Asked Shisui about his disappearance and what happened during those eight years, growing pensive when his story was explained to him. Like Itachi, he didn't seem to believe it completely, the two brothers both knowing that he was only telling them half of it. In all honesty, Shisui himself only knew half of the story. He was still trying to understand what happened and why.

Two others joined them on the third night and for the first few hours, he'd been certain that Sasuke would leave. So far, he'd only lowered his guards around Shisui. To lower them around others so soon after letting another in was too much for him. However, because Itachi was due to return shortly (he would be travelling faster if he had succeeded in breaking Sakura out), he refused to leave, even if the comfortable silence was no longer there.

The other two had every right to be there – Sakura was their teammate, after all. They loved her, too. But Shisui couldn't help but feel like he had to share her with them now. Before the attack, it'd been them. Just them in their own little world, only occasionally going outside to face others. Now that they were at the hideout, there was no privacy. Their world, their bubble, had been popped.

Did Sasuke harbour any feelings for Sakura? That was his main concern. But she loves you now. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He knew of her love for him and as much as it stung to admit it, Shisui didn't know what tense to use when it came to her feelings for Sasuke. Was it past or present? How would she feel seeing him again? Would it bring old feelings to the surface?

And what about Sasuke? Did he return those feelings? Would he fight for her if he did? He'd broken her heart before – several times. But he'd broken Itachi's also, despite clearly loving his brother. Like many Uchiha before him, Sasuke was unable to control his emotions. He tried to hide them, to appear as emotionless, but the truth was, was that he was an emotional kid. That was why he was so angry all the time, Shisui believed. He didn't want to be like that and it made him angry.

As though it wasn't bad enough that Sasuke could possibly have feelings for the girl he'd come to love, it was painfully obvious that Naruto loved her, too. The fact that nothing had happened despite being teammates since they were twelve offered him little comfort. Feelings developed over time – a fact proven by Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto. Sometimes the best relationships started out as friendships, building something wonderful on that sturdy foundation.

"Do you think he's got her?" asked Naruto when the silence grew too much for him. His voice was low, his outward appearance nothing how it'd been the other day when he demanded to save her himself. Instead of pumped up and determined, Naruto was reserved. Almost too quiet. The total opposite of what he'd been told about his personality.

He hoped so. More than anything. Shisui wanted them both back by his side, wanted them to remain there so he could make sure nothing ever happened to his two precious people. Of course, he understood that in a world like theirs, that wasn't possible. He would lose them both one day, or they would lose him. It was selfish, but he hoped it was the latter. How would he cope with the loss of a man who was like his brother? How would he live without the woman he'd come to love and depend on so greatly? Just the thought made him feel sick.

"I wouldn't underestimate his abilities," Kakashi answered when no one else would.

To do so was a foolish mistake. Many thought the Uchiha Clan relied heavily on their eyes – which, granted, many of them did. However, Itachi was so much more than his Sharingan. It was his intelligence, his strategies, that made him a problematic opponent.

The sounds of footsteps approaching from behind had their strained conversation growing silent, had Naruto glancing over his shoulder and offering a small smile.

"Neji."

The Hyuuga looked out at the pouring rain, Byakugan activated as he stood in front of them all with his back to them, arms remaining by his sides. "My eyes can see further. If you wish to rest, I will inform you when they are close."

It was disheartening to know they weren't even close. He'd heard all about how far Neji's eyes could see – an impressive twelve miles, that distance only growing greater.

Shisui glanced in Sasuke's direction and knowing he would refuse to leave, he answered for them both, "We're staying until Itachi and Sakura's return."

"Us too."

"Very well."

The silence resumed, each of them feeling unsettled the longer it took for Itachi to return with Sakura. Many in the hideout came to join them in their wait. A few of the civilian women had prepared a room for the wounded (Hinata and possibly Sakura), along with food and tea, whereas the Hokage's guard were readying themselves to go out and search for the pair, just in case anything had happened and they found themselves unable to continue travelling. They'd already left several hidden marks throughout the hideout in preparation.

Tensions were running high. By his side, Sasuke remained still, but he could sense the change in his demeanour, could tell just by Naruto's second glance that he'd activated his Sharingan. It wouldn't grant him the same abilities as Neji's, but he could detect movement. It was probably only activated due to his emotional stress, however. It took a while to stop that from happening – hell, before he'd left, Itachi still struggled with it at times.

"They're close."

Neji's words had them all on their feet within a second, had Shisui nodding once in thanks when Kakashi made his footing louder to give him an indication where to stand. Following the Copy-Nin's example, he took the leap from the opening of the cave, grimacing at his awkward landing. Had it not been so dark-

No. He wouldn't make excuses. He would train instead and fix those weaknesses. His blindness had already boosted his other senses, mainly his sense of smell and hearing. What else could it do for him?

They came to a stop in a clearing and Shisui's breath caught in his throat as Itachi darted out of the trees with a motionless body in his arms, one he was keeping covered in his own cloak.

The sight of his love was almost enough to make him miss the fact that Itachi was being followed. Almost.

Rushing forward, he waited until Itachi and Sakura were behind him before breathing in deeply, his fireball jutsu no longer needing him to weave any seals or mutter the words as it roared through the space between him and the ROOT operatives, the sheer expanse of it refusing to allow any of them through. They couldn't counter it, couldn't get around or through it. All they could do was wait.

Time was a luxury he didn't give to them.

It didn't take long to finish them off and Shisui was critical of how sloppy his transportation jutsu was without his Sharingan. Without his eyes, he couldn't travel at the same high speeds as he previously could for he couldn't read any responding movements. It was too risky. Still, it was enough to dispose of the ROOT operatives.

"Sakura-chan," he heard Naruto's worried shout.

Turning, despite his heart warning him not to, he saw the outline of Itachi's body, saw him holding Sakura close to his chest. Sasuke was already standing in front of him, as were Kakashi and Naruto, but he wouldn't allow them to touch her. When Naruto moved to pull the collar of the cloak away from her features, Itachi moved, pulling her further away.

"Do not."

Shisui's eyes weren't the only ones to narrow, his heart dropping when Kakashi murmured, "They used that interrogation tactic."

"So it would seem."

"What interrogation tactic?" demanded Naruto angrily, visibly shaking. They could tell he was assuming the worst, but they couldn't blame him for it.

"It is used mainly on females," Kakashi explained gruffly and his hands balled into fists, entering his pockets roughly. "A way to play tricks on their minds and create an unbearable paranoia."

"Was she actually ra-"

"Not that I can tell," Itachi cut off Sasuke's question.

He was grateful for not seeing the details for once. Just that morning – hell, the second Neji picked up on their presence, Shisui had longed to see Sakura's features again. He wanted to see those pretty green eyes that he'd fallen victim to, even though he'd only seen the colour and no details. What state was she in? He could only see colours.

There was so much red.

"We should get her inside," Itachi continued and it was only then that they noticed his heavy breathing, the shaking of his limbs. No doubt he'd run without taking a break, trying to lose the operatives instead of fighting them head on. His main concern would have been Sakura's safety. "She has a fever."

"There's a civilian medic inside," said Kakashi. "He can take a look at her."

Shisui remained frozen in his place, his senses being assaulted by the disgusting scent of Sakura's blood, ears focused entirely on her laboured breathing and quiet whimpers. By his sides, his hands shook. His stomach was in knots, like he was about to throw up.

For the first time since losing his sight, he was glad he could not see.

"Shisui," came Itachi's quiet order. "I will need your assistance."

Assistance with what? What exactly could he do for her in his state? He couldn't carry her – what if he tripped? Couldn't care for her wounds – what if he misdiagnosed something and treated it wrongly? He couldn't even hold her – what if he failed to see an injury and then added to her pain?

What could he do for her?

"You're exhausted," Sasuke murmured to his brother, surprising him briefly. "I'll take her."

But Itachi hesitated, his hands twitching on her body. "I-"

"It's the least I can do for her," he muttered and dropped his gaze to her face. "For both of you."

Shisui felt Itachi's gaze flicker to him, though couldn't tell if it was out of confusion for Sasuke's flipped personality, or wary of handing his love over to another man, one Sakura had once loved with all her heart. It didn't matter which it was. A minute later and he was allowing Sasuke to take her from him, angling his body in a way that allowed him to fix the cloak over her more securely without others seeing her body.

And they were all stunned at how gently Sasuke handled her.

Hinata had left the room when Sakura was placed in the second bed, barely managed to muffle her sob as she left. In her eyes, it was her fault why Sakura was in such a state. How could she not think that way after Sasuke's accusations? After Kakashi had confirmed that Danzo wouldn't let her escape go lightly?

There was little privacy in the makeshift medical room. When she first arrived and was placed on the bed, Sasuke left long enough for Neji's friend (Tenten, Shisui thought her name to be) to dress Sakura, but then everyone piled inside once she was done. Sorry, she'd apologised when they took in her indecency. There were too many open wounds on her body to cover with clothing that might not have been washed. The medic needed to see to them first.

It aggravated Shisui that the other men lingered while Sakura was so indecent. Granted, her most intimate areas were covered, but that was beside the point. All she was wearing was a sports bra and a pair of underwear. They shouldn't be in the room – he shouldn't even be in the room. But… How was he supposed to leave her alone? Not once had Sakura left his side while he recovered. It was his turn to take care of her.

Swallowing at the smell of so much blood, Shisui stepped closer to her motionless body, standing opposite Itachi for a moment before he knelt. He could feel each of their curious stares but refused to acknowledge them, dark eyes straining to focus on her face.

When that failed, he asked in a low whisper, "What does she look like?"

Tenten left at his question, breathing out shakily and covering her mouth as she did so.

"You-"

"Don't say I don't want to know," he cut Naruto off, though didn't raise his voice in the slightest.

"She's filthy," Sasuke responded without hesitation. He ignored the rough elbow shoved into his rib cage. "Hair's matted and nearly red entirely – it'll have to be cut." Shisui nodded and reached out, touching the ends of her hair while shutting his eyes. It felt disgusting. She always took pride in her hair, he recalled easily. Always boasting about how fast it was growing and how luscious it felt with her new shampoo. Would she be upset if it was cut off? "Looks like she's been choked a few times."

He was glad his back was to them as he felt her neck, for the feeling of the rope burns had his eyes stinging despite them being closed (the torture wasn't used as much anymore and it shook him Danzo was still using such tactics – tormenting the captive with the thought of dying, of cutting the noose just before death claimed them). Some of the wounds were fresh and he could feel a worrying substance coming from a few of them – probably an infection. It didn't feel like blood, anyway. Would the medic be able to heal those wounds? He was only a civilian, therefore couldn't use chakra to heal her. Was medicine enough?

"She doesn't have that many worrying injuries, but…"

Hesitantly, Shisui opened his eyes, blinking a few times to try and rid himself of the tears he refused to admit were there. He pretended not to notice the tension in the air as his hand drifted lower, skimming over the valley between her breasts. There was nothing pleasurable about it like he'd always thought there would be, just pain. Even with his sight, he could see her skin was darkening in colour – bruises, perhaps a few cuts.

"Two inches lower," it filled him with dread to hear the mutter, like Sasuke couldn't raise his voice. "You won't be able to see it – there's too much blood. They…"

He didn't need to say it as his fingers met the awful feeling of her blood. It must have been why he could smell her blood so strongly, because there was so much of it. Almost pouring down her sides, soaking the bed beneath her and going beneath her back, filling her belly button.

But that wasn't what caught his attention.

It was what was beneath the blood.

"No." Like Sasuke, he couldn't raise his voice. Didn't even register the breaking of his voice.

"Shisui," murmured Itachi.

The tears finally fell, though they felt thicker than before. Like the blood oozing from her abdomen.

It was like everything zeroed in on what they had done to her, like it was all he could see as everything came into focus, as a searing pain flared in his head.

"Shisui," Itachi said more seriously, voice louder. "Deactivate your Mangekyō. You will undo all of Sakura's hard work."

"Yeah," Naruto added. He sounded slightly panicked, probably because of the killing intent that seemed to radiate from him. "And then she'll kick your ass for it, y'know."

He didn't care.

He couldn't even hear them.

All he could focus on was the Uchiha emblem deeply engraved on her abdomen.

A/N - The response for this story has been amazing so far! It makes me so excited about updating as soon as I finish the next chapter. I usually like to wait at least a week or two before updating again, but your responses have been amazing. Sadly, I don't have time to reply to reviews, as I have work in half an hour and another story to update. I promise to reply to your reviews to the last chapter and this one in the next update. For now, thank you all so much for your wonderful responses! It makes updating so much more fun when I know there's people out there really enjoying my story. Thank you!