A/N - Okay, let's try this again since FF wasn't updating this chapter on the website, only the app. Once again, FF SORT YOUR SHIT OUT. It's no wonder why writers are leaving here. I've had nothing but problems with it!

Chapter 34 – But I Know You Too Well

To be a shinobi was to endure. They had to persevere no matter what life threw their way.

Uchiha Itachi was not afraid to admit that he was struggling at that point, however.

Sakura's mental health was at a precarious stage where one push would jumpstart a rampage and it was his duty as leader to not only try and prevent that, but to deal with her should it come down to it. That essentially meant that, should Sakura prove a notable risk to the rebellion, it would be expected of him to put her down.

How could he…?

"And once this is done, I'm going with you," Sakura said to Itachi firmly, hands going to the flare of her hips. "You have no excuses now not to take me with you."

Itachi sighed, barely resisting the urge to rub at his aching temples. The headaches were a constant companion of his now, one he'd attempted to grow accustomed to, but seemingly never could. So, as pitiful as it was to admit, he more often than not relied on the basic healing jutsu he knew to alleviate his headaches. They were nothing but a hindrance, especially when so many looked to him for guidance. He had to be clearheaded.

"I don't want to burst your bubble, but it isn't as easy as that, Forehead."

"Eh?" demanded Naruto. He didn't make a move towards them, instead remaining by Hinata's side – her blind side, which he took full advantage of with continuous glances at her when he believed nobody to be looking. "You made it sound easy a minute ago."

No, she hadn't, Itachi inwardly and wearily argued against the blond. Ino explained it straightforwardly enough to ensure everybody understood (although he had a sneaking suspicion that Sakura didn't fully get it, so made a mental note to go over it with her once they were alone), but that by no means made it easily achieved.

The most difficult task was undeniably sifting through Sakura's memories and untangling the fakes from the real ones. That alone was going to leave both women extremely mentally and emotionally drained – there were no ifs or buts in that case. Breaks were going to be a necessity for both their sakes, dragging the whole process out.

In the meantime, Hinata would most likely spend an enormous chunk of time training to use the sharingan. Although Itachi couldn't compare the two, he knew from classes in the academy that there was a significant difference between the sharingan and the byakugan – and that was not including the substantial efforts it took to both use and successfully master the mangekyō. Rushing and half-hearted attempts would only cause them to lose the abilities of their father's eye, and it would lose its light permanently, stealing away any chance of helping Sakura.

Itachi did not allow himself to focus too heavily on the thoughts of another (of an outsider) using his father's eye, for it was not the time or their greatest concern. For the sake of their cause, to save Konoha and its villagers, he knew allowing a non-Uchiha to wield not just any eye, but their patriarch's, was the lesser of two evils.

And, perhaps in a way, it meant his father would have a part in taking back Konoha.

He remained silent as the two bickered back and forth, his line of vision tunnelling when Sakura made a minute indication to feeling overwhelmed with all that was going on around her. True to the routine of their friendship, Itachi wordlessly slipped a hand to her back, escorting Sakura from the room without a fuss while the others were too preoccupied to notice – well, other than his brother and Shisui, of course. Like his own, their eyes never missed a beat and lingered on their retreating forms until they were out of sight.

"Thank you," she mumbled once they were well out of earshot. Their connection broke as she leaned back against a wall, tugging the hem of her shirt further down. "It was getting…"

"Too much."

There was no smile like there used to be, only the sweet relief that came from his understanding her so well. "Yeah."

Returning to their earlier conversation from the week before: Sakura was growing increasingly overwhelmed. It appeared their dwindling numbers (no matter how temporary the change was) alerted her to the fact more eyes were on her than ever before, and who wouldn't despise that or lose their patience because of it? They were all waiting for the ticking timebomb to explode, completely unaware that they played a part in causing the countdown to quicken.

For many months now, Sakura had been under constant surveillance and honestly, Itachi did not see that ending any time soon. It couldn't when she posed such a great risk.

"Please," she surprised him by saying suddenly, causing his vision to zero in on her once more as he left his thoughts. "Please let me come with you, Itachi."

No, he could not allow himself to be swayed by his emotions or feelings for Sakura, but that didn't mean they didn't influence his decision.

What was the current state of her mind? The true state, he meant, for he was not as easily fooled as his comrades appeared to be. Even her closest friends were deceived by the brief conversations of clarity, where Sakura appeared as calm and rational – not taking her appearance into account, one could almost forget about all she'd gone through. But Itachi was not and could not. He knew her.

Sakura was biding her time.

She was by no means manipulative and happened to be one of the most caring individuals he knew, but Itachi could read even the new version of Sakura with considerable ease and he knew when she was withholding her true intentions. Unknowingly on her part, she was mirroring several mannerisms she'd displayed in the days leading up to her pursuit of his brother, when they'd both attempted to take the other out.

What struck him hardest, however, was that he didn't believe she was doing it consciously – plotting, he meant.

That was why he was against her coming with them.

One could argue that she was traumatised, and those mannerisms were possibly displaying themselves as a default of sorts, or even mistaken as such. But Itachi couldn't take that chance.

They were running on the belief that his father's other eye didn't possess the same abilities as the one Shisui obtained (like said man's did). Moreover, the corruption of her mind ran far too deep to be altered or fixed overnight. It was going to be a gruelling process with potential mistakes and while in such a perilous state, he couldn't help but question where was best for Sakura.

"Sakura…"

A dainty hand came to his shirt, tangling in the fabric that spilled over pale skin. "You've become my constant. You've been there every step of the way throughout everything – not just recently. So, please…"

He didn't reciprocate the touch, choosing to remain firm (for her) in her choice of distancing romantic entanglements until she'd found herself. However, his eyes were drawn to the contact, to the hands that'd both healed and held him, that'd caught and comforted him.

Not for the first time, he regretfully waded into the thoughts of what if, wondering what their life would have been like had he fought the decision of his clan and pursued her romantically.

"Please, don't leave me behind."

Distance, Itachi reminded himself upon the meeting of their gazes. While healing, it was only natural for Sakura to seek comfort and reassurances and Itachi knew that he'd always been that person for her. So, while she was vulnerable and easily capable of caving to her heart's wants – especially while she was so vulnerable – he would be strong for her.

"Answer me this honestly," he requested quietly, aware of the others and the inevitability of their absence being discovered soon. "Can you say for certain that Danzo – or the image of Tsunade-sama – is no longer lurking in your mind? That that doesn't connect you to him or puts the whole rebellion at risk of being tracked?"

Hurt flashed in her eyes, but more importantly, concern did too. "What?"

It was a suspicion he'd been unable to shake for a while now. Rescuing Sakura was much too easy, and his four pursuers never went all out like he knew they were capable of doing. From the lack of numbers to the lack of offense, Itachi was put on edge. But then came the sudden assault on their hideout at a time when Sakura was growing comfortable with routine and making progress in her own healing. And finally there was Shisui so effortlessly retrieving one of his father's eyes, bringing hope and motivation to the rebels present, allowing them to believe that not only was it possible to reverse the damage done to Sakura's mind, but that they had a fighting chance of going against him.

Hope was important, but they also had to be realistic.

"I-I'd never–"

"I know you wouldn't," he soothed, offering a faint smile. "But the coincidences are becoming too much to ignore."

Danzo could not know about their training or their progression in taking back Konoha. He had both quantity and quality, and while they boasted plenty of the latter, it wasn't enough to catch up as he strode ahead of them, prepared for any and all moves they made against him.

Their perfecting the Susanoo technique was one major ace up their sleeve, nullifying attacks and granting them immense destructive ability, should they require it. But Itachi's biggest concern was Uzumaki Naruto and their goal to control the Kyuubi. Should Danzo discover Naruto was potentially in control of the tailed beast, there was no telling what the man would do.

"Then blindfold me," she demanded with an air of desperation and the hold on his shirt tightened considerably, complemented by the anxious step forward she took. "Sedate me. Knock me unconscious! Do whatever you have to, to keep the location a secret."

It wasn't as simple as that, and he could tell from the way her expression tried to fall that Sakura knew that too but was unwilling to admit to it.

"Train away from me–"

"Sakura–"

"No!" she yelled, making him sigh. The hush at the end of the hall meant they'd all heard her angered disagreement too. "Don't leave me here with these people."

He didn't want to. Leaving Sakura behind unsettled him, but leaving an unstable, wholly vulnerable Sakura behind? Itachi felt sick with himself merely contemplating it and that sensation doubled at the anxiety he could see so clearly in her eyes as they slowly filled with tears, his own apprehension surging to the surface in response to hers.

"You promised me you'd be here," Sakura snapped, and his mind transported him back to their peaceful days, back to when she'd been struggling in her training and unable to cope with her team being disbanded. "You promised!"

"Why did they all leave me?" she demanded brokenly, fisting the front of his shirt in her grip, forehead pressing to his chest. "They left me behind!"

Unable to answer and unable to ignore his own swell of emotion, Itachi allowed his arms to wrap around her trembling form. They'd sparred for all of five minutes, but the workout had proved to be intense for her, for in his hold, Sakura was sweating and covered in dirt and grazes.

She was so small in his arms.

"Why aren't I good enough?"

He closed his eyes, chin resting atop her head.

"Why did he leave?"

Why, indeed. It was a question Itachi continued to ask himself.

"Please…" she whispered suddenly, pulling back but only enough to peer up at him with bloodshot eyes. "Don't leave me too."

Hand finding its way into her hair and winding through the soft, damp strands, he brought her head back to his chest, unable to stand allowing her to see him when he was also so emotionally vulnerable.

She needed him to be strong for her. To be there for her.

"I promise I will never leave you."

His control on the situation was slipping away, similarly to her control on her mind and Itachi finally lifted his hand but not to reciprocate her touches.

It was a shame he'd listened to his brother and allowed Sakura to slowly start replenishing her chakra, as well as not accounting for the channelling of the Kazekage's. She no doubt possessed a substantial amount by now.

The sound of his back hitting the wall, combined with a whoosh of his breath leaving him harshly, caused the already silent dining room to fall even quieter somehow, like they were all holding their breaths and debating whether to involve themselves.

He longed for them to stay out of it for once.

"You promised!"

His patience cracked at the sound of movement from the other room.

"I promised an insecure, lonely fourteen year old girl that I would remain by her side after my brother broke her heart and her team left her behind," Itachi told her calmly, tone firm but not cold. The words had her flinching then freezing, unable to tear her gaze from his. "Whenever you needed me – whatever you needed me to be – I was there for you and gave you my all, because that was what you needed at the time."

There was the sound of a skirmish from down the hall, but he refused to pay it any mind as he kept his hard gaze fixed on Sakura's. Although hearing the openness of his words and their past, at least they weren't gawking at them like they were in some kind of drama, a part of Itachi thought with barely contained frustration.

"But you are not that girl anymore, Sakura and I am not that boy."

The words were undeniably harsh, but they were everything she needed to hear, and he could tell in the pursing of her lips and momentarily trembling hand that it hit home.

"And that is not what you need from me now."

That brought back the fire in her eyes, reminding Itachi of the untamed temper she'd developed while studying under Tsunade.

"What the hell would you know–"

"I know you better than every person in that room, including your childhood best friend," Itachi stated confidently, uncaring even as the realisation he was potentially hurting his own childhood best friend and brother came to the forefront of his mind. "And I know that right now, you need stability and protection while you heal. That won't be possible out in the desert, but it is here."

The Kazekage himself had already assured him of her safety by his side, just as Temari had Ino's. He would keep her hidden and safe from Danzo, and who better to protect her than the man who possessed the ultimate defence?

Allowing the words to hang between them for several moments, Itachi eventually broke the hold Sakura had on his shirt though kept a hold of her hand. All the while, he watched her expressive eyes, witnessing how they clouded ever so slightly.

As he said: he knew her better than anyone.

"You claimed I was coddling you only half an hour ago," he reminded her quietly.

She was much too quiet, especially considering the fact he could see the inner workings of her twisted mind so openly in her expression. Something was working against him in there.

He would not let it win.

"This is your chance, Sakura," Itachi said resolutely, ignoring the disagreeing of his heart. It grew stronger with each passing word, screaming at him that he was a fool and that the best place for her, was by his side. "At the very least, you will have the space you need from the three of us to rediscover yourself, without Danzo's influence strengthening in response to our presence."

"But I'll…" The way her weak voice trailed off, so broken and lost, had him fighting to keep his heart hard. "…I'll be alone."

That was ultimately her biggest fear, Itachi knew and he resented himself for more or less abandoning her in a time of need. However, as much as he longed to be standing by her side while she healed and offering assistance or comfort whenever necessary, he knew he couldn't be. His presence – their presence – was not helping matters. They were adding to her misery.

"No," she suddenly snapped and yanked her hand free. The tears that'd gathered in her eyes were roughly wiped away, expression toughening. "I'm not staying here – you can't make me."

She was right, of course. He couldn't force her to stay behind. But they could leave while she was sleeping, and Sakura would have no way of finding them due to it being a secluded spot in the middle of nowhere.

"I'm going. It'll be better for me than staying hidden here!"

Itachi held back the urge to sigh, headache increasing with his stress.

"She's not wrong, y'know."

Not even looking to the other end of the hall, he responded coldly, "This conversation doesn't involve you."

"Then take it somewhere private where we can't all hear you," Naruto muttered while approaching them, seemingly uncaring for the dark aura warning him off.

While Itachi never agreed with his brother's brutal ways, there were often times where he… understood him, in a way. Yes, Naruto's intentions were pure and he only wanted what was best for Sakura, but he was getting involved in an already messy situation when it didn't concern him, ultimately making it harder for him to show Sakura his side of things and help her see sense.

As Sasuke often said: he was infuriating.

"Sakura-chan has every right to be out there with us," stated the blond, jaw setting. It was apparent that he was trying to make himself appear taller, but Itachi did not humour him by stepping up, instead remaining against the wall and looking down at the younger man with an unwavering indifferent stare that sent weaker men running. It usually worked on him, but in that moment, Naruto merely strengthened his expression and tipped his head back, almost glowering at him. "You said yourself that Team Seven left her behind when she was lonely."

Yes, he had.

"So why are you trying to force us to do the same now when she needs us all the most?" he demanded with a deep anger that entered his words the longer he spoke, showing in his twisting, twitching features. "I agree that Sakura-chan's never been more vulnerable than she is right now, but neither have we!"

That…

"Before Sakura-chan's return, Sasuke wouldn't talk to anyone and I didn't know what to do to change that or help him. I didn't think her being here with us again would change anything for him – I don't even think he knew that either!"

That was surprisingly a good argument, one he had never expected to come from someone like Naruto. He knew how deeply he cared for both his brother and Sakura, so came at him from that angle. It was almost admirable.

Moreover, it was strengthening Sakura's resolve to accompany them, Itachi noted warily as he watched her widening eyes.

"We need Sakura-chan with us," Naruto said simply, then completely obliterated all of his plans of keeping her there by ending the rant with a triumphant, "And if Sakura-chan doesn't get to train with us, then I'm not going either!"

He almost – almost – deadpanned from sheer frustration.

"And don't think you can use your sharingan to make me go either," he continued unhelpfully, absolutely aware and pleased with Sakura's mood as it brightened considerably. "Because you won't get anywhere with the Kyuubi. Apparently, he doesn't like the Uchiha!"

At the clenching of Itachi's jaw, Sakura grinned.

Uzumaki Naruto was testing his patience, reminding him of a younger (much, much, much younger) but certainly a hundred times more annoying and hyperactive version of Sasuke.

"What do you expect sneaking off with Sakura and entering a shouting match?"

He hadn't raised his voice at all – it was all her. "With your connection to Sakura, I doubt you have much of a say in this."

Getting lost in rivalry and jealousy was a disarmingly easy option, one Itachi repeatedly had to fight against when he found himself naturally swaying towards it. He did not want to think of their situation as a competition, or their going up against one another to win the heart of Haruno Sakura, but a small voice in the back of his mind repeatedly informed Itachi that the other men were both worthy competitors, ones who could quite easily sweep Sakura away from him.

But Sakura was not his. He'd accepted as much when the elders of the clan disapproved his wishes to marry her. He'd given up on her.

He did not deserve her.

"What happened?" questioned Shisui, ignoring his response.

Did he really need to explain anything when it was blatant what'd gone on between them? Sakura wished to join them. He didn't consider it to be wise, given her situation. She thought he was leaving her behind and breaking his promise. He just wanted to give her, her best fighting chance.

"Our presence affects her," Itachi instead told him cryptically, rather than answering the question.

"And that's why you wish for her to stay behind."

What was the use in pretending he didn't overhear the entire disagreement, when both Shisui and Sasuke witnessed their leaving and would have tried listening in from the beginning? When almost everyone in the room had heard it when it escalated?

"Sasuke doesn't agree with you either," Shisui continued. Seating himself on a plush beige chair in the Kazekage's personal library (the one place Itachi had believed he would be at peace), he added, "He thinks being separated from us all could cause the madness to worsen."

That was a possibility, Itachi supposed. With her mind being so dead set on getting closer to them all and tearing them apart from the inside, it was entirely possible that being apart from them would cause her to deteriorate mentally or obsess over getting to them. It could lead to many harmful outcomes, depending on how desperate she became.

For several moments, Shisui watched him closely and Itachi would be lying if he said the scrutiny did not irk him. Although he didn't want to be the leader of a rebellion, he was their leader nonetheless and having his decisions and orders questioned was irritating.

"Is there any way you would reconsider?"

"Is there any way you would rethink our situation without being emotionally attached to it?"

Whatever had happened to his friend had certainly done a number on him. Shisui was one he'd always been able to rely on in times of crisis, always been capable of thinking fast on his feet and without his judgement being clouded by emotions. Rather than being that person Itachi needed, he was the exact opposite and allowed his feelings for Sakura get in the way of decision making.

The older man glared over at the floor to ceiling shelves, though Itachi doubted he could read the titles of the books residing there. They were too far away even for their eyes – especially for their eyes.

It was an impressive library that dwarfed his clan's, grossly displaying the wealth of the Kazekage and his family. Then again, the mansion as a whole was no different, bragging more rooms than people could fill and requiring several groups to thoroughly clean it in its entirety if they wanted it to take less than a day (the dining table alone was much too big, always appearing empty even when they all sat together – he couldn't imagine the loneliness one would feel eating alone there).

While the décor was certainly not classed as luxurious in Konoha, he knew enough about Suna and their culture to know everything the Kazekage owned, boasted his position. It went against everything he'd heard and seen of the man, however. He'd always come across as a person who'd never cared for riches and material items, telling him that it was all for show and he probably had no part in the decorating process.

"Am I wrong for wanting to keep her close?" asked Shisui quietly, once more meeting his eye and striking Itachi with the emotions weighing him down. He'd always been aware of them but had to guess at what his friend was feeling in the moment. Now, he was sharing with great ease, allowing Itachi to see his feelings of self-loathing and determination and guilt. "I failed her during the assault on the clan and it led to her capture and torture."

"That–"

"Let me finish," Shisui said more seriously and similarly to when they were children, Itachi fell silent at the authority in his tone.

Regardless of his eight year long disappearance and oddly appearing the same age as when he left, Shisui was and would always remain as his superior, in his eyes. He deserved nothing but his respect.

"I failed her once already – one time too many." When he sat up straighter, naturally, Itachi felt his own body responding as he did the same, unable to break the connection of their stare down even if he wanted to. "If I have to go against you to prevent that from happening a second time, I will."

How amusing, he thought to himself. They were each putting their all into protecting the woman who owned their hearts, unknowingly contradicting one another with what they believed to be the best for her.

"And if my suspicions are correct?" he responded blandly.

Despite Shisui being his superior, he was no longer a child and would not back down simply because an elder told him to. He could disagree with him and continue to respect him. So, if it resulted in going against one another, then Itachi knew he could walk away with no ill feelings towards the other man. If the same couldn't be said for Shisui, then that was his problem.

"If Danzo happens to be tracking us using Sakura, then that's all the more reason to bring her with us," Shisui muttered, no doubt sensing the change in the air around them. It would have been reckless of him not to considering how thick the tension was. "Suna is also a trump card – Danzo can't know that we have the Kazekage's support, otherwise he will orchestrate an assault on Suna and wipe them out before they pose a threat to his plans."

The logical side of Itachi was against Shisui's suspicions, as it went against Danzo's original plan of allowing the other shinobi nations to fight the alleged Madara. Taking Suna out of the equation was detrimental to said plan. However, he knew that Danzo's logic was off. The man was acting erratically and taking risks he never would have considered previously.

Not for the first time, Itachi was frustrated trying to figure out why.

"I will take full responsibility if anything happens out there–"

"No, you won't," he interrupted and was barely able to resist the urge to huff with annoyance. "You don't know the first thing about Sakura's abilities or how to counter them."

His hands were fortunately healed by a Suna medic, followed by a few random examinations from Hyuuga Hinata after the damage proved to be extensive. According to both medics he was lucky to even be able to feel his hands, never mind use them. Sakura hadn't only broken bones – she'd shattered them. Unknowingly. If in a desperate fight or flight situation where she could actually formulate a plan, the damage would have been permanent and the only medics who could fix them were either dead or the unable to heal.

"Moreover, you're in no fit state to go up against her." He disliked having to knock his friend down a notch or kicking him while he was down, but it was imperative he did before Shisui did anything reckless. "That makes her my responsibility, should something go wrong out there."

"Itachi," Shisui sighed suddenly. Did that mean he'd won their disagreement? Yes, but clearly the other man was not finished arguing – he was simply coming from a different angle. "Don't leave her here."

They'd already established he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. They needed Uzumaki Naruto in control of the Kyuubi, for Danzo would never suspect them capable of achieving such a feat. Now, adding to that, Shisui had not only quite wisely pointed out that leaving Sakura in Suna could prove disastrous to their only ally, but also that it could actually prove detrimental to her mental well-being in the long run.

Refraining from sighing, Itachi stood, merely stating to his friend before walking away, "She is coming with us."

"-promise me, Sasuke-kun. You have to promise me."

Faltering in his trip to find Sakura and inform her of the decision, Itachi remained rooted in his spot, eyes narrowing fractionally.

The pair of them were in Sakura's bedroom with the door shut, confirming his thoughts from when they first arrived that the walls were fairly thin, allowing conversations to be overhead. It wasn't too great a bother, for the mansion was huge and their voices would eventually be lost in the empty halls.

"Do you even know what you're asking me to do?" came his brother's shockingly soft response.

What were they plotting? What was it about? Why did his brother sound nearly broken, like he couldn't stomach her words?

"Please," she pleaded in a whisper, voice dropping to the point where Itachi almost couldn't hear them. "You're the only one who won't hesitate."

"Do you really think that lowly of me?"

"You didn't before."

Itachi's expression smoothed out and he stepped back as the door swung open angrily, greeting him with an agitated Sasuke who froze just as he left. Any traces that could have alluded to what they were plotting promptly left his features, but not before a flash of guilt swept through his gaze, causing Sasuke to look away with a curling upper lip to try and hide his lapse in composure.

Then, he stormed off.

When he stepped closer to the door, he found Sakura standing uneasily in the centre of her room, chest rising and falling quickly. The area was clean with freshly made bedding and burning incense sticks, aiding in the fact they could not open windows for risk of being caught.

"What happened?" he questioned.

If it was a meagre disagreement, then it was not his problem and they could rectify it themselves. But gut instinct warned Itachi not to take his attention away from either of them, especially after considering how reckless they were on good days.

"Nothing. Obviously, it doesn't matter," she muttered frustratingly. Stalking over to the bed, she threw herself down with hands covering her eyes, rubbing harshly at her face.

Pushing would result in her distancing herself further from him, essentially making it harder to uncover their plans. So instead, he walked further into the bedroom and eyed the clean clothes folded neatly on the dresser, making it apparent she planned on showering at some point.

Itachi's gaze softened.

She was trying.

Her progress so far was nothing short of admirable, and it certainly helped that her ensuite was more of a wet room than a bathroom. It meant that the water didn't pool or fill objects such as buckets or baths, rather it was sucked down the noteworthy drain beneath the shower head. She was safe to wash without fear of having her head held beneath water, although he wondered if she still feared being electrocuted while bathing.

"Why are you here anyways?" she demanded and stood with a groan, following his line of sight to the clothing. "You don't have to watch me wash anymore."

That was…

Itachi faced forward once more, unable to ignore the teasing edge to her voice.

"We will be arranging group outings in the village to acquire clothing and other materials we need for training," he told her, swiftly and unsubtly changing the subject. "You will accompany myself, Shisui and Kakashi-san."

Green eyes widened, all traces of humour and teasing leaving her abruptly. Sakura took a wary step forward, features brightening warily. "I'm coming with you?"

Guilt once more wrapped around his heart because if it hadn't been for Naruto's adamance, or Shisui's noting of both Sakura's and Suna's risks, he would have left her behind. There were no ifs or buts.

"Yes."

And then that guilt exploded to new heights when Sakura threw her arms around him like she tended to do in their years as friends, squeezing their bodies together with a mixture of joy and thanks.

"Thank you, Itachi. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Don't thank me, he mentally pleaded with her. I don't deserve it.

A/N – Sorry that it's been a while! Life kinda sucks.