Chapter Two

A Change in Everything

Sakura sat up slowly, and stretched her body. She let out a yawn, glad that she was able to relax a little while. The truth was, she would never have dilly-dallied, had the circumstances been different...but the field of lilies had just called to her, offering the peace of mind that she needed at the moment.

How could she refuse?

With a smile, she let that peace engulf her for a while, wondering why it still hadn't engulfed her completely. Then she remembered, and the smile became a frown. The frown deepened, when her thoughts suddenly centered on her boyfriend.

He had forgotten about their anniversary.

Sure, they weren't married, so maybe the anniversary of the beginning of their relationship wasn't that important...to him, anyway. Sakura couldn't help but feel a little hurt at the thought—after all, it was important to her. It probably was one of the most important things in her life.

Still, some things can't be helped.

She could possibly be blowing things out of proportion.

After all, she knew he was a very important man, and he had a lot on his mind. She should just go home, make him grovel a little, and then forgive him.

Yep. That seemed the best way.

With a sigh, Sakura walked slowly back home, enjoying the thought of the pain she was going to make her lover endure. True, she was ready to forgive him...but it would be fun to at least make him work for it, right?

She was so deep in thought, that when she made it home, to the Uchiha district, it took her a moment to register her surroundings, and the solemn quietness of everything there was. No birds. No voices. No movements.

Nothing.

It was then that she realized that something was very wrong.

The houses that she had just seen this morning looked old, and run down. Sakura's eyes widened, as she took the whole sight in. The garden was gone, as well as the flowers, replaced by tall weeds growing in wild disarray. The trees were bare, not moving nor swaying at all. The place looked like...dare she say it?

A tomb.

Her heart began to pound rapidly as she stared around her, puzzled as to where everyone was. What everything she was seeing meant. What was happening?

One name immediately flashed through her mind.

Itachi.

Heart still pounding, she began to run then to his home, this now-strange home that she had moved into six months ago. She ran inside, through the gardens, through the lawns—only to find it empty. The door hung ajar. She walked in, and looked around. Nothing was as she left it. The furniture that she had picked out, because Itachi was too lazy to buy furniture when he was living on his own, was gone. All gone. The pictures of them together, even her favorite one where he was looking off into the distance...they weren't here.

There was nothing here.

Frantic now, she called out his name.

"Itachi! Stop playing. This is not funny."

He didn't reply.

"Itachi, if you're trying to show me what life would be without you...I get it, okay? I was wrong for leaving abruptly like that, so please...just stop this."

Still no reply.

It was beginning to scare her.

"Itachi!" Sakura screamed, falling to her knees.

Not one single sound.

"Release," Sakura said, trying to free herself from the genjutsu that she was trapped in. Nothing happened.

"Release!" She tried again, screaming the word now—but to no avail. It was then she discovered, realized, that she was not trapped in someone's genjutsu. She was indeed living life in the real world. Sakura also knew that something terrible had happened, and Itachi was no longer in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. There was only one explanation for everything.

He had left her behind.

Without further ado, Sakura sank to the ground and closed her tear-filled eyes, as the pain filled her. Completely.

Her heart broke into a million pieces.

"Sakura."

A hand began to shake her awake.

"Sakura."

More shaking. A familiar voice. An unfamiliar warmth.

"Sakura, wake up."

Wearily, Sakura opened her bleary eyes—and stared right into the face of a very concerned Hatake Kakashi.

It wasn't the face she expected to see.

"What?" she grumbled, rubbing at her tear-stained face. She was still very much disoriented, and wasn't even sure where she was to begin with.

Wait a minute...

"The Hokage has been waiting for you to return. She's sent people out looking for you," Kakashi stated, suddenly interrupting her thoughts. He paused, looking at her in what might have been concern—it was difficult to see, really, what's with his mask hovering in the way. Then he asked, "What are you doing here?"

She didn't even know what he was talking about, much less what she had been thinking about just seconds earlier. What was it again?

Suddenly she gasped. She remembered.

"Shishou! She can explain what's happening!" Frantic, Sakura jumped up and ran out of the ruins of her old home.

"Sakura, wait!"

Sakura turned around, suddenly remembering that someone else was actually there with her—her muddled thoughts had somehow made her forget that. Puzzled as to why he was one of the people that had been sent in search of her, she frowned.

"What?" she asked, none too nicely. She knew it was a bit rude, but really...she simply didn't have time for pleasantries now.

There were other important things to focus her attention on.

Casually, the great Copy nin leaned, silently slipping his hands into his pockets. His stance was casual, even nonchalant—but it was obvious he was studying her closely.

"Are you okay?"

Her frown merely deepened.

"It's a little late to be concerned about my well being now, Hatake." At her words, a frown suddenly covered his features, too. It was enough to realize that he might even have been a little hurt at her words, but Sakura wasn't concerned about his hurt feelings. Not now.

She had bigger problems than him right then.

Without another backward glance, she fled.

"Where the hell have you been?" Tsunade asked immediately upon seeing her apprentice walk into her office. Impatiently—for she never was a patient person to begin with—she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for her pupil to give her a valid excuse so she wouldn't have to beat her senseless.

Sakura blushed a bit. "I fell asleep."

The blond Sannin raised a well-defined eyebrow at the response. "Did you at least get the herbs that I asked you for?"

Sakura's brow furrowed, confused. "You never asked me to retrieve any herbs."

The blond Sannin raised another eyebrow, as if in questioning incredulity.

Still confused (and slightly suspicious now), Sakura began to discreetly search for her teacher's 'stress reliever'—the one that she frequently used to help her get through the day. Surely it had to be that, because her mentor wasn't making any sense, and—

"Sakura, this morning I specifically asked you to go the Nara's and get me—" Tsunade's words broke off, when another presence made itself known inside her office. "Were you the one who found her, Kakashi?"

"Yes," was the simple reply from the silver-haired man.

"Where was she?"

"In the Uchiha district…sleeping on the floor of one of the homes."

It was not the answer she expected.

Sharply and suddenly, Tsunade turned her head to Sakura. "Why were you in the Uchiha district?"

Sakura merely stared, her own brows now furrowing as well. "What do you mean? I live there. Why is it in ruins? What happened? What's going on here?" Sakura fired out her questions rapidly.

A silence fell over the room. Sakura felt the eyes of her master and old teacher staring at her with concern.

Dread started to form deep in her heart.

"Sakura, why do you think you live in the Uchiha district?" the Hokage asked cautiously.

Why was she being cautious?

"Because I do," Sakura answered, a bit uncertainly. Then, thinking that wasn't going to do any good, she made sure her next answer came firmer. "I moved in with Itachi six months ago."

Silence.

Tsunade gasped, into the ominous silence, a look of horror covering her face. Then, almost immediately, the look of horror changed into one of utmost suspicion. "Sakura, were you attacked at any time during the day? Have you seen any ninjas here that didn't belong?"

Sakura shook her head, a bit impatient now. "Just tell me what's going on. Where is Itachi?"

Kakashi glanced at Tsunade, who nodded. "Sakura, Uchiha Itachi is dead."

No.

No!

At the quiet, firmly-spoken words, Sakura staggered backwards, as if hit. "No, he's not dead. I just saw him this morning. You're lying." The stirrings of anger started to build in her. How dare he say such a thing!

She found his sense of humor at the moment sadly lacking.

"Would I lie to you, Sakura?" Tsunade interrupted patiently, concerned for her student's sanity.

This was true—her mentor had never lied to her before, but Sakura knew that she couldn't yet believe that Itachi was dead. She knew he wasn't.

She had to get a grip and try to process what they were telling her.

"How did he die?" she asked, her voice devoid of all emotion.

"At the hands of his brother."

Her heart stopped cold.

"Sasuke? Why would Sasuke kill Itachi? He loved his brother. He would never do anything to harm him. Itachi can't be dead. He's too strong to be killed. He was going to be your successor!" Sakura exclaimed frantically, immediately losing her cool.

"Sakura, don't you remember the Uchiha massacre?" Kakashi asked softly.

"Uchiha massacre?" Sakura queried, gaping now. "There was never an Uchiha massacre. There was an Uchiha rebellion, but Itachi single-handedly put down the rebellion. He pacified his clan and made peace between the Council, and the Uchiha clan. He solidified the relations between the two. He is a hero in this village. Who knows what would have happened if we didn't have Itachi."

There was a sigh, coming from the silver-haired man. "Sakura…Itachi—"

"No, Kakashi." Tsunade interrupted, shaking her head forcefully. "Hold your tongue."

The two engaged in a fierce silent battle, not one of them willing to back down—but in the end, it was Kakashi who gave the staring up. He said nothing more, but waited to see what his Hokage would do.

Said Hokage, easily observing the tension, immediately cleared her throat.

"Sakura, I want you to go over to the hospital, and have a few tests run."

"There is nothing wrong with me," Sakura huffed, her chin going up.

"There is. Your version of events is…a bit distorted."

"No, it's not!" she snapped, defensively now.

"You saw the ruins, Sakura. You know it to be true."

"No, there has to be some sort of reasonable explanation." Sakura refused to believe there wasn't.

There simply has to be one.

"There is, but you're not willing to listen," Tsunade snapped back, glaring now.

Fed up, Sakura just decided to listen to whatever it was that they were hiding from her.

"Then tell me!" she hissed, trying not to get intimidated at the sight of the glaring Sannin—the glare was undeniably vicious, and quite scary.

Kakashi spoke up. "She needs to know. Sakura's strong. She can handle it."

Sakura threw him a disgusted look. She didn't need him to stick up for her. She could handle herself just fine without him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the Hokage started to speak, finally.

But the next words were utterly confusing.

"Itachi Uchiha was declared a missing-nin sometime ago. He murdered the entire Uchiha clan with the exception of his younger brother Sasuke, who in turn took his life to pay for all the ones he had taken."

Sakura stared at her, dumbfounded. What she had told her couldn't possibly be true. She had been dating Itachi for years now. She knew him. He would never kill his family. He loved them. He loved this village. He would never betray them in this way. He would never betray her. He would never—

They watched, as Sakura's eyes began to lose focus. Her breathing became shallow and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"Kakashi, catch her, she's in shock."

Those were the last words Sakura heard before sweet oblivion claimed her.

A/N: Well, I'm going on vacation so I won't be updating for a while. Sorry, no internet access where I'm going. Shoot I'm not even going to have air conditioning. Yes, it still is a vacation. :) I'm going to try and have the chapter of my other story 2 Right the Wrongs posted before I leave, but I can't make any promises. It's only half written and I still have to send it to my beta. So until next time...

And a special thanks to my beta, cutecrazyice for helping me out! You're a doll!