Chapter Fourteen

Mirror & Closure

Yoichi watched the light sway of her hips as she walked away from him. His cheek still stung from where she had slapped him—but he wasn't a man to give up easily.

He was determined.

Saku closed the book with a roll of her eyes. She had just finished the chapter.

Kakashi was such a pervert.

She walked the rest of the way to Naruto's home with the book Kakashi had given her held tightly in her hand. Kakashi's parting gift was more than she could have hoped for—that is, until she began reading it. The title of the chapter itself—Perseverance—was what Sakura's Kakashi said was the key to winning her Kakashi. Don't give up—at least that was what she was choosing to believe, because when she read the chapter in its entirety, the main character persevered until he had the heroine flat on her back. Kakashi was so annoying sometimes. If that was what he meant, she would personally go back through that portal and kick his ass.

Although seduction may not be a bad idea...

A bleary-eyed Naruto opened his door for her, although she did wonder how he had managed to fall asleep so quickly. Glancing over his shoulder, Saku realized that more time had passed than what she originally thought.

Naruto rubbed his eyes, waking up by degrees.

"Hey, Sakura. Did you find Kakashi? I sent him to you."

"I did," Saku replied, remembering the outcome of her meeting with Kakashi. Naruto, taking one look at her, stepped to the side and let her in.

"Want to talk about it?" Naruto asked, aware that something was going on with her, but not sure what.

"No, I'm not going to keep you up. You go to sleep and I'll be fine…as long as you don't mind me staying over tonight."

"That's fine. You can sleep in my bed," Naruto offered, yawning midway through his statement.

"No, you take your own bed. I'm fine on the couch." It wasn't like she was going to be sleeping anytime soon, anyway.

Saku knew he was really tired then because he didn't argue with her any further.

"G'night, Sakura."

"Goodnight, Naruto."

She didn't get up the next day until noon. She knew she needed to report to the Hokage, but she just couldn't manage to get out of bed. It had taken forever to fall asleep, but when she finally did...well, it was noon. She didn't even wake up of her own accord. A loud knocking indicating a visitor was what pulled her out of her slumber. Saku groaned, wondering why Naruto wasn't answering the door.

Then she vaguely recalled Naruto waking her and telling her something about training with Sasuke. Saku sat up and padded her way over to the door, expecting to see a lavender-eyed beauty inquiring about the whereabouts of one knuckled-headed ninja.

"He's not here—" Saku broke off at the sight of the person standing before her.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't move.

She was frozen to her spot.

...

And she was afraid.

She was very afraid.

Her visitor spoke the words that were on her mind that she couldn't quite get to come out.

"Isn't this against the laws of physics? Shouldn't we be disappearing or crying out in agony because two Sakuras can't exist in the same world?"

Saku blinked, realizing that nothing was happening. That they were still very much alive, and still staring at each other. Saku's horror was quickly replaced by curiosity.

Their faces were identical. There was nothing in their bone structure that would help anyone to tell them apart. However—and Saku was the first to notice this—their hair, while still being pink, were different colors. Sakura's hair was a small shade darker than her own.

"I guess not," Saku finally replied. "Since we're still here."

"Hmm."

Silence.

"So, are you going to let me in or not?" Sakura continued. "Where's Naruto?" She looked behind Saku, expecting to see an orange bundle running at her in full speed.

"Training with Sasuke."

Sakura nodded as if that were something to be expected. In actuality, it really wasn't. While Saku, Naruto, and Sasuke were all friends due to their genin days, neither guy really spent that much time with the other. Both spent a fair amount of time with Saku, but somewhere along the line they had drifted apart, like friendships sometimes do. This specifically happened when Kakashi joined ANBU. Soon thereafter, Team Seven was disbanded.

They continued to stand there, Saku in the door frame and Sakura on the outside, staring at her counterpart.

"It's odd. Isn't it?" Sakura stated. "Looking at yourself without a mirror."

"I'm not you."

"I know." An emotion covered her face that Saku couldn't quite put her finger on. But before she could question it, Sakura spoke again. "So, can I come in?"

Realizing she was being rude, Saku stepped aside and allowed Sakura to enter. Saku softly shut the door, then turned to look at Sakura.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"I came to ask Naruto if I could move in with him."

"I think I beat you on that one. Besides, I thought you and Itachi had a thing going on."

Sakura frowned. "Who told you that?"

"Kakashi."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I assume you mean my Kakashi-sensei. By the way, you seriously screwed your Kakashi over. Why would you get engaged to Itachi if you wanted Kakashi anyway?"

"That's none of your business," Saku snapped, irritated.

"Come on," Sakura said with a small smile, not at all disturbed by Saku's irritation. "If you can't talk to yourself…who can you talk to?"

"I'm not you," Saku reiterated.

"No one knows that better that I do." Sakura's eyes clouded over momentarily. Shaking herself out of her daze, she resumed the conversation. "Seriously, since we've found each other and we're not dying or anything, we need to talk."

"About?"

"First, Kakashi. Then…Itachi."

"What does Kakashi have to do with you and me?"

"Everything. I need to make some things clear to you. I'm not going back home. This is my place now. In order to stay here, then I need to have a relationship with Kakashi."

Saku's eyes narrowed and in suspicion. "If it's your intention to—"

"To echo your words earlier, I'm not you. I have no intention of trying to get into Kakashi's pants." Sakura scrunched up her nose distastefully.

"Just Itachi's," Saku said nastily feeling an odd bit of irritation that this woman could step into her shoes so easily.

Sakura tilted her head to the side, studying the other girl curiously. Her temper began to flare once she realized what the girl was implying.

"No, that's not my intention at all. Since you seem to want to talk about Itachi first...well, let's do that, then. If it were my intention to screw Itachi, then I wouldn't be here right now. I'd be in his bed because that's where he wants me—not here with you. However, since my whole relationship with the man is based off of yours, I just don't feel right being with him—in any fashion. In fact, I have no intention of going any further with the man until you talk to him and end your relationship with him. So you need to decide what it is that you want to do. Is it Itachi you want or Kakashi? Once you decide, this time there's no going back. Your fickle behavior is doing nothing but hurting both these men more and more, and it has to stop. I really don't know your Kakashi, but I know mine and he is a wonderful man—when he isn't getting on my nerves. And Itachi…"

Saku saw the look in her eye when she mentioned the Uchiha's name. It was a mixture of reluctance and longing. Of pain and hope.

"Decide, Saku." Sakura turned and walked to the door. "I'm going to the Hokage to notify her of the happenings here. I'll see you around."

At her exit, it was then that Saku decided that perhaps she had done things out of order.

She should probably go speak to Itachi.

The house was dead quiet when she finally arrived. Saku walked to his study because that's where she always found him when she came home.

Only he wasn't there.

So, she traveled to their bedroom…only to find the room utterly destroyed. It looked like a battle happened in the room. Saku frowned. What the heck happened in here?

"You came back." Saku whirled around at the sound of the voice that still sent shivers up her spine.

"Itachi!"

Itachi frowned and looked at her. "You're not Sakura."

"I'm your fiancé."

Itachi said nothing, but rather crossed his arms over his chest that happened to be bare. Saku frowned at that. That was unusual. Itachi was normally dressed and gone by this time of day. And if he wasn't gone, he was in his office working on clan business.

"Are you okay?" Saku asked hesitantly. Itachi didn't reply, so Saku sighed and decided to just go ahead and say her piece.

"Itachi, I've come to tell you—"

"That you're in love with Hatake and you're ending our engagement."

She nodded her head and slipped the ring off her finger, slowly handing it back to him. Itachi palmed the ring and motioned for her to follow him, which she did. Something was on his mind and it was really bothering him. Someone who didn't know him wouldn't be able to perceive it, but she could see it in the set of his shoulders. In the way he moved.

Saku watched as Itachi sprawled across their living room sofa and covered his eyes with his arm.

Sprawled.

The Itachi she knew didn't sprawl. He sat up straight at all times. His posture was so perfect that you could put a book on his head and it wouldn't fall off...while he was fighting. So to see the man sprawling worried Saku more than a little.

"Why?" he asked in a monotone that Saku knew was just his way of disguising his emotions.

Saku could pretend to misunderstand, but judging from his behavior thus far, she didn't think it would be wise.

"I've always loved Kakashi. I was just a little slow in realizing it. I wouldn't have gotten involved with you if I had—"

"I'm not angry. I just need to understand."

"I know you're not angry."

"I should be."

"Yes, you should," Saku quietly agreed.

"Why am I not?"

"Because I think you've known for a long time that we weren't right for each other. That it wasn't going to work. And perhaps you've found someone who suits you better."

Itachi uncovered his eyes and looked at her. "You did know how I felt about you, didn't you, Haruno?"

Saku took a moment to notice the past tense spoken in his words before she replied.

"Of course I knew. Why wouldn't I?"

Itachi said nothing at first, so Saku waited quietly for him to open up and tell her exactly what was on his mind. She knew better than to pry. Whatever was on his mind, he would tell in his own time and not a moment before.

"She thinks I want her because she looks like you."

Saku blinked, then chuckled a little.

"I'm sorry, but what?"

"Like you're some sort of fucking toy I lost, and now I want a shiny new one." He stood up and began to prowl around the room like a caged animal.

Saku's mouth formed a perfect O when the swear word left his mouth. Itachi didn't swear. He always felt that there were better ways to express your emotions than to demean yourself with profanity. Saku watched, amazed as Itachi's Sharingan flickered on an off. He was working himself into a fine rage. It was something that she had never seen before. The entire time she had spent with the man he was nothing but calm, polite, and suave. He had been like a lamb.

Sure, she knew that Itachi was going to be the next Hokage for a reason, but she had never realized that this was a man that she should fear. In fact, just sitting in his presence was a scary thing.

He had always seemed so peaceful. Now, she realized that there was a ravenous wolf lingering below the surface of his indifferent facade. He would have devoured her had she married him. His powerful presence would have eaten her whole. She would have been miserable. How could she have not seen that?

But what puzzled her even more was how Sakura could even desire a relationship with him. Why did she want this man?

However, Saku wasn't a bad person—and if her other self wanted this man, then she would help her.

"Itachi…can't you see where she's coming from?"

"Of course I understand. That doesn't mean that she isn't being ludicrous."

"Or maybe you're being unreasonable."

Itachi stopped and gave her a look that made her blood run cold. Saku made herself open her mouth and finish her statement. "If I were her, I'd feel as if you were transferring your unrequited—" The look he gave her turned nastier. "—feelings to another person. How easy would it be? She looks just like me—"

"You may share the same appearance, but you're nothing alike."

Saku paused, bit her lip, then continued.

"I don't know whether to be insulted or not. So, I'm just going to let that go."

"My apologies. I meant no insult," Itachi said distractedly. "Tell me why you love Hatake. She loves him as well. Perhaps that is where I should start."

Saku didn't even hesitate answering, even though he seemingly changed the subject. "I heard this myth once about how all humans started off with four legs, four arms, two heads, and one soul. Zeus, for some reason or another, split us apart. So we became as we are now. One head, two arms, but forever missing half of our soul. Doomed to spend our lifetimes searching for that other piece of our self. Kakashi is the other half of my soul. Without him, I'm incomplete." Saku closed her eyes momentarily because her heart began to ache at the loss of her other half. Once the pain had subsided, she opened her eyes once more. "However, I'm pretty sure that whatever her feelings are for Kakashi—they're platonic. So you can't base her feelings for him on her feelings for you. You have to develop your own niche in her heart. Itachi, you can't just expect her to pick up where we left off. She's an entirely different person. You have to treat your relationship as such."

Itachi seemed to be studying her, but Saku knew that his mind was working a mile a minute. If she spoke at this second, nothing that she said would be heard. If she left the room, he wouldn't even realize it. In fact, she was going to do just that.

She was going to pack herself some clothes.

When Saku returned, Itachi was waiting for her. She recognized that look and knew that they had more talking to do.

"Why did you never tell me of the nuisance that my parents were making of themselves?"

Saku sat her bag down and sighed.

Flashback:

"You don't deserve my son. In fact, I'm quite certain that you don't deserve anyone."

"Pardon me?" Saku said, bewildered.

"You are not worthy to carry the Uchiha name. You're nothing but a filthy little whore jumping from man to man. First Sasuke, now Itachi—and I am certain that you don't even love Itachi. What is wrong with you?"

"Don't claim to know my heart. I love Itachi—"

Mikoto scoffed. "What do you know of love? Nothing. You probably think love is sunshine and rainbows and maybe even bells ringing when you kiss. That's utter nonsense. Love is waking up every day and washing that man's dirty underwear because he's been out dealing with clan business and making money to put food on the table—and protecting our country. Love is dealing with his foul temper because he has one little girl. The fact that you probably haven't seen it is proof enough that you're rushing into things. Love is putting him first before your little 'friends', before yourself. Love is endurance. Because marriage is a trial that only a woman who is truly in love can handle. Love is about compromise and all you do is take, take, take from my son. Love, no true love, never fails. And this farce of a relationship you have with my son is going to fail. Mark my words. It. Will. Fail."

"Mikoto—"

"And don't you dare call me by my first name. You're not my friend. You're just something despicable that my son keeps around. I anxiously await the day that he grows tired of you."

"Uchiha-san, I will be the next Uchiha matriarch. I will be a good wife to Itachi whether you believe it or not."

"A good wife? What would you know about that? My son is the one that cooks and cleans. He is going to be the provider. He does everything. Everything, and you're not worth anything. You're a burden and in no way an asset to him!" Mikoto shrieked, her face turning an unnatural shade of purple.

Saku began to tremble slightly in the face of that rage. She had either two options—she could lose her temper with the woman and yell back the myriads of words that were running through her head and blatantly disrespect her fiancé's mother.

Or she could leave.

Saku chose to leave, but that didn't stop Mikoto from hurling obscenities from behind her as she left the woman's home.

"Itachi. Your parents love you—especially your mother. They only want what's best for you. They didn't think I was it. They were right. Besides, you can't tell me you didn't know how they treated me. If you really wanted to, you would have put a stop to it. But you didn't."

And with those parting words, Saku grabbed her bag and left the elder Uchiha to a home full of silence.

A/N: Thank you cutecrazyice!!

So now we know as of now that both Sakuras can coexsist. And if you didn't notice my little flashback kind of tied in to Itachi's puzzled musing about Saku several chapters back. And what is this with Saku's parting words? Does she hold a small bit of irritation towards Itachi? Does she still love him? Or is this truly the end of Saku and Itachi? Hmm. We shall see. And Mikoto's kind of mean isn't she? Will this mean anything for Sakura in the future? And what happened between Itachi and Sakura?

All in due time.