My little Pixie has a virus :( She's been throwing up and has a fever so I've got to put off writing for a little while til she gets better. I got my 10 reviews Thanks! So here's the next part! More twists!! Just like 2 chapters ago, I cannot attest as to when the next one will be up, but reviews definitely help the process along. HINT HINT Anyway, thanks, and enjoy. OHHHH And Kichi, means fortunate, for reference later in the chapter.
"I guess when she found your brother in Rice Field Country things got a little heated," Tsunade joked, laughing to herself. "You need to be resting. Sakura is barely in stable condition but she's knocked out right now. I have her attached to an IV to give her fluids, but I need…" she trailed off as she saw the answer to her problems might be right in front of her. "Why are you here Mr. Haruno?" Sakura's father explained himself which brought a full fledged smile back to the Hokage's face.
"What were you saying you needed?" Kakashi asked.
"I need to find a donor with her blood type, to bring her into stable condition," she said with a raised eyebrow.
"You can test me to see if I'm able to," Mr. Haruno said, jumping at the chance to help his daughter. She took him into the operating room and got a blood testing kit. Within minutes, the results to her liking, she drew a few pints of blood and began to introduce it into Sakura's body. Mr. Haruno held Sakura's hand, rubbing it affectionately with his thumb. "Can I sit with her for a little while?" Tsunade agreed, placing a nurse in the room to monitor Sakura's progress.
"I know you're tired Godaime, but there's something else that needs to be brought to your attention," Sasuke said.
"I have to regain some chakra and have a small nap before I can assist in Naruto's recovery. He's stable enough on his own though, so I'm not too worried about him," Tsunade said, wiping her head.
"It's not Naruto," Sasuke said. Then she remembered what Sakura had told her about Itachi.
"It's about Itachi ne? How about I come up with you and take a look at him to start coming up with some solutions, and Kakashi, could you get me some lunch? I'm starving," she said. Both nodded and went their separate ways. She received a beaming smile and a cute 'hi' upon entering the room. Itachi looked up at her and half smiled.
"Thank you for helping Sakura," he said.
"Mama ok?" Mitsuki asked, looking afraid suddenly. Sasuke came over and picked her up.
"Your mom is fine. She got hurt, but Tsunade fixed her. She's just resting now. We'll be able to visit her soon," Sasuke promised.
"Ok," she said with a smile. She still seemed a little uneasy but she knew her mom trusted the two men in this room.
"You know Sakura had been acting quite odd according to Naruto. She had a dream that she was killed, and she became distant somehow, so Naruto says. You know that your relationship ended up causing her to pull away from everyone. She suffered in between the times she saw you. Why would you promise her you'd come back, when you know very well you were going to let Sasuke kill you anyway?" Tsunade asked.
"I didn't want to her see her cry anymore," Itachi answered.
"You should've known she would come, when news of the battle reached us. I was going to send her as a medic nin but she had already left. When Naruto and Kakashi told me this, Naruto also had a revelation. Can you guess what it was?" she asked. Itachi stared intensely at her, knowing she was asking hypothetically. "Her dream; she became distant, because she was going to die to save the both of you. You two don't know how lucky you are that Naruto took off after her. I'll tell you just what I told Sasuke. If he hadn't gotten in front of Sakura, she might still have lived, but your second child would have been dead. I expect you to give Naruto your gratitude," she revealed.
"She's pregnant?" Itachi asked, just as shocked as Sasuke had been.
"3 months," Tsunade said with a nod.
"Did she know?" Itachi asked.
"I couldn't tell you. She didn't mention it to me, which I'm sure she would have if she knew. On the other hand she did cut back on training and she wasn't helping much at the hospital. She just spent a lot of time with Mitsuki and kept a mental distance from everyone else. I'm convinced she still would have gone if she knew," Tsunade answered.
"Why would she…" Itachi trailed off, a look of concern on his face.
"Don't you realize by now how Sakura's heart works? She didn't just want you to come back because she loved you… She wanted you to come back so Tsunade could find you an antidote. Once you were healthy, you and I would be able to defend Konoha and Mitsuki. She stopped between us because she knew the only way I would forgive you, and the only way you would stop feeling guilty, was if we both mourned together. She knew if she died, then we would have to fight for everything she believed in or else disgrace her memory," Sasuke explained.
Itachi stayed silent as he reflected on Sasuke's words. It made him think about what she had said before he'd consented to the beginning of their relationship.
"Even if he cannot accept me, I believe a child could save him. That is what I want. More than his love, I want to see him smile again. I want him to be happy again, as he must have been with you. For that… there is no sacrifice too great."
They had started their relationship as a means to bring Sasuke that happiness. As time progressed her love and devotion was suddenly split between Sasuke and himself. She couldn't stand by and watch the two people she loved kill each other. She couldn't let Sasuke kill Itachi because she knew eventually he would regret it and it would tear him apart, and she couldn't let Itachi become a martyr for his guilt and let Konoha fall under Madara's destruction. He could see her perfectly in his mind, smiling to herself as she made her decision, just as Itachi had when he'd made his so long ago.
"To protect everything and everyone she loved, she was going to give up all she had," Itachi whispered.
"I wonder where she got that mentality from," Kisame murmured. Itachi laughed to himself.
"For the time being, everything is alright. Let me take a look at you so I can start coming up with antidotes for your illness," Tsunade said. She ran her hands over his body and began to inspect his state. A serious expression came over her. "How long have you been sick?" she asked.
"Since I last lived here, when I became a Chunin," Itachi revealed.
"What?" Sasuke questioned in disbelief. "That can't be true!"
"What have you been taking that's been keeping you alive?" Tsunade asked.
"I don't have any with me…" Itachi said.
"Write down the components and amounts so I can make something for you temporarily," Tsunade said. She grabbed his chart and turned it over. Itachi did as he was told. Tsunade's face hardened.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked.
"Itachi can discuss it with you. I need to make this right away, or there's a chance he won't last through the night," the Hokage said, rushing out of the room. She bumped into Kakashi who had finally arrived. "Come with me to the lab, I have work to do," she instructed. He followed with a nod.
"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke asked.
"When I became a Chunin, Danzo was very pleased with me. He insisted I be drafted into ROOT even though it was supposed to have been disbanded. I refused and so he told me that I couldn't be trusted. He infected me with a genetically engineered disease. I didn't start to feel the effects until months later and he gave me small fragments of the antidote, just barely enough to keep the symptoms at bay. It was designed to keep me under his control. The more time that passed, I needed it more and more. He increased the dosage and I went through the same cycle again for years. The problem now is, the ingredients used in the antidote are debilitating in large quantities. At this point I'm curing the illness but I'm killing myself with the cure," Itachi explained.
"What was wrong in the first place? You could have told someone what happened to you. You could've gotten a cure!" Sasuke said.
"I was only 10 when it happened. I was supposed to be the pride of our village. I was ashamed to be tricked by a man like him… I accepted what he did as a punishment for letting my guard down. As for what is wrong, there are toxins in the virus that cause restriction in the bronchial tubes. If I overexert myself the toxins go into overtime and destroy cells, letting blood seep through the lining and block my airways. It got worse each time it happened. Over the years it started making me weak, dizzy, disoriented. It's why it was important I didn't use the Mangekyo Sharingan unless it was absolutely needed," Itachi revealed.
"How could the antidote be worse than that?"
"The antidote is an effective poison in its own right. In large doses it breaks down the immune system and essentially attacks the heart without touching it. It hardens the arteries leading from the heart so it sends the heart into a panic because the blood flow can't regulate. It pumps faster and harder to force blood through the body and in turn sends shooting pains throughout the extremities. This time could be fatal for me," Itachi revealed.
"Fatal?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his eyes at his brother.
"With the dosage he's taking now, he could go into cardiac arrest or start having seizures. The heart can only take so much," Kisame said.
"Well Tsunade's skills are legendary. I'm sure she'll find you a real cure," Sasuke said in response, turning away from his brother. His thoughts turned murderous.
"Sasuke," Itachi said. The younger Uchiha turned to face him again. "It's not the time to get into a political war. We need to deal with the problems in our immediate future. Don't do something that you'll regret," Itachi warned. Sasuke put Mitsuki on the bed and scowled. "Think about what it would do to Sakura if you killed him," he whispered. They both knew Sakura had her own reasons for wanting the man dead, but to kill him would mean banishment from Konoha even if he deserved it and Tsunade was their Hokage.
"Her father is here you know," Sasuke mentioned to change the subject.
"Just her father?" Itachi asked.
"He said as a parent you want to raise your children with good values. When he found out what she'd done he blamed himself and it drove him crazy. He said he was sorry for not stopping his wife from spreading all those rumors and causing her all that grief. He believed there must have been something else that made her act as she had. He said Sakura was still his daughter and he didn't want her to die; he wanted her to know she was still loved, even if just by him," Sasuke said.
"I'm sure she'll be happy about that," Itachi said.
"Tsunade needed a donor with her blood type to stabilize her, so it was like fate that he came in. He's sitting with her now," Sasuke said.
"I want to see her Sasuke. I need to… Please take me down there," Itachi requested.
"You're not in any condition to be walking around Itachi. I want to see her too, but Tsunade wouldn't let me either," Sasuke began.
"Neither of you are going downstairs until she's been stable for a few hours," Tsunade said in the doorway, holding a cup of tea. "I mixed the ingredients into this, along with an herb that's supposed to slow the heart in the event of a heart attack.
"Sasuke, please take Mitsuki for a walk. I don't want her to be here if something goes wrong," Itachi requested. Sasuke nodded. He didn't know what he would do if he saw his brother having seizures, much less his niece.
"Hey, you want to go get some food?" he asked her. She smiled and slid off the bed, holding her hand up for Sasuke to hold. He had to hunch over a little to hold her hand and walk with her which made Kisame smirk as they left.
"You can take it now; I'll be here monitoring you," Tsunade said, handing the cup to Itachi. As he took a shallow sip he noticed it was only warm, and not hot, so he drank the whole cup straight away. His face twitched as he felt a sharp pain around his heart. His arteries tightened and relaxed at will, forcing his heart to race then calm alternatively. In some instances it felt like as the switch occurred his heart was stopping all together. He groaned and clenched his fists as his body fought the temporary cure. For 15 minutes he endured it.
"You're still alive; what a lucky bastard you are," Kisame joked. Tsunade ran her hands over his chest and nodded.
"You'll be fine for now. The virus has stopped attacking your lungs and you're producing at least the bare minimum amount of white blood cells you need for repairing the damages. Your heartbeat has regulated and blood flow is normal. I've sent word to the Waterfall Country. When I was younger and traveling the world I came across a girl who specialized in poison related cures. She was just as skilled a medic nin… She claims she can't remember her past but this only leads me to believe she's labeled a missing nin from her country. Nevertheless, I'm going to need all the help I can get with you," Tsunade explained.
"It's not like all missing nin are horrible people anyway. Sometimes the choices we have to make to protect those we love end up costing us a lot," Itachi replied.
"I'd like to go to Danzo and beat some answers out of him, but I'm afraid I can't do that. At the very least maybe I can force him to give me some notes on the composition of the original sickness. And even if he had a cure, your condition has far surpassed its effects. For now just rest. I'll let you know when you can see Sakura," she added.
"Thank you," Itachi said appreciatively.
"As for you," she began, turning toward Kisame. "What do I do with you?"
"As long as I get to go out and kill some high ranking shinobi, we won't have any problems," he answered with a smirk.
"I'm grateful that you're going to fight for Konoha, but as the Hokage I can't overlook that you're considered an S-rank criminal. You need to have the Mizukage pardon you as I've pardoned Itachi before I can allow you to stay here," Tsunade explained. She didn't need to have bounty hunters infesting the town looking for the shark man.
"It might help if you put in a good word," Kisame said. The Godaime nodded in agreement.
A week went by very quickly. With it brought even bigger headaches. She had been sending letters back and forth with the Mizukage discussing Kisame's status. He reluctantly agreed to pardon him of all charges with a major catch. Kisame was to assist in any S rank missions the Water Country required without having to pay him. Not to say they would use him for all S rank missions, but she suspected a fair amount would pull him away. It's why she made him aware that they'd received a threat to Konoha, and until dealt with Kisame would remain there. The Mizukage wasn't very happy about it, but conceded because in the long run he was getting the better deal.
The week also saw Naruto fully recover. Tsunade had finally joined the others to help them with healing his seared nerves and he was good as new. While it worried him, and everyone else for that matter that Sakura hadn't woken up yet, Tsunade assured him that she just needed the rest. The acclaimed Waterfall Country medic also arrived in the middle of the week. Kichi got to work right away. She checked Itachi first, and drew several vials of blood. She made some notes and compared them with the Godaime's.
Kichi worked all day, every day that went by. She stopped only to eat when Tsunade or Shizune brought her food, and she slept in a small room right next to the labs in the hospital. Tsunade checked on her once and found her asleep at her desk. She took the poor girl and put her in bed. She returned to the lab to check her progress and she was shocked. She was well on her way to correcting Itachi's sickness.
It was unbelievable that someone that was a civilian could work like this. She had to confront Kichi and assure her that her past would be forgiven, no matter what Tsunade had to do, for her aid.
It really was unbelievable what Kichi had done. Graphs were drawn up showing the contrast of antidotes created versus the effects they had on Itachi's blood. She had lists of ingredients and their individual reactions. She also had lists drawn up of the ingredients that had positive effects and possible combinations to try next. Tsunade was sure that within two or three weeks Kichi would have the antidote.
Sakura woke up as though from a dream. She looked around and noticed she was in the critical care unit. Her eyes adjusted to the light and she looked at the IV in her arm curiously, before pulling it out, and removing all other forms of monitoring devices from her body. She inspected herself, running her hands down her chest. She shuddered as she remembered being pierced with Sasuke's sword. Were they ok? Did Itachi and Sasuke make up? Was Tsunade working on a cure? And where was Mitsuki? Why was she in a secluded room with no one keeping her company?
She was a little dizzy when she stood up, and nearly fell to the ground. Her legs felt heavy and immobile. She refused to give in to her body's protests. She forced herself over to the door, and grabbed the robe that sat on a hook beside it. She started to feel better as she moved around. She went down the hall, pausing as she saw someone new in the lab. She felt inclined to find out just who it was in there. She pushed the door open and knocked lightly.
"I'm fine Tsunade. You don't have to worry about me," Kichi insisted, not looking away from her work.
"Actually, I'm Sakura," Sakura introduced herself. The woman sitting at the microscope shot up from her chair suddenly and rushed over to her.
"Are you?" she asked enthusiastically. Sakura took a step back and smiled uneasily. "I've been waiting for you to wake up Sakura. The Godaime requested my assistance in finding a cure for Itachi. She's been very busy with the threats against the village and whatever else the leader of a village does, so she hasn't had much time to spare to help. I'd love for you to join me. We'd get this done much more quickly," Kichi said straight to the point.
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked.
"A week and a half if I hear it correctly. It's lucky your dad came to see you, or you might not have come out of your coma so soon," Kichi answered.
"My father?" Sakura asked. Kichi nodded.
"He gave a lot of blood I hear, saved your life. You were in critical condition. Shizune said her and Ino did what they could on the field. Sasuke was helping them too, handing them things and whatnot. Kakashi and Yamato brought you back on a stretcher and Tsunade spent hours fixing you up. She removed the stitches in your lungs and healed all the nerve damage so the wound could close properly which was a challenge in and of itself because you'd already lost a lot of blood. I can't say I'm very good with surgery. I know enough to get by, but my expertise lies in antidotes," she explained further.
"Where are you from… uh?" Sakura questioned, taking in everything she said.
"Waterfall Country. I'm Kichi," the woman answered, offering a hand to Sakura. Sakura finally entered the room all the way and closed the door behind her. She shook Kichi's hand and lightened up.
"And have you been fortunate Kichi?" Sakura joked. Kichi sat back down and continued to work.
"I would say yes, for the most part. I would also say no…" she answered.
"Why is that?" Sakura asked, suddenly feeling bad about making the pun.
"Well…" Kichi began, a little uneasy about the subject. "I… I've never felt compelled to tell anyone this before but… maybe being here in Konoha has opened me up a little. When I was a teenager, maybe around your age… I wouldn't know how old exactly because I can't remember anything before waking up to a bright light. A couple traveling toward their home in Waterfall Country found me injured along the border of Earth Country. I had been attacked by a shinobi and from what they heard later on, there were dozens of others found dead on that same road.
They quietly stowed me away in their cart, and rushed me back to their home town. The couple knew a little first aid and kept me alive until they could have a doctor look at me. He managed to seal my wounds and keep me alive but I was in a coma for quite a few months. When I woke up I just couldn't remember anything that had happened. The couple let me stay with them, and I worked on their farm to repay them. There was a little girl, Hana, who often came to play in their yard and we became friends.
She was playing by the river and something bit her. She fell into convulsions, and her leg swelled up something fierce… The doctor never would have made it in time. I can't tell you how I knew, but I knew exactly what to do. I grabbed some medicinal herbs and within minutes she was alright. The doctor took an interest in me and took me on as an apprentice. He admired me, told me I was like the daughter he never had. I gained some acclaim in my country for my skill, and even attracted your Hokage when she was younger. She was very impressed with me. We kept in touch over the years and now here I am," Kichi explained as much to the point as she could.
"Do you think you originally came from Earth Country?" Sakura asked. Kichi shook her head.
"The couple insisted I wasn't from there. They spread word in the border towns, but no one came looking for me. The doctor was the one to name me Kichi when I finally woke up. I try not to dwell so much on the past, it just gets me down…" Kichi revealed.
"Hmm…" Sakura murmured. Something was bothering her… Something seemed so familiar about that story, like maybe she had heard it before a little differently? And somehow Kichi seemed so familiar though Sakura knew they had never met. Had she possibly seen her when she was searching for Itachi? She had long light brown hair, parts of which framed her face. Her hair in the back was longer and tied with a string.
"Are you alright Sakura?" the other woman asked.
"I feel like I already know you," Sakura said, laughing at herself.
"You can borrow some clothes from me; they're in the room across from yours. I'm sure you'd like to see your family. We can go up there together; I need to take a few more blood samples from Itachi," Kichi said.
"Thank you," Sakura said, following Kichi out of the lab. She put on a black dress, with white flowers embroidered along the bottom. It was sleeveless and reached just below Sakura's fingertips. It was the only thing that fit her well.
"You look beautiful in that dress," Kichi said, smiling at Sakura. Sakura blushed.
"So tell me what else you've heard while I've been asleep," Sakura said with a laugh as they made their way to Itachi's room. The two females were laughing as they came down the hall. Kakashi
was the first one to hear them approaching. He knew one of them was Sakura, he could sense that, but… who was she with? He stepped into the hall as they came closer and closer.
"Finally awake Sakura?" Kakashi asked. Sakura laughed as she moved toward her former teacher. She noticed that Kichi had suddenly stopped, and that Kakashi's color had drained from his face. She turned back toward Kichi who stared intensely at the man not a hundred feet from her.
"What's… going on?" Sakura asked, looking between them again. "Kichi, come on. You haven't met Kakashi yet?" The woman behind her suddenly started moving again. Kakashi also started moving, in a way that alarmed Sakura. "Kakashi, what are you doing?" Sakura asked, stepping between them.
"Rin…" he whispered in bewilderment.