So after the crazy turn of events in THIS chapter, I'm a little stuck as to where I want to take this. I am still writing, but kind of sluggishly because I don't think what I'm writing at present is really any good compared to what I've done thus far. Maybe I'm taking things a little bit too far this time with twists and turns... But what can I say, that's just how I write. This chapter is a while 16 pages for your enjoyment! I hope you like it. As always, reviews help to encourage my writing spirit. This weekend I'll have a lot of free time because I'll be staying with my dad and my boyfriend will be away so I'll have someone keeping Pixie entertained. Yeah so let me shut up now so you can judge my latest chapter.
"Rin?" Sakura asked. She turned to face Kichi, and remembered suddenly the story Kakashi had told her to inspire her to find her lover. Sakura wasn't the only one who had memories coming back to her. She moved aside and watched as Kichi, no… Rin… reached out to touch Kakashi's face. She ran her fingers over his forehead protector, where his scar would be. He pulled the headband off and let her see what she already knew was there.
"Kakashi…" she whispered. Without hesitation Kakashi grabbed her by the shoulders and closed the gap between them. He held on to her tightly, arms secure around her thin frame. "Kakashi," she whispered again, tears filling her eyes. "I remember now…" she said, tilting her head up to face him.
"Where have you been?" he asked, looking down into her eyes.
"It all makes sense now… everything…" she said. She smiled sadly as she must have recalled the horrible things that Kakashi had told Sakura.
"I'm so sorry… I looked for you! There was no trace of your body. I tried to-"
"I forgive you," Rin said, putting a finger over his mouth. She laughed as she touched his mask. "You're still wearing this huh?" she joked. She saw his lips turn up into a smile. She pulled it down enough to expose his lips. "This is the last thing I remember before I started my new life. It makes senses this is the first thing I see when I return," she said. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his delicately.
"You don't know how much I've missed you," Kakashi said against her lips.
"You can tell me all about it when I'm finished with my work," she said with a warm smile. "Me and Sakura have to find a cure you know."
"Sakura, why don't you go in and see your family, so I can have a few minutes with Rin," Kakashi requested. Sakura smiled and nodded.
"Of course," she said, leaving the two some privacy. All eyes were on Sakura as she entered the room. She actually couldn't believe there were so many people in this one room. Sasuke was napping with Mitsuki on his bed. Naruto and Hinata were sitting in chairs next to Sasuke's bed. Kisame was propped against the wall and Itachi was staring out the window. "Can we have some privacy?" Sakura asked solemnly.
"You owe me big time Sakura," Naruto joked. "Come by Hinata's later tonight for dinner ok?"
"Thank you," she said, hugging Hinata, then the blonde. Kisame just gave a small nod and left. She smiled at Sasuke and Mitsuki, who had obviously formed a close bond already. She climbed into bed with Itachi and held him as he faced away from her.
"Did you know what you were risking?" Itachi asked.
"Nothing I wasn't willing to give," Sakura whispered.
"So you didn't know…" Itachi whispered.
"Know what?" Sakura asked. Itachi turned to face her, and he had never been happier to see her. He cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers.
"You're pregnant Sakura," he revealed. Sakura blinked a few times.
"How could I be? If I was… then…" she started to panic.
"Tsunade said if Naruto hadn't gotten in the way, our baby wouldn't have been so fortunate," Itachi said. Sakura's color drained from her face. How could she not have known? It's not like it was so long ago she'd been pregnant with Mitsuki. Itachi interrupted her thoughts with another kiss. "I've missed you Sakura," Itachi whispered, full of yearning and want and pain.
"You'd better not ever lie to me again," Sakura warned. Itachi narrowed his eyes at her.
"What?" he asked, caught completely off guard.
"Do you think I went through all this just to watch you die? If not for me, you should've been at least considering coming back for Mitsuki," Sakura said, looking hurt. "You would've died without even knowing you had another child…"
"Not to be condescending, but you would've died without knowing as well if Naruto hadn't shown up. Would it have been better for Mitsuki to lose her mother?" Itachi countered. Sakura diverted her gaze.
"I had no regrets. It was important that you and Sasuke returned and had time to heal. Without you both here… what would become of Konoha? Who would protect Mitsuki and make sure our enemies were defeated? All I can do during the attack is heal the wounded, and protect the children. With you and Sasuke here, everyone would be safe. Your life is more valuable than mine," Sakura explained.
"I don't ever want to hear you say that again," Itachi growled in anger. Sakura shrank away from him, but he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close as he could. "My life was nothing but a lie before you. You are the reason my life has any meaning at all. I will never deceive you again Sakura," Itachi whispered into her hair. He heard her sniffling and blinked away tears of his own. "You gave me everything you had and only asked me to come back and love you. I shouldn't have dismissed your request and lied to you, and I apologize for it…"
"Everything is ok now," Sakura assured him.
"No it isn't," Itachi responded, separating from her. "You gave me your life, and it's time I gave you mine," he said, looking deep into her eyes. "I'd like it very much if you would be my wife," he whispered, producing a ring from the window sill next to his bed. It was a silver ring with 3 hearts etched into it on the top, embedded with small heart shaped diamonds. From the bottom, there were three more symbols etched into the ring. On the left was a crescent moon, in the middle was a flower, and to the right was the sun. Sakura's eyes filled with tears as she let him put the ring on her finger.
"Where did you get this?" Sakura asked.
"I had it made for you. It took 3 weeks to complete, and then we came here. Kisame was supposed to give it to you once the battle was over. I'm glad I was able to give it you myself," Itachi said. Sakura laughed.
"Are you sure you want me to be an Uchiha?" she joked, smiling through teary eyes.
"Well with your amazing chakra control, strength, and healing abilities, and my Sharingan, and various other techniques, we could have some pretty strong kids. They'll be able to protect us when we're old," Itachi teased. Sakura laughed and wiped away her tears.
"Of course I'll marry you," Sakura agreed. He pulled her on top of him and kissed her. They were both aching for each other, but knew now was not the time, and more to the point, this was not the place to do this.
"Are you going to give me another daughter?" Itachi asked.
"Is that what you'd like?" Sakura asked.
"Yes it is. My lovely wife and my two beautiful daughters. Then a son, if you're willing," Itachi responded wistfully.
"As long as you love me, I'll keep giving you children," Sakura said.
"I'll always love you Sakura. You saved me."
"And I'll always love you in return, as long as I live," Sakura promised.
"So when do we get to leave the hospital?" Itachi asked.
"Well I can leave if I feel like it," she taunted. "You have to stay until me and Rin find a cure for you," Sakura answered.
"Rin? But she…" Itachi began.
"Well I just found this out, but Kichi is actually Rin. A couple traveling through the area found her badly wounded and managed to nurse her back to health in Waterfall Country. She couldn't remember anything, except her medical skills. When we were coming to see you, Rin and Kakashi saw each other and all her memories came flooding back. It was kind of romantic," Sakura explained. "They're having a moment, probably very similar to the one we're having now."
"I'm glad for him. He deserves some happiness after all the loss he's had," Itachi said.
"Where are we gonna stay once you get out of here?" Sakura asked. Itachi contemplated her question.
"Sasuke and I have been talking about this a lot. For the time being, we'll have to rent a place. We'd like to tear down all the houses in the Uchiha compound and build new houses without such bloodied memories," Itachi said.
"I think that's wonderful," Sakura said. She knew it would also help repair his and Sasuke's relationship. Rin and Kakashi finally entered, fingers entwined between them.
"So I'll be needing more blood Itachi. Sakura and I have a lot of work to do," Rin said.
"Hinata has offered you all a place in her manor, though her father wasn't very happy about it. No doubt you know that there will be many a suspicious eye on you Itachi. I think through Sakura's friendships with the children of the major Konoha clans who have put a lot of faith in her, the clans themselves will learn to overcome it and put their trust in you," Kakashi informed them.
"I don't think that would be comfortable for Sasuke or Itachi," Sakura said. Kakashi smiled under his mask.
"I thought you'd say that. Tsunade has also prepared the top floor of her home for your stay. She has two bedrooms set up and you know she's rarely home but to sleep so you'll have your privacy," Kakashi added.
"I think that would be for the best," Itachi said. Rin took her blood samples and went back to the lab. Sakura stayed behind for just a minute, telling Itachi to tell Mitsuki mama was ok and would come get her later. Sakura was thoroughly impressed with all the progress Rin had made and continued with her own testing. As they were both working, Sakura posed a question to her.
"Do you think there's a way to stop the Mangekyo Sharingan from causing blindness? Madara told Itachi if him and Sasuke switched eyes they would thwart the side effect," she asked. Rin paused and thought on it.
"Well if the blindness is caused by overuse then a transplant would only give you a clean slate in traditional medicine, meaning of course it would eventually cause blindness again… If it's been proven a transplant can cure the blindness and prevent it from happening altogether, it may just be a learned tolerance the body goes through when it goes blind the first time. As far as preventing it from reaching such lengths… we would need to view the effects it has on the eye when in use to attempt to start coming up with a way to stop it," Rin said, looking into her microscope. "This one's negative, cross it off the list," she added with a sigh.
"Mine too," Sakura said discouraged. She crossed the two combinations off the list that sat beside her. They both took the next samples and began to mix them with Itachi's blood. "What about Kakashi? Will he go blind?"
"Well I took Obito Uchiha's eye and implanted it into Kakashi. The eye took to him, but in a way also rejects him because his blood doesn't carry the trait needed to maintain its power when using the Sharingan. I think his is a unique case. It may be wishful thinking, but I believe that when using the Mangekyo Sharingan it drains Kakashi, rather than debilitating his technique. Instead of straining the eye, it strains the body so I don't think he will," Rin explained.
"Negative," Sakura said, looking to the older woman who sighed and nodded. Sakura crossed the next two samples off the list and they took two more. "What do you think it is about the Mangekyo Sharingan that causes blindness, and not the Sharingan itself?"
"Well the Sharingan develops in stages allowing the body to get used to it. It's an inborn blood trait. The Mangekyo Sharingan requires a great deal of power, and an undetermined amount of stress, brought on by years of suffering or a sudden traumatic event to emerge. Its illusionary powers far surpass the Sharingan, requiring much higher amounts of chakra, concentration and stamina to produce and maintain it. Kakashi and I spoke briefly about it, and Itachi has also told me of its effects," Rin began.
"Why would Itachi bring that up?" Sakura wondered aloud.
"Well because it brings exhaustion and strain on the body when used and requires at least a week or two of recovery time for him. That added to his poison, which attacks more aggressively when he's worn down takes him out completely for weeks at a time if an antidote isn't available. It's why when he arrived here he was on the verge of death. It was a huge risk to even attempt giving him what he was taking for it. He's lucky to be alive, and that puts more pressure on us. He's needs to rest until we find something new for him. He won't live through another antidote, he'll die," Rin said, nodding her head in assurance.
"He'll die?" Sakura whispered.
"And unless we find a new antidote in the next 2 weeks, the poison will kill him. The sickness has grown very resistant to the cure and progressed from there. It now doesn't just attack and kill cells in the lungs, it's been killing the nerve endings so new cells cannot be produced. It's only a matter of time… If you know anyone with medical training that's free, I'd try and get them to help. The preliminary testing isn't hard, but it's tedious and there are hundreds of samples to go through. Just the two of us isn't going to cut it. Once we have these tests done we cut the sample list in half and recombine those with positive effects. You and I are skilled in the safe combination of these chemicals and powders. It's for all the monotonous searching for positive factors that we're lagging behind," Rin explained to Sakura, a grim, serious face upon her.
"Hinata and Ino have medical training. I'll go find them now," Sakura said. Rin put a hand on Sakura's shoulder.
"Don't worry too much Sakura. I've been at this for days and I've gotten this far alone. We'll be fine with two extra people just to check samples until we can manage the workload on our own. I've never failed a patient before, and I don't plan on doing it now," Rin assured her. Sakura forced a smile through her fear and nodded. Once Sakura had explained the situation Hinata and Ino came straight away. That whole week it was like they didn't exist. After working for 15 straight hours Sakura's vision started getting blurry.
"You should eat something," Ino said to her.
"No I'm fine. I'm not hungry," Sakura said.
"The baby needs food Sakura. You haven't eaten since you woke up this morning," Ino scolded.
"Go out and get some fresh air. Pick up something for all of us from the market," Rin instructed, handing her some money. With a large sigh Sakura complied. She laughed to herself when she walked outside. She hadn't seen the sun since she woke up from her coma… She stopped at the Uchiha compound on her way to the market, imagining what her future home would be like. She started to walk down the paths and corridors, ending up where Itachi and Sasuke had once lived. The blood and bodies had been cleaned up years ago, but this part of the village loomed with death.
"Soon we'll all be safe here together," Sakura said to her belly, resting a hand on the tiny bump.
"Do you think so Sakura?" a foreign voice said behind her. She went to turn but was frozen in place. An arm came around her stomach and the other around her neck.
"Who are you?" she whispered. He chuckled.
"I wonder how this place has managed to protect itself… If you're on such high alert right now and I managed to get in…" the man said. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I didn't even have to kill anyone to get here."
"What do you want?" Sakura asked.
"Tell me Sakura, why would you go wandering through the abandoned part of the village where no one could save you if you were attacked? I'd think, what with you being pregnant again, and the danger of my imminent attack, that you'd have some kind of guard with you at all times. It's not as though you can really defend yourself without putting the baby in danger," the man said. Sakura's heart started to race, but she managed to control her breathing.
"You're…" she murmured.
"Don't get so stressed out, it's not good for you. If I wanted to kill you, you never would have known what happened. And if I meant to kidnap you I would hardly waste my time sitting here chatting when we could do so at my leisure elsewhere," Madara said.
"What do you want then?" Sakura questioned again.
"Do you feel nostalgic here? I do," he whispered in her ear. His lips were next to her face and she could feel them curl up into a grin. "Do you think about how your boyfriend made a deal with me to protect Konoha, by agreeing to let me help him kill off the entire line of Uchiha? Did you know that he was the one who proposed the idea in the first place, before the elders put it in writing? Before it was an order, it was Itachi's plan," Madara taunted her.
"He did what was necessary to ensure Konoha's safety," Sakura protested.
"I would have let him come with me either way. We are so very similar. I was only trying to maintain the superiority of my blood and the first and second treated us as dogs that needed to listen to orders; a disease that had to be quarantined. I let them think I had died so I could plan my revenge without them being the wiser. Tell me how my intentions are any different than any people that are oppressed by their country's leader," Madara said.
"You're looking to kill innocent people to prove a point. People who can't defend against shinobi. Your clan was not weak and oppressed, it was arrogant and egotistical and you couldn't take that you weren't in charge. The first wanted to protect the village and spread peaceful ideals, not rule and conquer over everything like you," Sakura spat. Madara chuckled.
"I can see what Itachi loves in you," Madara said. "You're very bold to speak to me this way…" Sakura forced her way out of his arms and turned to face him. She wore a scowl on her face, but as she stared at him, it began to melt into astonishment. His hair was short and spiky, but his facial features were remarkably similar to Itachi and Sasuke's. "It's traditional for the leader of the clan to marry the strongest woman and for her to bear him an heir. I've come to tell you this Sakura, so you may tell them," Madara said.
"Why me?" Sakura asked.
"If I've convinced you, then they'll believe you," Madara replied simply.
"What is it you want me to tell?" Sakura asked, shrinking back a little.
"There are three things you need to know," he began, pulling a paper from his cloak. As he handed it to her he said, "Orochimaru knew Itachi was sick, and I knew he wanted Itachi's body. I gave him samples of Itachi's blood and Kabuto came up with a cure so when he had succeeded in his task, he would be free of the sickness. This was for me to persuade him to stay should he decide to leave but now it serves a different purpose."
"The antidote? Why would you give me this? It's…" Sakura wanted to say it was a trick, but as she looked it over, she recognized that the components in it had all yielded positive effects.
"A show of good faith. The second is that I don't wish to have a simple victory. When I attack I 'd like to know I completely crushed Konoha and all of its finest shinobi. I'll wait until Itachi and Sasuke, and any others that are injured are fully recovered before I make a move. What fun would it be otherwise?" he asked. Sakura scowled at him again.
"And the third?" Sakura asked.
"Why do you think I said I would've taken Itachi with me regardless of his offer?" Madara questioned. Sakura got a sinking feeling in her stomach. Madara smirked at her.
"You see, Fugaku didn't have the ability to produce an heir. He was tired of the seclusion from the rest of the village. Unlike the generation before him, he desired revenge, but not for what had been done to me, for his ego and his arrogance," Madara said, to throw Sakura's words back at her. "So I returned to produce an heir that would be stronger than any of them, to destroy the village from the inside out. It became obvious at a young age that Itachi would not kill without just cause. So I came back again to give them another prodigy. I'm sure you know how it went from there," Madara said with a smirk.
"You're… You're lying… Why would he let you impregnate his wife twice? Why wouldn't he ask you to lead the fight?" Sakura rambled.
"That wasn't what I offered. I offered him the one thing he couldn't have on his own. He wanted to continue to lead the clan, and that was fine with me, because it was already dead and buried as far as I was concerned. He wanted to have his ego stroked by raising Itachi as his own son, to be acknowledged by the village as the father of a genius child. I've seen you studying my face and my body, unable to understand how Itachi and Sasuke could look so similar to me. Now you know," Madara said in amusement.
"Why didn't you tell Itachi yourself?" Sakura asked.
"I guess I thought I had more time. I'd hate for them to die without knowing the truth. I'm sorry that there's no story under it all to redeem me for my sins. You'll tell my grandchildren that their father was a hero, and their grandfather was a monster," Madara said with a smile. It made Sakura feel sick to her stomach. She couldn't help but drop to her knees and throw up. "Now Sakura I don't wish to see my grandchildren die, being as defenseless as they are. I want you to find a place to hide with Mitsuki during the battle so you don't get injured," Madara instructed with a serious expression.
"What do you care about me or them? You're going to kill your sons and leave my children orphans," Sakura murmured.
"I'm only going to kill them in self defense. I'll kill you as well if you get involved, don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise just because you're pregnant. You'll be spared as long you're not in my way," Madara explained harshly.
"They'll kill you," Sakura said, wiping her face with her arm.
"They'll try," Madara said. "All you should be worrying about is taking care of my grandchildren. They'll be the last of their bloodline," he added, helping Sakura to her feet. She yanked her body from his touch, as it made her skin crawl. "They'll be worrying about you, you should get back," Madara said with a cheery disposition. Sakura was pale as she began to walk away. A million thoughts filled her head about what could have just happened. It was eerie as well, his pride about being a monster, as well as a grandparent. "Don't forget what I've told you Sakura. I'll visit you again if you don't relay my message," he added in a pleasant tone, before disappearing.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked as she entered their hospital room. Itachi also brought his attention to his fiancée.
"Where's Mitsuki?" she asked.
"With Naruto and Kakashi. They went for a walk," Itachi said, sitting up in his bed. He looked at Kisame who took the hint and went to find and bring back Mitsuki.
"Sakura, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked.
"I don't even know where to start…" she whispered, plopping down in a chair. Itachi and Sasuke came and kneeled beside her. She pulled the paper from her pocket and opened it.
"What is this?" Itachi asked.
"This is Kabuto's handwriting," Sasuke said.
"It's the cure. We may have to adjust the amounts, but it's correct," Sakura said.
"Where did you get it?" Itachi asked, getting a sinking feeling.
"…Madara Uchiha just gave it to me," Sakura revealed, biting her lip. Before either brother could talk she said, "He wanted me to deliver a message to the both of you…"
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Itachi asked frantically, searching her for visible signs of injury.
"No… he told me he wouldn't attack until all our shinobi were out of the hospital and ready to fight otherwise it would be a false victory. He wants to crush Konoha completely with all its best falling at the front lines," she said, looking between Itachi and Sasuke.
"What else did he say?" Sasuke asked, taking her hand to comfort her.
"He told me he'd kill me if I got involved in the battle, and he didn't want to see his… his grandchildren get hurt," she managed. Both boys narrowed their eyes and searched her expression in shock. There was simply no way that could be true. "He said Fugaku was unable to have children so he came back to give him a superior child who would lead the rebellion from inside Konoha. After it became apparent you would not kill without just cause he returned to impregnate Mikoto again. He got bored of waiting and led the nine tails attack which we recovered from and he abandoned his mission until Itachi was powerful enough. From there we all know what he did."
"He's lying," Sasuke said. Sakura looked to the floor.
"I don't think he was… You two… you look exactly like him. The same eyes, the same features…" Sakura said.
"He let you see him without his mask?" Itachi asked.
"He wasn't wearing one."
"Where did all this happen?" Sasuke asked.
"I… I was walking through the Uchiha Compound…" she answered with a frown.
"I don't want you going anywhere alone Sakura," Itachi demanded. "For all we know his goal is to gain a grandson. To have a male child he can raise and groom for his own ends since things didn't go as he planned with me."
"You don't believe that Itachi, do you? Madara Uchiha is our father? That's absolutely ridiculous. Did our mother seem like the type of person who'd let that happen?" Sasuke asked.
"Our father was an arrogant man. If he found out he couldn't have children he would've blamed it on her. With an offer from our most powerful ancestor to redeem them of this shame, she would've done it. She'd have done it to make Fugaku happy. With father stealing me away from her, and her having no child to raise, she'd have done it again when he returned. Fugaku had his trophy son, and mother had you to coddle and fuss over until you came to a point where your skills would start shining through. It makes sense," Itachi confessed.
"Even if it's logical, that doesn't make it the truth," Sasuke protested.
"You have to accept the fact, that the Uchiha may have been a powerful clan but they were not good people. They were arrogant and power hungry, Madara being the worst of them. He was also the most powerful in the entirety of the clan. Then I emerged as 'the most powerful Uchiha,' and he returned to Konoha with the intention to take me with him. There's no reason he couldn't have killed me then to eliminate the threat he must've known I would become, but instead he tricked me into killing Shisui and unlocking the Mangekyo Sharingan. I can only take it on faith that Madara is our father based on facts and logic. He's got nothing to gain by telling us a lie like this," Itachi said.
"What about letting your guard down, making you feel vulnerable?" Sakura asked.
"If that's his goal, then it would only affect Sasuke. I've been around the man too long not to see through him," Itachi said with a sympathetic look at his brother who snorted and turned away.
"Maybe it's to divert our attention from the other things he told Sakura," Sasuke speculated.
"Well if he got the antidote from Kabuto, and Sakura thinks it's the cure, then there's nothing trivial about it. It also serves to prove his second declaration. He's waited too long for Konoha's destruction to count it a flawed victory. With Sakura convincing us both to return to defend it, it's yet another challenge for him. It fits his personality to postpone his attack until he's able to win without question," Itachi added. Sasuke sighed.
"Sasuke, I don't want to believe it either, but if you saw him…" Sakura said, standing up. She turned Sasuke around and hugged him tightly. "It's important that you start training immediately. We have roughly a month to work with, between the injured and sick that are in the hospital now." Sakura's heart was filled with despair. This was not the reunion she'd wanted to have with the younger Uchiha. She felt as though she was driving him further and further away.
"Let's walk to the lab together so you can drop this off," Sasuke said, gently pushing her away.
"Alright…" she whispered desolately. She put a hand on Itachi's cheek and placed a kiss on his forehead. Sasuke stood outside and waited for her.
"He needs you and Naruto a lot right. He may have forgiven me, but I'm not someone he feels close to anymore. You make sure he's ok," Itachi said softly, holding her hand.
"That's what I plan to do," Sakura said. Itachi looked away from her for a moment arousing her suspicion. "What's wrong?"
"He needs closure Sakura… You have my permission to do anything you feel comfortable with to give it to him," Itachi said boldly. Sakura didn't know exactly what that implied, but it hinted toward something that would probably be considered a betrayal.
"Anything? Are you sure?" Sakura asked, raising her eyebrows in concern of his statement.
"He deserves the closure he seeks for what we've done. You don't need to tell me what happens," Itachi said. Sakura felt nervous suddenly as she walked out the door. She could see a hint of fear in Itachi's eyes, maybe that once Sasuke and her were alone, she'd leave him. This wasn't true of course but she could see why he would think it. Sakura explained only what was necessary regarding where she got the cure, and Rin went to work on it straight away. Hinata and Ino were dismissed and thanked for their time and help. Sakura and Sasuke walked through the village, toward the training fields. They sat beneath a tree and Sasuke sighed.
"Sasuke," Sakura began, but Sasuke didn't want her to be the first to speak.
"There are things I want you to know before you say anything Sakura," he interrupted. "I am happy that Itachi is home, and I'm happy that he found someone that makes him feel complete after a lifetime of knowing only hate. I know you're a great mom already and you'll continue to give me nieces and nephews to teach and play with. I feel like Mitsuki lifts a heavy burden from my soul when I'm around her. She's so smart and beautiful and strong, just like you. I also can't help but feel cheated in all this. As happy as I am for you and Itachi, I can never be truly happy for you two," Sasuke explained.
"I understand," Sakura said with a nod.
"I feel like a fool… If I had told you earlier how I felt then your heart would still be mine. I left you the same way Itachi left me. I love you Sakura, don't ever doubt that. Forgive me for keeping it from you so long," Sasuke said. Sakura turned to him with teary eyes.
"I never meant for this to happen Sasuke. This was all supposed to be so you would be at peace and instead I've left you in agony. I don't want you to hurt when you're around me. I want to do whatever will bring you closure," Sakura whimpered.
"What about Itachi?" Sasuke asked.
"He's already consented to whatever may happen, so long as I don't speak of it to him," Sakura said. Sasuke was suddenly conflicted. His brother still cared that deeply for him, Sakura still cared that deeply for him that they were willing to forgive her being unfaithful if it meant he would finally be at peace. He knew he should tell her that time would bring him the closure he needed, but his heart told him that he would find solace only in her arms. If he couldn't have her heart forever, then he felt he'd earned the right to be selfish for one night and have Sakura to himself.
"I…" Sasuke murmured, but found it hard to form the words and force them out.
"I promise that I won't think poorly of you if you decide you want to take advantage of the situation. I love you still Sasuke. You were my first love and I will never truly be able to let you go. Maybe it would help the both us if we…" Sakura said softly. Sasuke could feel his heart beating faster in his chest.
"I want you to be mine for one night. Give me one night to hold on to instead of wishes about what might have been," Sasuke whispered. Sakura's heart started beating faster at his request. Could she really go through with this? She had made the offer, so it would be wrong to back out of it.
"When?" she asked.
"Tonight. We'll rent an apartment to spend the night in," Sasuke suggested.
"Alright. I need to go back to Kakashi's to get some things and to stop at the hospital to see Mitsuki. Come for me there at 8," Sakura instructed. Sasuke nodded and he walked her back to town.
Mitsuki was overjoyed when she saw her mom. She giggled and ran around her in circles and smiled and clung to her legs. Once she had exhausted herself and fallen asleep, Kisame excused himself and left Sakura and Itachi to talk.
"We're going to spend the night together tonight," Sakura said. Itachi's gaze fell to his sheets. "I don't want to do this if you're not going to be ok," Sakura said, putting a hand on his cheek.
"I want you to. I guess I'm just afraid that he'll convince you he's better for you and-"
"I'm not going to leave you. I have this ring on my finger don't I? If I thought one night could change my feelings about you, I wouldn't be wearing it right now. This is as much closure for me as it is for Sasuke, to fulfill something in our hearts that will help us let go of each other," Sakura said. Itachi nodded. She leaned over and kissed him deeply.
"I love you Sakura," he whispered against her lips.
"I love you Itachi," she whispered back. No sooner had she said it there came a knock on the door.
"Can I speak with my brother alone?" Sasuke asked. Sakura excused herself as Sasuke took a seat in the chair. "I want to thank you Itachi," he started.
"For what?" Itachi asked.
"For your consent. I won't try and win her away from you, that wouldn't be fair to Mitsuki or your baby. Everything always came so naturally to you. It was like people and power were enticed by your very existence, myself included. I want you to know what's going to happen, because if you speculate it will breed distrust and jealousy and I won't watch it tear you two apart. I'm going to ask Sakura to be my first, so that I may have memories to hold on to that will stop the regrets that plague me. I won't do it if it will ruin things between the three of us," Sasuke informed him. Itachi blinked a few times.
"If Sakura consents to it, I won't hold it against either of you. I had intended for you two to be together after my death, and if doing this means that you and Sakura can let go of your feelings toward each other I won't protest it," Itachi responded. Sasuke leaned over and hugged his brother.
"You don't know what this means to me," Sasuke whispered in his ear.
"It means you'll finally be able to be happy again, like you were when we were children. That means just as much to me as spending my life with Sakura," Itachi said. "Go now, she's waiting."